Chapter 187:

Bryce hadn't intended to enter the house. His plan was simply to say goodbye and leave. "I won't stay for dinner," he exclaimed loudly. "I'd rather starve outside than set foot in your house!"

Jayden, expressionless, turned to Driscoll. "Send him home," he commanded.

Driscoll, understanding, ushered Bryce toward a car. As Bryce settled in, a peculiar sensation washed over him. He had chosen to leave, hadn't he? Why, then, did it feel as if he'd been thrown out? Confusion clouded his thoughts as he sat there, trying to make sense of it.

Once Bryce was gone, Elyse noticed a subtle improvement in Jayden's mood. She recalled a conversation from a few days earlier in which Jayden had mentioned his plan to get Bryce to leave of his own accord. It dawned on her that Jayden had something to do with Bryce's abrupt departure. However, she lacked proof.

"You failed the competition and didn't become concertmaster, right?" Jayden said suddenly, turning to Elyse with an intense gaze.

She bowed her head. "Yes, I failed," she replied sadly.

Jayden offered comfort. "I can arrange a personal concert for you, if you'd like."

Driscoll, returning at that moment, overheard and smiled warmly. Clearly, Jayden had found a way to cheer Elyse.

Feeling embarrassed, Elyse responded, "I don't think I'm ready for a solo performance yet."

Jayden withdrew his gaze and started toward the dining room. "Really? But I think you play the violin very well."

Elyse paused, surprised, her cheeks flushing. She felt Driscoll's gaze and hurried to catch up with Jayden.

Later that evening, while Elyse practiced her violin, her phone vibrated. It was Glenda.

She stared at the screen, hesitating before answering.

"Theo has let Mabel go home," Glenda burst out.

Elyse was taken aback. She'd been messaging Theo, pleading for Mabel's release, without response. This sudden decision made her uneasy.

"Did he just let her go without saying anything?" Elyse asked cautiously.

Glenda's excited tone wavered. "Yes…"

Elyse's anger rising, she asked, "What were his conditions?"

Glenda replied, a note of guilt in her voice, "…[Glenda's response is missing from the original text]."

Elyse was stunned. "Did you agree to this?"

"Yes. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to get your sister back," Glenda admitted, trying to maintain her composure.

"Mom, have you forgotten I'm married? Why would you promise him that? Have you thought about my situation at all? Aren't you worried that Jayden will be furious?" Elyse's anger surged.

Growing frustrated, Glenda retorted, "I've found out that Jayden is just a cripple and holds no sway in the Owen family. Besides, I only want to save Mabel. All you need to do is meet with Theo once. I'm not asking for anything more."

Infuriated by Glenda's dismissive tone, Elyse wanted to respond, but Glenda ended the call abruptly. Fuming, Elyse blacklisted Theo's number. Now that Mabel was safe and Glenda had agreed to Theo's demand, Elyse questioned why she should comply. It was Glenda who had made the agreement, not her.

After that, Elyse exhaled deeply, picked up her violin, and resumed practicing.

Glenda, having hung up, sighed deeply and muttered, "She is so narrow-minded. She won't do even the smallest thing for me."

Mabel, lying on the bed, opened her eyes, looking tired and pale. In truth, she wasn't sick. Though Theo had confined her in the basement, he had provided meals regularly. The fear, however, had been overwhelming. She'd been terrified he might harm her.

"Mom, who were you talking to?" Mabel asked weakly.

"Your older sister, of course," Glenda responded angrily. "Theo wouldn't let you go until I agreed to arrange a meeting with her. But I can't believe she's unwilling to help. She just gave me an earful."

Glenda continued bitterly, "What an ingrate. She doesn't care about you at all."

Mabel remained silent, her thoughts drifting to what Kaelyn had told her in the basement. She clenched her fists. "She doesn't deserve to be my sister," she said bitterly. "She has always been selfish."

Nobody knew the extent of the mental strain she had endured. Yet, despite her plight, Elyse had refused to help.