Chapter 53
Gazing at Peyton, Jayden marveled at his acting prowess for the first time. "You should consider acting instead of medicine," Jayden suggested. "It would be a waste of your talent."
Peyton blinked, smirked, and gestured toward Elyse. Jayden saw the concern etched on her face. She feared he might never regain mobility without his cooperation.
It was the first time Jayden felt the weight of his year-long deception. Perhaps moved by Elyse's anxiety, he relented. "Fine, let's go to the study for the massage."
Elyse nodded eagerly. "Why do you always prefer the study? Does it offer you a sense of security?"
Jayden remained silent, while Peyton burst into laughter.
In the study, Peyton settled onto the small sofa and explained acupressure points to Elyse. "If you apply pressure to these points correctly, Jayden can recover more quickly."
"Really? That's wonderful, Dr. Ellis! Please teach me!" Elyse exclaimed.
Jayden smirked. He knew Peyton planned to make things difficult. Did Elyse truly believe him?
"If you press here," Peyton guided, indicating a spot on Jayden's thigh, "it stimulates the nerves in his legs."
Elyse pressed the spot, feeling the muscles tighten. Confused, she asked Jayden, "Do you feel anything? Or are your muscles reacting automatically?"
Jayden remained silent.
Assuming a professional stance, Peyton continued, "He can't feel anything, but stimulating this area can activate his muscles. Consistent massage can aid his recovery."
Peyton felt Jayden's intense gaze and wondered if he wanted to throttle him. But with Elyse present, Jayden remained restrained.
Standing confidently, hands on his hips, Peyton felt a surge of pride. Elyse, oblivious to Jayden's waning patience, continued the massage.
Suddenly, Jayden grasped her hand. "You must be tired. Go rest. I need to speak with Dr. Ellis," he said firmly.
His tone was pointed. Sensing Jayden's hostility, Peyton looked to Elyse for help.
"But I've only just learned to massage that one acupoint," Elyse admitted, embarrassed.
"I fancy some dessert. Tell Driscoll to prepare some," Jayden instructed.
Elyse reluctantly agreed, eager to continue learning. She went to find Driscoll. With Elyse gone, Peyton was left vulnerable. As soon as the door closed, Jayden pounced.
Peyton crashed onto the sofa, suppressing cries of pain to avoid alerting Elyse, who wasn't far away. He braced himself for Jayden's questions.
"Come on, buddy, take it easy. I'm just looking out for you," Peyton responded meekly.
"Enough with the act. Weren't you just messing with me because Elyse was around? Why the sudden cowardice?" Jayden pressed.
Peyton's tone turned subdued. "We're friends. Give me some space. We don't need to be so chummy," he muttered.
"Disgusted," Jayden stood. "Next time Elyse mentions massage, ignore it. She's naive," he declared.
"What's that supposed to mean? You still see her as just a girl. You haven't slept with her yet," Peyton's smirk faltered. Uncomfortably, he explained, "Your wife is persistent. She's been pestering me about massage techniques for days. I resisted, but her persistence wore me down."
"Enough. I may be pretending, but I'm not disabled. Her efforts are futile," Jayden retorted.
Peyton countered, "Elyse doesn't know you're pretending. She's the only one in your household who doesn't know. Even your maids know. Sometimes I pity her."
"No need. I'll look after her," Jayden replied dismissively. "So you came here just to teach Elyse how to massage me? And to point out acupressure points that would cause me pain?"
"Of course not. I merely wanted to ask if you're considering a change of wife," Peyton stated cryptically.
"What do you mean?" Jayden asked, intrigued.
With a mysterious smile, Peyton continued, "I've found Joanna. She'll be returning in two days."
...