Chapter 280:

Elyse understood the source of her unhappiness: her parents didn't love her. They only agreed to apologize because of Jayden's insistence. Without him, they wouldn't have cared; they might even have blamed her for the assault. She lowered her gaze, resting her head on Jayden's chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. Could she truly depend on him?

Jayden hugged her, but his concerns about her parents intensified. Was Elyse truly their daughter? If not, where were her real parents? He couldn't shake thoughts of the elderly woman who seemed to hold many secrets. If only her memory hadn't been lost.

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In a suburban building, Mabel climbed out of bed and turned on her phone. Over a hundred missed calls from Lanny and Glenda sparked immediate irritation. After reading Glenda's messages, she understood Jayden planned to seek justice for Elyse and demand an apology from her. Mabel scoffed. Her career was in shambles; she was blacklisted, and they expected her to apologize? Elyse was the one who owed her an apology.

Grabbing a backup phone, she called Kaelyn. "Calling this early," Kaelyn said cheerfully. "Did the plan work?"

"Not at all," Mabel grumbled. "Elyse is untouched, and they're forcing me to apologize to her."

Kaelyn's cheerful tone vanished. "Who's making you apologize?"

"Jayden Owen, obviously," Mabel muttered gloomily. With a scoff, she added, "He's just a cripple." Disgust laced her voice.

Kaelyn pressed, "Does Jayden know everything? Did you really mess up the plan? I told you to ensure she was taken to a remote hotel, but you wouldn't listen."

"I didn't mess up the plan. I have no idea how Jayden found out," Mabel said, annoyed. "I took the guy you hired to the hotel room and left. My phone was on briefly; why am I being blamed?"

Kaelyn remained silent, understanding the gravity of the situation. She had orchestrated the entire plan, manipulating Mabel into taking indecent photos of Elyse and the man, hoping to blackmail Jayden. The goal was to make Jayden so desperate to save face that he'd meet Mabel's demands and lift the ban. But Mabel hadn't realized Kaelyn's true motive: to ruin Elyse's reputation so thoroughly that Theo would leave her, finally recognizing Kaelyn's worth.

Kaelyn wanted to destroy Elyse, but hadn't expected Mabel to bungle such a golden opportunity. Worse, Jayden now knew. However, Kaelyn was relieved Jayden hadn't yet discovered her involvement, assuming Mabel was the mastermind.

A sly glimmer crossed Kaelyn's eyes. "Our plans failed, and the ban's still in place. You'll never make it as a singer now."

Mabel fumed. She'd seen the online comments, with fans demanding an explanation from her company about the deleted songs. She was frustrated by her company's lack of support, allowing the rumors to spread unchecked.

"What am I supposed to do?" she said impatiently. "If Elyse doesn't step in, Jayden won't lift the ban, and it'll ruin my life."

Kaelyn smiled softly. "There's another option."

Mabel looked confused. "What is it?"

"You could post online that your original songs were removed by the agency because of Elyse," Kaelyn suggested. "Say the agency chose to trust her over you, banning you and causing you to lose everything."

Mabel hesitated. She'd discussed this with Aylin, who'd dismissed the idea.

"But my agent won't let me," she said uneasily.

Kaelyn rolled her eyes. "What are you so afraid of? Didn't you say Elyse can't find any evidence? If so, why not do it? Or are you willing to watch your career fall apart?"

Mabel gritted her teeth, unwilling to surrender. She'd made her comeback and was nearing her prime. But Elyse and Jayden had ruined her career. How much did Elyse hate seeing her succeed?