Chapter 540:

Jayden drove through the dark night, the threat of rain imminent. He pressed the accelerator, heading toward Corrie's location. Receiving her coordinates, a flicker of surprise crossed his face, quickly replaced by understanding. Today was his grandfather's family gathering.

Jayden instantly realized Corrie had betrayed him to curry favor with Enzo. The bodyguard monitoring Corrie was dead, solidifying his suspicion: his grandfather was responsible.

Jayden's expression hardened as he considered Corrie's motives. He'd always known she was ambitious, but her audacity in aligning with his grandfather—the far-from-benevolent Enzo—shocked him.

A sharp abdominal pain jolted Jayden back to the present, and he accelerated.

Meanwhile, Corrie walked alone along the winding road, what felt like an eternity. Just as rain threatened, she heard a car horn. Jayden's car approached.

A smug smile crossed her face as she hurried to the car and opened the door. Before she could buckle her seatbelt, Jayden floored the accelerator. Unaware that Jayden knew about her connection with Enzo, Corrie feigned indignation. "Brook Owen is no gentleman," she declared. "He abandoned me on the way home, without a thought for my safety. You've always been so considerate."

Jayden ignored her, focusing on the road. Realizing Jayden wasn't pretending to be disabled, Corrie asked pointedly, "Why did you stop pretending? I thought you could keep it up longer. Even if you're worried about me, you didn't have to endanger yourself."

Jayden snorted. "Stop the act. Do you think you can manipulate me just because I picked you up?"

Corrie forced a smile. "Why would you think that? That's not what I meant."

Jayden didn't respond; he accelerated, changing their destination. Unbeknownst to Corrie, her next move would escalate the situation. She took selfies, subtly including Jayden, and posted them on Facebook with the caption: "So happy to have a friend who's just a call away."

Peyton, in the hospital, saw the post first. He immediately understood Corrie's deliberate provocation. Since they shared many mutual friends, speculation about "the friend" began swirling. Scrolling through the comments, Peyton's heart sank as someone identified Jayden.

Fearing the consequences, especially Elyse seeing the post, Peyton stealthily glanced at her. Relieved to find her asleep, he quickly screenshotted Corrie's post and sent it to Jayden, confident he could handle the situation.

Meanwhile, Corrie idly scrolled through her phone. Time dragged on. Glancing out the window, expecting the familiar cityscape, she was startled to see they were climbing a hill.

Puzzled, Corrie blurted out, "Where are you taking me?"

Jayden's face remained impassive. Tension gripped Corrie as she tried to open the door, only to find it locked. Visibly anxious, she demanded, "Jayden Owen, what are you planning? I haven't wronged you. I just called, and you picked me up. Take me back downtown, and let's forget this."

Jayden remained silent, pressing the accelerator harder. A few tense minutes later, they reached their destination. Corrie stared out at the surrounding tombstones, anxiety overwhelming her.

Jayden unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out. He looked back at Corrie and commanded, "Get out!"

"I won't! Take me downtown!" Corrie scanned her surroundings, fear mounting. The eerie silence felt menacing.

Jayden's patience broke. He yanked open the passenger door, unbuckled her seatbelt, and pulled her from the car.

"Aagh—Help! Jayden's trying to kill me!" Corrie screamed. Terrified and disheveled, she was dragged deeper into the cemetery. Finally, Jayden dragged her to a secluded spot, pushed her to the ground, and demanded, "Now, kneel. Beg Louis for forgiveness, and then I might forgive you."