Chapter 60:

Elyse pressed her palm to her forehead, unsure what to say. Anyone with common sense could see Mabel had wanted to sleep with Theo from the start. Elyse even suspected the broken wine bottles were part of Mabel's plan.

"Think carefully," Theo said. "Am I not the victim here? Lanny wants you to marry Mabel. Can you honestly say she's worthy to be my wife?" He paused, calmly sipping his coffee. "This is clearly a scam. Did you think I'd simply agree to their demands? If it were you, I might have considered the marriage."

"Is there a recourse?" Elyse asked dryly, ignoring his last sentence. "Mabel said her virginity was worth millions. If they want to discuss marriage with me, tell your family they should pay me first."

The corners of Elyse's mouth twitched. It was obvious Theo never intended to marry Mabel; he wanted his money back. He was the most cunning of them all.

Not that Elyse would admit it. She sighed and nodded. Her work was done; she only needed to relay Theo's response to Lanny. How Lanny reacted was no longer her concern.

Elyse stood to leave, but Theo stopped her. "Do you think your life will be easy and comfortable married to an Owen?"

Elyse didn't reply.

"Because you'll be sorely mistaken. The Owens have arranged Jayden's marriage to Miss Foster. You may be his wife, but that doesn't guarantee the elders' approval. They'll drive you away sooner or later."

Theo leaned back, flashing a smug smile. "You probably think Jayden is this powerful figure, right? Maybe he was, but now he's a disabled man, cast aside by his family. His only value is his surname, and if he loses his eligibility to marry into another prominent family… what then?"

He paused for effect. "You and Jayden have no future together," he declared, feeling invincible. She deserved this, he thought; no man was better than him.

Unbeknownst to him, Elyse had already considered this. She'd grasped the inevitable. But Jayden had never discussed it, never hinted their marriage was less than ideal.

So why worry? Elyse had resigned herself to waiting.

Meanwhile, Jayden, nearby, enjoyed his coffee. Looking up, he saw a woman at the coffee shop's door. She wore a plain T-shirt and faded jeans; her glum demeanor was more noticeable.

He recognized her: Kaelyn Bennett, the popular actress.

She didn't enter, only stood staring at Elyse and Theo.

Jayden watched silently. Eventually, Kaelyn left.

"Elyse, don't go too far," Jayden's voice startled him. He turned to see her standing. Across the table, Theo was drenched with water.

Surprisingly, Theo wasn't angry. He calmly wiped his face and stood. "Think about what I said. After all, I did love you once. I'd never hurt you."

"Bullshit!" Elyse snapped.

Theo grinned, noncommittally. He didn't want to argue.

Jayden joined Elyse, glared at Theo. "What the hell did you do?"

"I didn't touch her. Don't be sensitive. I know she's your wife, and I respect that." Despite his words, his gaze was filled with contempt.

It was funny, seeing the once mighty man reduced to a crippled loser. "Your disability must be retribution, right?"

"What did you say?" Elyse demanded. "I dare you to repeat that, you bastard!"

"Don't get worked up. I stated a fact," Theo sneered at Jayden. "Mad I called you out?"

"Not at all," Jayden answered. "You're a jealous man throwing a tantrum because the woman you wanted married me. You're furious because you can't change that. Don't worry, I'll take good care of Elyse. You can marry someone else."