Chapter 358:

Hearing Jayden's words, worry washed over Elyse. Pearce, seemingly unfazed, casually asked, "What's wrong? Expecting a punishment when you get home?"

Elyse sighed heavily. "He wants to invite you to dinner."

Pearce took a drag of his cigarette, his face partially obscured by the smoke as he raised an eyebrow in surprise. "He wants to invite me to dinner?"

Elyse nodded, desperate for Pearce to refuse. "Jayden sounded furious on the phone. If you go, you could be in trouble," she hesitated, searching for the right words. "Maybe you shouldn't…"

Pearce finished his cigarette, stubbing it out in the ashtray. Grinning, he interjected, "Sure, I haven't had lunch yet. Can I pick the restaurant?"

Elyse was caught off guard. She hadn't expected such a quick acceptance. Her mouth fell open; she was speechless. Finally, reluctantly, she agreed, silently hoping Jayden wouldn't be hostile.

After ending the call, Jayden hurried to the shopping mall where Elyse waited. Standing at the restaurant entrance, Elyse scanned the crowd for him. Spotting him, she rushed over, anxiety evident in her eyes. "Are you still upset?"

Jayden gave her a cool look and maneuvered his wheelchair into the restaurant. Elyse realized she was the cause of his irritation. Nervously, she followed, almost colliding with his wheelchair in her haste. Jayden steadied the chair, then turned to her.

Rubbing her sore leg, bumped against the wheelchair, Elyse felt guilty and embarrassed. "Can't you even walk properly?" Jayden asked. Avoiding his stern gaze, she murmured, "I'm sorry." Jayden snorted and steered his wheelchair toward their reserved table, Elyse trailing behind.

Once in the private room, Jayden fixed his gaze on Pearce. Pearce put down his phone and greeted him with a smile. Jayden approached with a forced smile. "Hello, I'm Elyse's husband. Thank you for driving my wife home."

Pearce shook Jayden's hand, smiling. "No problem."

Jayden released Pearce's hand, studying his face. "Have we met before? You look familiar."

Pearce touched his face and grinned. "I'm not sure. Maybe I just have one of those faces."

Elyse, who had been silent, interjected, "On the day of my first concertmaster performance, Pearce gave me flowers. Don't you remember?"

Jayden considered this, eyeing Pearce carefully. Then, significantly, he said, "As a fan, you've managed to become friends with your idol. Good for you."

Pearce feigned ignorance. Shrugging, he replied, "I'm a good guy. Befriending an idol is part of the fun."

Jayden's smile tightened. "Are you both hungry? I am. Let's order," Elyse suggested with a smile, positioning herself between the men.

Pearce agreed. "Definitely. We've been out all morning. I'm starving." He purposefully raised an eyebrow at Jayden. "Can I order anything without worrying about the cost?"

Jayden glanced at Pearce's watch—one of only three in the world with 381 colored diamonds—then at Elyse, who was oblivious, studying the menu. Did she really think Pearce was just a keen admirer?

"Sure," Jayden responded curtly.

Pearce smiled at Elyse. "Order whatever you like, even if it's expensive."

Reassured, Elyse ordered with Pearce. Jayden wasn't concerned about the cost; he poured himself red wine and watched them choose their dishes.

Suddenly, a strange thought occurred to him. Elyse and Pearce shared a slight resemblance; both had crescent-moon shaped eyes. Jayden thought of the saying, "Husband and wife start to look alike." His expression darkened. He and Elyse supposedly resembled each other. Instead, she looked far too much like this man. ... ... ...