Chapter 445

On the other end of the call, Tracy said, “Don’t worry about me. Even though Shaun has caught me, he won’t harm me. You can head back now.”

“Has he mentioned when he’ll release you?” Elyse asked, her voice filled with concern.

After a pause, Tracy replied softly, her voice barely trembling, “He’ll free me once he realizes we’re not meant to be together.”

The answer wasn't unexpected. Elyse ended the call and joined Jayden in the car.

Elyse’s somber mood in the car affected Darren. He offered comfort, saying, “Don’t worry. Tracy will be okay.”

“I know. It just pains me to see her lose her freedom,” Elyse replied. She was well aware of Tracy’s deep feelings for Shaun. Tracy had loved Shaun deeply for six years—the best time of her life. Later, she'd hoped for a fairytale ending with him, but their differences were insurmountable, and another woman was involved. Having given up, Tracy had fled the wedding.

Elyse remembered how Tracy had pursued various roles in an attempt to forget him. But forgetting wasn't that simple.

Elyse’s throat tightened, her eyes brimming with tears.

Seeing her about to cry, Jayden couldn't hide his frustration. “Hey, don’t be so sad. Tracy isn’t even as upset as you are.”

“Why are you shouting at me?” Elyse retorted, wiping away her tears.

Jayden’s temper flared. “I just hate seeing you cry.”

Darren found their dynamic peculiar. Sometimes they were close; other times, they bickered.

He touched his nose and suggested, “Why argue over Tracy? I think she’ll be okay. Shaun may seem odd, but he loves her.”

Jayden raised an eyebrow. “You think you know Shaun that well?”

Darren grinned. “That’s my guess.”

“I don’t buy it,” Elyse snorted.

The car fell silent.

Reaching downtown, Darren exited the car, saying, “I’ve ordered a new violin; I’m going to see if it’s arrived. See you in three days.”

“Sure, see you at the final,” Elyse replied, waving goodbye.

In the car, Jayden decided to tell Elyse that Glenda had attempted to kill Dorothy.

Elyse was stunned. “Is Dorothy okay now?”

Jayden nodded. “She is. She wakes up from time to time. If you like, you can see her now.”

Relieved, Elyse exhaled deeply.

They turned the car around and went to the hospital.

At the hospital, Elyse entered Dorothy’s room and approached her bed. She bowed her head, looking at Dorothy’s pale face with compassion. “Why… Why would she want to harm Dorothy? They’ve never met.”

Jayden replied, “Are you sure they don’t know each other? Remember, Dorothy looked like she had just escaped from somewhere when we first met her. I guess Glenda and Lanny had been holding her captive.”

“Why would they do that?” Elyse was puzzled.

“There’s only one reason I can think of. Dorothy must know something that threatens them,” Jayden replied.

“What could scare them so much that they felt they needed to kill her?” Elyse was even more perplexed.

After a pause, Jayden speculated, “Maybe they’re involved in a murder, or some secret business dealings.”

Elyse was silent, contemplating whether Lanny and Glenda, despite being selfish, could actually be murderers.

“Elyse?” Dorothy’s voice broke the silence as she momentarily woke from her coma.

Seeing Elyse, Dorothy’s eyes welled up with tears, and she reached out for Elyse’s hand.

Caught off guard, Elyse quickly took her hand. “Yes, I’m right here. How are you feeling?”

Tears streamed down Dorothy’s face as she tried to speak, but Elyse couldn’t understand her.

The extraneous website references have been removed. The text has been cleaned up for grammar, punctuation, and flow. Word choices were slightly altered for better clarity and conciseness in some places.