Chapter 325:

Tobin nearly burst into tears of joy. "You're alive!" His relief quickly turned to worry, however, when he saw Jayden bleeding profusely. Without hesitation, he summoned medical staff.

"Sir, what happened? How did you get these injuries?" Tobin asked, confused.

Jayden didn't calm down until he'd safely handed Elyse to two nurses. Then, his adrenaline subsided, and he slumped to the floor, exhausted. Too tired to explain fully, he said in broken sentences, "They were killing people. Our men died. I had to fight. Then I ran."

"I see," Tobin said, biting his lip to suppress his panic. "This ship is turning back, but the bottom is damaged, so the journey will be longer than expected."

Jayden waited until the medical staff finished bandaging his wounds before ordering decisively, "Prepare a helicopter. I need to take Elyse back immediately."

Tobin nodded. "I'll get the chopper ready now."

As soon as Tobin left, Jayden hurried to Elyse's room, where a nurse stood guard.

"Is she okay?" he asked anxiously.

"Her blood sugar is low, and she's extremely weak," the nurse reported. "She's also likely to develop a fever. We've given her antipyretics, but a hospital would be best."

Jayden considered this, then asked for privacy. The nurse obliged, leaving Jayden and Elyse alone.

He sat beside Elyse's bed, gently holding her hand. Her eyelids fluttered, and when she opened her eyes, she met his concerned gaze.

She managed a weak smile. "Looks like I'm safe, for now."

Jayden's lips pursed. "I'm here, aren't I? Why wouldn't you be safe?"

Elyse chuckled, then whispered, "I dreamed you rescued me, and you and Baxter fought. Who won?"

Jayden was silent for a few seconds before gruffly asking, "Didn't your dream show you?"

"I don't remember," Elyse shook her head. "But since I'm safe, I guess you won."

She paused, a smile in her eyes. "Speaking of which, you looked so handsome in my dream. You scooped me up like a knight in shining armor, and I felt the wind in my face."

Looking at him adoringly, she added, "How wonderful if it weren't a dream. You'd finally be able to stand."

Jayden's heart ached. He'd thought Elyse was unconscious, but she'd witnessed everything, albeit believing it a dream. He decided to change the subject.

"Do you look down on me because I'm a cripple?" he asked.

Elyse's eyes widened. "No, that's not what I meant!" She coughed violently.

Jayden patted her back soothingly. "I know, I know. Get some sleep. We'll be home soon."

Elyse fought to keep her eyes open, swatting his hand away. "No, I don't want to sleep. I'm afraid you'll disappear, and I'll be alone again."

"That won't happen," Jayden promised. "Rest easy. I took care of everything."

Despite her efforts, Elyse soon fell into a deep sleep. Shortly after, Tobin arrived. "The chopper's ready."

Jayden carefully lifted Elyse and carried her to the helipad. The helicopter swiftly returned them to the city, where Peyton, having received their message, anxiously awaited. He immediately organized a comprehensive medical checkup for Elyse.

An hour later, Elyse was in a VIP ward. Removing his mask, Peyton explained, "Don't worry, I've given her medication. Her fever should break by tomorrow. She'll need time to recover."

Jayden nodded, deep in thought. Peyton asked, "What's wrong? I just said your wife will be fine."

Jayden gave Peyton an icy glare, silencing him. With disgust, he muttered, "I'm surprised someone as ordinary as Kaelyn is connected to the people of Marsey Island."

Peyton shrugged. "It's not that strange. You're a perfectly healthy guy pretending to be a cripple, right? Everyone has secrets."

Jayden was speechless. Peyton grinned knowingly. "Speaking of which, where's your wheelchair? Don't want to run into someone you know?"

"I've asked Driscoll to send it. He should be here soon." ... ... ...