Chapter 1230:

Darren offered some comfort. “It might seem worse now, but it’s always been rough. You just used to ignore the issues.”

Entering the hotel, Jayden and Darren decided to skip the elevator and head straight for the smoking area on the ground floor.

Leaning against the wall, Darren fixed his gaze on Jayden as he smoked quietly. Breaking the silence, he said, “Do you know what shows someone has really grown up?”

Jayden raised his eyebrows. “What’s that?”

“It’s not about getting rich or becoming famous. It’s about having the skills and the duty to fix problems,” Darren explained.

Darren glanced at his hand. “I used to be so scared of performing in front of an audience. When I stood on stage, the fear felt like a hungry monster, swallowing me whole. The audience below looked like monsters, ready to watch me embarrass myself and fail. I felt certain that if I messed up, they would rush at me and tear me to shreds.”

Jayden’s eyebrows rose. “But you got past that fear. How?”

Darren explained, “I realized that I wasn’t that scared little boy on stage anymore. I had grown stronger, capable of defending myself.”

He paused, then added, “You remind me of how I used to be, conflicted between your inner self and how you appear to the outside world.”

Jayden said nothing more, smoking until his cigarette was just a stub. Then he spoke again, “It’s nearly time. Let’s head inside.”

They took the elevator, parting ways as they reached their respective floors.

Back in his room, Jayden lay in bed, thinking about Darren’s words. Darren had suggested he was immature, but nearing 30, how could Jayden be considered immature? His thoughts wandered to Elyse, wondering what she thought of him. He wondered if she saw him as immature. Doubts began to consume him.

As Elyse settled in for the night, her phone rang. Geraldine was on the other end.

“Seeing you earlier was so overwhelming, I forgot to tell you something,” Geraldine said. “I’m not sure how you’ll take this news.”

Elyse’s expression turned to confusion. “What are you talking about?”

Geraldine paused. “It’s about Fiona. She was injured in the explosion.”

“Why should that concern me?” Elyse responded. “If she’s hurt, she should just seek medical help.”

. . .noveldrama Message from Noa: Have a nice evening, new chapter on Saturday. God loves you and Noa wishes you the best. (─‿‿O)