Chapter 225

Elyse exited the room looking visibly distressed. Though silent, her upset was clear to Jayden. They reached the hotel entrance where their driver waited. Elyse entered the car first, followed by Jayden. The driver raised the partition between them. After a moment, Jayden glanced at Elyse and reached for her hand, but she pulled away sharply. He retracted his hand, his expression unchanged, and asked, "Are you upset again?"

Elyse, gazing out the window, remained silent. Jayden sighed, saying with resignation, "There's no reason to be upset. I have no feelings for Corrie whatsoever."

Elyse, rubbing her eyebrows, replied, "Jayden, haven't we moved past this? You keep saying that." She scoffed. "Sure, you have no feelings for her. What about before? If you truly had no feelings for her, how did you end up with her for two years? Isn't that long enough to develop feelings?"

Jayden frowned. "Who told you that, Corrie?"

"It doesn't matter," Elyse said. "What matters is whether I'm truly your wife in your heart, and why you won't share things with me. Don't I deserve that?"

Tears welled in Elyse's eyes. Jayden was taken aback as tears streamed down her face. He instinctively reached to wipe them away, but she continued crying. He couldn't understand her distress, but one thing was clear: he hated seeing her cry; it pained him deeply. After a moment, he sighed deeply. "I was with Corrie only for her family's resources. I even had a friend create a false story to facilitate this. It took her family a year to decide on a business partner, and unfortunately, it wasn't me. That's when I ended things with Corrie."

Elyse, clenching her teeth, asked doubtfully, "Then why did Corrie say she was with you for nearly two years?"

"Because she's been appearing at social events, pretending to be my girlfriend," Jayden explained, a slight smile playing on his lips. "She gained more advantages than you can imagine from that role."

Elyse's attitude softened. "Then why did you rush to see her immediately after she called you the night before last? You even kept it a secret from me. Are you hiding anything else?"

Jayden felt a headache coming on. "Why do I have to justify so much?" he muttered, on the verge of losing his temper. Then, noticing the determined yet hurt look in Elyse's eyes—red and reminiscent of a rabbit he once cared for—he softened. Rubbing his forehead, he said, "I didn't want you to overthink things. I thought knowing about my ex-girlfriend would upset you. Besides, I never expected you to meet her. What was the point of mentioning her?"

Elyse responded with dissatisfaction, "You kept these things from me because you don't trust me. You don't really see me as your wife."

Jayden replied, somewhat exasperated, "Where did you get that idea? I've treated you well. Don't push your luck."

Elyse laughed angrily. "How can you say that? Since you've realized Corrie's true nature, why did you meet with her? Shouldn't you be avoiding her?"

Jayden's silence was telling. After a pause, Elyse, her throat tight, asked, "Tell me. Do you feel guilty?"

After a long silence, Jayden replied flatly, "No. There are things I can't tell you. But I promise I have no feelings for her."

Elyse, biting her lip, fixed her gaze on Jayden. He reached out and gently wiped away her tears. "Don't cry," he said seriously. "It makes me sad."

(The final ellipses are removed as they don't add to the narrative.)