Chapter 411:

Realizing the underlying meaning of Jayden's candid remarks, Elyse pinched him under the table, silently signaling him to be more cautious. Jayden quickly grasped her hand, urging her to stop. Amid this quiet exchange, Elyse noticed Tracy's distracted demeanor.

"Tracy, are you still thinking about Shaun? Did he come to see you today?" Elyse asked, concerned.

Startled, Tracy snapped back to reality. After a pause, she responded, "It's hard not to think about him. Driscoll told me Shaun showed up again today, though he didn't cause a scene. He just stood at the gate for half an hour before leaving."

With a heavy sigh, Tracy continued, "I don't understand his persistence. When will he finally give this up?"

Elyse, observing Tracy's distress, felt a wave of sympathy. After a moment's thought, she suggested, "Staying home all the time isn't helping. Why don't you come with me tomorrow? I'm heading to the studio. It might do you good to get out for a bit."

"I appreciate the offer, but you have a competition coming up. I don't want to be a distraction. I'll stay home," Tracy said firmly, shaking her head.

Despite Elyse's attempts to convince her otherwise, Tracy remained resolute. Reluctantly, Elyse gave up and returned to her meal.

After dinner, Elyse felt too weary to practice the violin. She washed up, planning to shower before bed. At that moment, Jayden entered the room, a hint of desire in his gaze.

"What do you want?" Elyse asked cautiously, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Tracy thinks she can offer everything I can, but obviously, that's impossible," Jayden responded with a smirk.

"We just did it yesterday. Why again so soon?" Elyse blushed deeply, realizing his intentions. She stepped back, signaling her refusal. "Not now, okay? I'm exhausted."

"You don't want to?" Jayden, undeterred, raised his eyebrows.

"You were rough last time. I'm still recovering," Elyse said with exasperation.

"Honey, I promise to be gentle," Jayden softened his tone, attempting to coax her. "It won't be like last time."

Despite her repeated refusals, Elyse found herself unable to resist his persistent charm. Eventually, she yielded, and they made love passionately. Afterward, she fell asleep instantly.

Satisfied, Jayden lay beside her, holding her close as he drifted off to sleep.

In the morning, Elyse woke up in a daze. After breakfast, she hurried to the studio. Arriving first, she was soon joined by Fiona and Gavin.

"The competition is tomorrow morning. I'll let you both leave early tonight so you can get some good sleep," Gavin said.

Elyse nodded, then turned to Fiona, who had been yawning repeatedly. "Fiona, what did you do yesterday? You seem really tired," Elyse asked curiously.

"I had to go to the police station," Fiona responded with another yawn.

"Why? What happened?" Elyse asked, shocked. Gavin also looked at Fiona with concern.

Fiona recounted the ordeal, which visibly upset Gavin. He regretted keeping Fiona late the previous night. He wondered how he would have forgiven himself if something had happened to her on her way home.

"But I was fine; someone saved me!" Fiona reassured them with a smile.

"That's a relief," Gavin said. "Start practicing now. I'll go buy some snacks for you guys. I forgot yesterday." Playing the violin was draining, so snacks were important.

After Gavin left, Fiona paused her playing. She observed Elyse practicing intently before sighing loudly.

"Are you okay? You seem down," Elyse asked, worried.

"I think I've fallen for someone," Fiona said, her voice tinged with disappointment, shaking her head.

"Really? Who is it?" Elyse asked, surprised.

"It's unbelievable. I've fallen for a man whose face I haven't even seen," Fiona responded with a bitter smile. "I just saw his back and thought he was handsome."

"But Fiona, you like him without seeing his face? What if you're disappointed?" Elyse said, concerned.

"I don't know. It's ridiculous, isn't it?" Fiona forced a smile. "After leaving the police station last night, I couldn't stop thinking about him, and it kept me up all night."

The unnecessary website reference has been removed. The text is now grammatically correct and punctuated appropriately.