Chapter 466

Pearce was confused. "Come back with me," he said. "You're part of my family. We can't leave you out here alone." He grabbed Elyse's hand, trying to lead her away.

Elyse resisted, struggling against his grip. "Pearce! No. I can't go back with you!"

"Why? Don't you want to see your real family?" Pearce asked, bewildered.

"Because... I'm pregnant. Jayden is the father," Elyse admitted through gritted teeth.

Pearce was stunned. He took a moment to process the news. "Right. You're married. Your husband is that lunatic I saw yesterday," he finally said, accepting the facts. "That lunatic made you pregnant?"

Elyse, feeling helpless, retorted, "Why are you so harsh? Jayden is not a lunatic."

Pearce rubbed his forehead in frustration. "Are you blind? If Jayden isn't crazy, then what is a crazy guy like?"

"Pearce, I'll get angry if you speak ill of him again!" Elyse warned, looking at him unhappily.

"Alright, alright. I won't mention him anymore. I'm just frustrated. I put in so much effort to find you, and all you care about is that man," Pearce grumbled.

After a pause, he glanced at Elyse's belly. "Have you told Jayden that you're pregnant?"

After a long moment of hesitation, she shook her head.

"Doesn't he care about your pregnancy?" Pearce's fury was evident.

In a low voice, Elyse replied, "He told me he didn't like kids, so I didn't dare tell him. I'm afraid he might ask me to have an abortion, and I don't want to." Tears welled in her eyes.

Pearce felt deep sympathy for her. He tried to comfort her. "Why are you crying so sadly? I didn't say anything to upset you. If you cry like this, I feel like a terrible cousin."

Elyse shook her head. "I don't know. My mood has been all over the place these past few days. I can't stop myself from crying."

Pearce sighed. "You really are pregnant. Emotions run high when you're expecting, due to pregnancy hormones." He then asked, "When do you plan to tell your husband? He deserves to know about his baby and take responsibility, right?"

Elyse sobbed. "I haven't decided yet. He was angry with me yesterday. I want to wait until he calms down."

Pearce was taken aback. "Why was he angry with you?"

Looking embarrassed, she said, "Because you hugged me."

Pearce's anger flared. The veins in his forehead bulged. "I'm your cousin. Can't I hug you? If Jayden's jealous of that, he's incredibly narrow-minded. Divorce him; I'll find you a better man."

Elyse protested, "I don't want a divorce."

Pearce looked at her and sighed helplessly. "It's my fault for finding you so late. If I'd found you earlier, you wouldn't have fallen for Jayden. It's all my fault."

Elyse felt ashamed as she wiped away her tears.

Pearce understood that her unusual dependence on Jayden stemmed from a deep need for love. But it didn't matter. He was here now as her family, and he vowed to take good care of her.

Elyse glanced at her watch. "Pearce, I need to get back to the studio. The final is the day after tomorrow, and I want to win first place."

Pearce sighed, watching her determination. She had perfectly inherited her uncle's talent, perhaps even surpassed him.

With tenderness in his eyes, he said, "Okay. I'll be there to watch your performance."

Elyse blinked curiously. "Aren't you afraid I'll lose?"

Pearce raised an eyebrow. "How can you lose? You will win, and you will take first prize!"

Elyse looked at Pearce, touched by his unwavering support. For the first time, she felt the strong backing of her family. It felt wonderful to have someone cheering for her. She no longer felt alone.

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