Chapter 1252:

Halfway to his meeting, his phone buzzed. A familiar name lit up the screen—Peyton. Without hesitation, he diverted to a nearby diner where his girlfriend was waiting. Peyton had a breakfast spread laid out and gestured to a seat across from him. “Sit down, we haven’t got all day. My flight’s soon.”

As they ate, Jayden casually asked, “Leaving already?”

Peyton shook her head with a soft chuckle. “I thought I’d do some sightseeing, maybe a little soul-searching.”

Jayden nodded. “Sounds refreshing. But isn’t your hospital in a bit of a mess right now? Doesn’t it need your attention?”

Peyton took a slow sip of tea, savoring the question. “Let them play their games for now. The longer they grow comfortable, the better. I’ll set things straight when I’m back.”

Jayden changed the topic. “The performance is in two days. Want to join?”

Peyton waved him off. “Not my scene. Go on your own.”

Without pressing further, they finished breakfast and parted ways. Jayden went to the Moon Palace to handle a full day of meetings.

When night fell, Elyse was winding down in her room, the quiet hum of sleep beckoning, when a knock at the door disturbed her. She opened it to find Jayden, his face lined with the exhaustion of a long day. She raised an eyebrow, skepticism lacing her words. “What brings you here?”

He brushed past her and slumped into a chair. “Back-to-back meetings all day,” he muttered, rubbing his temples. “My head feels like it’s splitting.”

Elyse raised a curious eyebrow. “An all-day meeting? About what?”

“A lot of issues,” he sighed, the weight of the day settling in his voice, “but mainly about succession to the throne.”

She tilted her head, intrigued. “Succession? What did they say?”

He let out a slow exhale, the topic still pressing on him. “They added a new candidate. Louise is now in the race. I can’t wrap my head around how that happened.”

Elyse’s eyes sparkled with a touch of pride. “Well, Louise is brilliant. It’s no surprise.”

Jayden frowned, his gaze distant. “It was Garret’s reaction that caught me off guard. There was something…off about it.”

“Oh?” she asked, curiosity edging into her voice. “What do you mean?”

Jayden hesitated, as if trying to untangle his own thoughts. “He kept stealing glances at her during the meeting, and when it ended, he practically whisked her out of the room. They looked more like a couple than siblings.” . . .