Chapter 457:

Jayden took a sip of water and casually asked, "So, you wouldn't mind marrying Debora?"

A flicker of annoyance crossed Peyton's face. "Don't be ridiculous. Marrying an Owen is out of the question. It's a disaster."

Jayden shot Peyton a sidelong glance. "You can't stand my family either. Let's be honest, the Owens are a mess—dysfunctional and perpetually depressed."

Peyton slammed his fist on the table, his anger rising. "Then have your child with Elyse and build your own damn family! Leave the Owens in the dust!"

"But our child would be a target," Jayden countered.

Peyton couldn't take it anymore. Jayden was being too stubborn. As always, he couldn't tolerate anything outside his meticulously crafted control.

Peyton took a calming sip of coffee offered by the waiter before continuing. "Enough with the hypotheticals, Jayden. Is Elyse pregnant? Are you pressuring her to terminate?"

Jayden shook his head. "No, she's not pregnant."

"Then why all this talk if there's no baby on the way? Are you losing it?" Peyton's anger bubbled up again.

But a thought struck Peyton. Elyse wouldn't normally bring up a baby out of the blue. Something must have triggered the conversation.

With a doctor's intuition, Peyton probed, "Could Elyse be expecting?"

Jayden's usually composed facade crumbled. After a long, tense silence, he finally said, "No, she's not pregnant. But she brought a child home yesterday."

Peyton nodded slowly. "Ah, I see. Elyse wants a baby with you. Bringing a child home is her way of testing the waters, gauging your reaction."

Another long silence followed. Finally, Jayden spoke, his voice laced with uncertainty, "Does she want a baby with me?"

Peyton threw his hands up in exasperation. "What else would it be? Obviously, she loves you and wants to have children with you."

Jayden covered his mouth, fear flickering across his features. The thought of Elyse loving him so deeply, so much so that she desired a child, was terrifying. Their busy schedules barely allowed for intimacy, let alone raising a child.

He grappled with this unexpected truth. "But I only want sex, not a baby."

"Jerk!" Peyton exploded. "Don't you dare ask me out for coffee ever again, or I can't guarantee I won't punch you!" His fists clenched, his anger a potent mix of concern for Elyse and frustration with Jayden's self-centeredness.

Unfazed, Jayden continued, "I told you, it's not the right time for a baby. I have no problem with it… eventually."

Peyton downed the rest of his coffee in one angry gulp. "I've had enough of you. Let's get back to the company." He shoved his chair back, grabbed the wheelchair handles, and wheeled Jayden toward the exit.

The café bustled with activity; the street outside was a blur of speeding vehicles visible through the large French windows.

As Peyton reached the window, a car careened out of control, heading straight for Jayden.

Reacting instinctively, Peyton shoved the wheelchair with all his might, saving Jayden. The car slammed into Peyton, throwing him aside.

Jayden, shaken but unharmed, knew this was no accident. He'd been the target of three assassination attempts recently. The assassins wouldn't stop until he was eliminated. And he couldn't risk bringing a child into this dangerous world, a child he couldn't guarantee he could protect.

He wanted to stand, but the lingering threat of unseen eyes held him back. He fumbled for his phone and dialed a number.

Luckily, Peyton's hospital was nearby. Soon, an ambulance arrived.

As dusk settled, Elyse received a frantic call from Jayden. Hearing about Peyton's accident, worry gnawed at her. "I'm on my way to the hospital," she promised.

After informing Gavin and the others, Elyse rushed to the hospital. In the sterile ward, she found Peyton lying in bed, still under anesthesia.

"How could this have happened?" she asked, disbelief coloring her voice.

The changes involved correcting grammar (e.g., "don't be ridiculous" instead of "Don't be ridiculous."), improving sentence structure (combining short, choppy sentences), removing unnecessary words, and clarifying phrasing for better flow and readability. The dialogue was also slightly adjusted for natural conversation.