Chapter 65:
"Dad, you're not going to help me with this money mess?" Mabel exclaimed.
"Why should I bail you out? If you have debts, handle them yourself," Lanny retorted sharply. His tone was strained; if Mabel weren't his daughter, he would have dismissed her.
Glenda hugged Mabel, her eyes welling. "Mabel, you've made a terrible mistake. Forget about Theo; he doesn't care about you. Let's move on."
Mabel remained silent, her expression showing she wasn't ready to accept it. Her hopes of marrying Theo shattered at that moment.
"Take her to her room and let her rest. I'll call Theo," Lanny instructed, seeing that Mabel had finally grasped the reality of the situation. He sighed, feeling sorry for her.
Glenda nodded and led Mabel to her room. After settling Mabel in, Glenda sat on the bed's edge and spoke softly. "Mabel, stop dwelling on this. Theo is heartless, and no one can change that. Look at your sister—you know he's no good."
Mabel didn't respond, slowly closing her eyes.
Glenda continued, "Get some sleep. I'll handle this. Once it's sorted, I'll find you a good man. You're beautiful; you'll have plenty of suitors."
Mabel remained silent, leaving Glenda at a loss for words. Glenda kissed her daughter's cheek and left the room.
As soon as the door closed, Mabel's eyes snapped open, filled with anger and humiliation. Had she given away her innocence for nothing? Was there no chance at all? She refused to believe it and was determined to find out the truth for herself.
After a long violin practice session, Elyse was exhausted. Leaning against the window, she gazed outside. Suddenly, she noticed Driscoll leaving the villa with a tray of food. Who was he taking it to?
Intrigued, she went downstairs. Finding no servants on the ground floor, she went outside and followed Driscoll. Before she could get close, she heard an angry woman's voice.
"Where's Jayden? I want to see Jayden Owen! How dare he imprison me? Why am I locked up? Who does he think he is? Isn't he afraid of my Foster family's wrath?" The woman's voice was filled with fury and curses directed at Jayden.
"The Foster family… Joanna Foster," Elyse gasped, covering her mouth in shock. Hadn't Joanna run away from the wedding? Why was she back? Had Jayden found and confined her here?
Elyse had often heard the servants say that with Jayden's temperament, Joanna wouldn't have a good fate, but witnessing this firsthand was shocking. She felt she'd stumbled upon something terrible and quietly retreated, fearing discovery.
Back in the garden, Elyse sank onto a wooden bench, her mind racing. What would happen to Joanna now that she had returned? Would Jayden stay married to her? Or would he divorce her? She couldn't stop worrying, even regretting her eavesdropping. Anxiety gnawed at her.
"Why are you sitting here?" Jayden wheeled himself toward her, raising an eyebrow. "Was practice frustrating?"
Elyse hadn't expected Jayden to appear. She pursed her lips, unhappy. "What about you? Can't you stay in your study?"
"You have a sharp tongue," Jayden remarked. "But I asked you first. What's wrong?"
Elyse remained silent, unwilling to speak. Seeing her distress, Jayden frowned. "What's bothering you? Are you going to divorce me?" Elyse blurted out.
Jayden was taken aback, staring at her as if she were mad. "What on earth are you thinking? When did I ever say I wanted a divorce?"
"What if someone like your parents asks you to divorce me?" Jayden shook his head. "You're worrying about nothing. You've been married to me for a while now. Have you even met my family?"
"No," Elyse admitted, surprised. "You've never met them, which means they don't care about us. And I'm happy with you. Why would I want a divorce?"
It was the first time Jayden had expressed satisfaction with her. Frowning, Jayden asked, "I still don't understand your worry. Did someone say something to you?"
Elyse couldn't admit she'd overheard Joanna's outburst. "Theo told me the other day that you were engaged to Miss Foster. He said the marriage would benefit your family, and I'd be out sooner or later." ... ... ...