Chapter 176

Elyse looked at Bryce, snoring on the sofa, her eyes filled with complex emotions. Recalling the previous night's events, she was unsure how to approach him. It was the first time she had seen someone wet their pants out of fear.

Jayden led her to the dining room, advising, "Leave him be. Hurry and eat. You're going to be late." Elyse shot him a sharp look. If it hadn't been for their sexual encounters the previous night, she wouldn't have overslept.

Noticing the reproach in her eyes, Jayden handed her a glass of milk. "Drink this to soothe your throat. You sound hoarse." Elyse startled, instinctively touched her throat, and glanced anxiously at the servants. Thankfully, none had overheard Jayden's comment, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Why are you so shy?" Jayden was amused by her reaction, finding it increasingly interesting. After a brief look at him, Elyse took the milk and a sandwich, retorting, "I'm not as daring as you." She ate quickly and left home in a rush.

An hour later, Bryce woke up, yawned, and asked Driscoll for breakfast. Jayden, sitting on the opposite sofa reading the newspaper, remarked casually, "You want breakfast? Aren't you worried about being late?"

Bryce grabbed his phone to check the time. It was only thirty minutes until 9:30, the start of the workday. He couldn't afford to be late. Poor work performance would mean his grandfather wouldn't consider him a viable candidate to lead the company.

Panicking, he hurried to change his clothes. "Jayden, what should I do? Should I take a day off? Maybe I can skip today and go to work tomorrow?"

Jayden glanced up from his newspaper and responded indifferently, "Sure, if you're not concerned about appearances, you can take leave." Bryce hurriedly put on his shoes as Driscoll arrived with breakfast. "Here's the breakfast you requested."

"I don't need it now," Bryce declared, too agitated to eat. He grabbed his phone and dashed out. Driscoll watched Bryce's hasty departure with concern. "He's no match for the cunning individuals in the company."

"He needs to learn some lessons," Jayden remarked. He had already advised Bryce to avoid the business fray, but since Bryce hadn't heeded his advice, he wasn't inclined to repeat himself.

Meanwhile, as soon as Elyse arrived at the practice room, she was summoned by Merlin. Standing in his office, she felt the unusual pressure emanating from him and sensed why he had called her.

"I heard you met privately with Bart and Grace yesterday. What did you discuss?" Merlin asked, his expression unreadable as he stood by the window.

After a moment of silence, Elyse replied, "We discussed tomorrow's selection process. Understanding my opponents is crucial for my chances of success."

Merlin scoffed. "You spoke with them, and afterward, they all rejected my offer. Surely, you said something to influence them."

Elyse remained silent, seeing no reason to confess, especially at such a critical moment.

Just as Merlin was about to speak again, Darren burst in, looking troubled. "I need to speak with you. Please ask her to leave."

After a brief pause and a hard look at Darren, Merlin gestured for Elyse to leave.

Breathing a sigh of relief as she left, Elyse couldn't help but turn back, intrigued by what Darren was about to say.

Once the door closed, Darren addressed his uncle. "It's actually good that Grace and Bart are still in the competition. Why are you questioning Elyse about it?"

Merlin, suddenly realizing Darren's involvement, shook with anger. "Do you think I'm doing this for anyone else? This is for you. Your performance is too erratic. If they perform better, how can you expect to win? Vicky, in particular, is far more stable than you. If I don't intervene, you're likely to rank last."

Darren felt a deep sadness. His uncle believed such drastic measures were necessary for him to win.

"I appreciate your intentions, but I don't want to win first place like this. I doubt Cody would take me on as his apprentice under these circumstances. Let me compete fairly. Please, no more interference," Darren pleaded, bowing slightly, his tone serious.

(The website address and "noveldrama" have been removed as they were out of place.)