Chapter 715:

Despite her repeated demands, Jayden didn’t respond. Growing increasingly frustrated, she said, “Seriously, move it.”

The driver glanced back through the rearview mirror and explained, “He appears to be asleep.”

Elyse was stunned. She turned to look at Jayden, noticing his steady breathing and tightly closed eyes.

She raised her hand and pinched his nose, but he didn’t react, only snorting slightly.

Elyse was speechless. “Is he pretending? How could he fall asleep so quickly?”

The driver glanced at her through the rearview mirror and explained, “Mrs. Owen, since you left, he hasn’t been eating properly or going home. He works at the company all day. Mr. Driscoll mentioned that Mr. Owen isn’t sleeping well and only gets three or four hours of sleep each night.”

Elyse quietly observed Jayden, noticing the dark circles under his eyes and feeling a pang of discomfort.

The driver added, “Mr. Owen may have a bad temper, but he truly relies on you.”

Elyse’s mood was a swirl of conflicting emotions as she listened.

She had originally been pinching Jayden’s face, but her gesture had unconsciously softened into a caress.

The driver continued, “Mrs. Owen, since you left, Mr. Owen has seemed like a robot. It’s as if your departure took everything from him.”

Elyse’s lips curved into a small smile. “But he isn’t aware of this, is he? He doesn’t understand his own behavior and feelings.”

If Jayden truly understood his feelings, he would have supported her dreams. But after nearly two months of separation, he still hadn’t come to terms with it.

The driver, aware of his outsider status and the couple’s internal conflicts, offered what he could and then fell silent.

Elyse had been apart from Jayden for a long time, and she hadn’t really looked at him closely in a while. Though she had secretly kept his photos, she had avoided looking at them, hiding them away in a box and pretending they didn’t exist.

Now, as she lowered her head and quietly observed Jayden, she noted that while his overall appearance hadn’t changed much, the dark circles under his eyes and the gauntness of his chin revealed how poorly he had been faring.

What unsettled her even more was the strange mix of emotions stirring within her.

Jayden’s condition was a result of her actions. She should have felt a sense of vindication, but instead, she felt only a deep sense of unease.

How had things come to this? This wasn’t what she wanted at all.

“We’re stuck in traffic,” the driver said. “The road ahead is too slippery due to the snow, and there’s been an accident. Mrs. Owen, we’ll need to wait a bit longer.”

Elyse, initially feeling sorry for Jayden, was struck by a sudden surge of anger at the news.

She had left the hotel on an empty stomach, and now, because of Jayden, she had to remain hungry even longer.

She was beyond frustrated and wanted to shake him awake. Yet, as she reached out, she hesitated.

Looking at Jayden, her anger began to fade as she saw him sleeping so soundly. Her emotions softened unexpectedly.

With a heavy sigh, she leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes, trying to ignore her growling stomach.