Chapter 1281:

Elyse clenched her teeth. This man was impossible! She realized that no matter what she said, Jayden wouldn't stop. With a sigh, she gave up resisting and let him continue. Once they were done, Elyse pushed at Jayden, who was still on top of her.

“Get off, you’re too heavy.”

Jayden complied, rolling off her, but almost immediately pulled her back into his embrace.

Elyse’s voice was tinged with irritation. “Do you really need to hold me?”

“I’m trying to think of what to tell you about,” he replied.

Elyse’s eyes widened in surprise, realizing he was finally ready to share details about his past. She studied his face carefully, sensing the weight of his thoughts.

After a moment of silence, Jayden spoke. “Why don’t we start with dessert?”

Confused, Elyse furrowed her brows. “Dessert? Are you going to explain why you dislike it?”

Jayden’s expression softened, and he shook his head slightly. “No, it’s not that I dislike dessert. I just can’t eat it,” he said, his tone unusually calm.

Elyse was bewildered. “Why not? What’s so bad about dessert?”

Jayden sighed, his gaze distant. “Enzo insists that, as the future head of the Owen clan, I shouldn’t favor any food. I loved desserts, but he forced me to abandon them.”

He paused, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he touched his chin thoughtfully, as if reminiscing.

“Did you manage to stop?” Elyse asked, her curiosity piqued.

Jayden shook his head, his voice quieter now. “No, I never could. But it’s a habit I learned to hide.”

“I’d avoid desserts during the day, but at night, I’d sneak into the kitchen for them. At first, he didn’t catch on, but eventually, he did,” Jayden admitted, his voice carrying a hint of lingering pain.

Elyse’s voice trembled slightly. “What did he do when he found out?”

“He forcibly stopped me from eating desserts,” Jayden replied quietly, his tone somber.

Elyse, taken aback, leaned closer. “How did he do that?”

After a pause, Jayden said slowly, “One night, I snuck into the kitchen for dessert again. Just as I took a bite, I knew something was wrong. The filling of the cake… it was made of animal organs and blood.”

Elyse’s hand flew to her mouth. “God! How could he do something like that?”

Jayden’s gaze turned distant, his voice low as he continued. “I’d almost forgotten about that night, but I’ve been dredging up these memories recently… for you.”

His Adam’s apple moved noticeably as his eyes drifted unfocused toward the ceiling. “I once had a pet, a little bunny I cherished deeply. When I joined the Owen family, I brought it with me, cradling it in my arms. Perhaps that gave him the idea.”

Elyse stared at him, horrified, as he went on. “Enzo wanted to mold me into an emotionless machine, devoid of vulnerabilities. He wasn’t just trying to wean me off sweets—he was determined to destroy what I loved most.” . . .