Chapter 1168:

Louise responded, “Extravagant? This is pretty standard.” Elyse made a face. “But from what I remember, isn’t Garret’s base surrounded by forests? There’s nowhere for a helicopter to land.” Louise waved her hand nonchalantly. “Don’t worry. If there’s no landing spot, we can always rappel down with ropes.” Elyse’s brow furrowed. “Rappel down? You think I’m ready for that?” Louise gave Elyse’s shoulder a reassuring pat. “You can do anything. Trust yourself!” With a blend of encouragement and insistence, Louise guided Elyse into a quick descent. Feeling the wind whip around her, Elyse grew lightheaded, almost losing her balance. By the time they touched down, Elyse’s legs were trembling from exhaustion. Unsteady, she staggered forward, pushed Louise aside, and dashed toward a nearby bush where she began to retch. Hands on her hips, Louise observed, unimpressed. “You’re really frail, aren’t you?” After a few heaves, the dizziness eased, and Elyse looked a bit pale. “I need to work on building my stamina.” Louise raised her hand, motioning for the helicopter to depart. “Alright. Go find your Jayden, and I’ll catch up with my dear Garret.” Noticing Louise’s tense expression, Elyse asked, perplexed, “Are you that upset with Garret?” “It’s complicated. Maybe anger is part of it. My feelings for him are far from simple.” Louise’s gaze darkened briefly. After a pause, she sighed, “Forget it. Let’s just head inside.” Elyse agreed, and after a few steps, noticed Garret waiting nearby. With a helicopter so large, Garret probably saw them arrive; he must have been waiting for some time. When Elyse reached Garret, she greeted him politely. He looked at her and gave a quiet nod in response. Then his gaze shifted to Louise, whose face showed no warmth. Louise scoffed, irritated. “I thought you’d vanished in all that chaos, but you’re still around.” Opening the car door, Garret said, “Let’s get going. We can talk on the way.” Elyse made no objections and turned to Louise. Louise rolled her eyes, crossed her arms defiantly, and climbed into the car with an air of superiority. Elyse followed her in, and the car began to move. Eagerly, Elyse asked, “Where’s Jayden? Why didn’t he come?” Garret shrugged. “Too bad you missed him by just a few hours. He headed to the front earlier to oversee things himself.” A look of shock crossed Elyse’s face. “He went to the front?” Seeing her reaction, Louise quickly intervened. “Don’t worry; it’s just a minor conflict.” She then turned to Garret, saying, “Reach out to Jayden immediately. Tell him to come back for Elyse.” . . .