Chapter 1211:

After putting things in order, Jayden grabbed a black backpack and stepped out of the room. Elyse, who had kept her eyes squeezed shut, slowly opened them. She found herself dressed in Jayden’s clothes, which hung loosely on her frame. She reached down and instinctively touched herself, realizing the soreness lingered—Jayden hadn’t exactly left her spotless; a faint residue clung to her fingers. Elyse pursed her lips, muttering, “Is this what you call taking care of me? You’re slacking off today.” Quickly, she changed back into her own clothes, grabbed her purse, and left the room. Downstairs, she spotted Jayden leaning against a car, talking with a few others. She hesitated, knowing that if Jayden saw her, he would likely lock her up. At that moment, Peyton emerged from the adjacent room, glancing around nervously before whispering urgently, “You finally made it down. I thought you wouldn’t come. You spent the entire afternoon with Jayden, and I started to worry he might have…” Elyse felt her cheeks flush. “I almost passed out, but I didn’t forget about our plan. I pushed through and made it here.”

Peyton eyed Elyse with concern, noting her disheveled appearance. “Jayden really put you through the wringer, didn’t he? I heard you two arguing earlier. Are you sure you’re okay? If you’re not up for it, let me go in your place.” Elyse’s face turned crimson. She shook her head. “No need for that. I’m fine, and besides, I want to handle this myself.” Seeing Elyse’s resolve, Peyton didn’t press further. He gestured. “Come on, follow me. I’ll get you into another car without Jayden spotting you.” Elyse nodded, grateful. “Thanks for your help.”

Meanwhile, deep in the woods, Amanda trudged onward, hoping to spot a familiar landmark, but feeling lost. After a while, she heard footsteps and followed the sound, her heart leaping at the sight of her teammates. “Thank goodness I found you! Where have you all been? Weren’t we supposed to be on cleanup duty? How did you vanish like that?” The group exchanged uneasy glances before one spoke, “How did you manage to track us down?”

Amanda frowned. “What do you mean? Was I not supposed to?” The leader rubbed the back of his head. “Now that you’ve found us, you’ve really put us in a bind. This means we have no choice but to take action against you.” . . .