Chapter 773:
Elyse felt a sharp pang in her chest. She thought she had moved on, thought she was past caring about Jayden, but hearing those words from his lips stirred unexpected sadness. But there was no room for sadness here. She had made her choices, and now she had to live with them.
Charlie clicked his tongue, his tone scolding. “Elyse is my guest. How can you speak like that in front of her? Take it back.”
Jayden remained silent, his gaze never drifting towards Elyse, as if she were invisible.
Elyse kept quiet, understanding that this was the Hudsons’ estate, and it was best to tread carefully.
Charlie, seemingly oblivious to the tension, continued as if unaware of Elyse and Jayden’s past. “Let’s go. Dinner is ready. We’ll dine in the greenhouse.”
Jayden offered no objection and followed Charlie, while Elyse hesitated before reluctantly trailing behind them.
As they entered the greenhouse, Elyse’s heart sank even further when she saw Aarya, the last person she wanted to encounter.
Aarya’s cheeks were hollow, her face unnaturally pale, but her eyes burned with malice as they locked onto Elyse. Her voice dripped with venom as she spoke. “Elyse, we meet again. It wasn’t easy to get you here.”
Elyse paused, keeping her voice steady. “We were never close enough to meet frequently. I don’t like you. I thought I made that clear from the start.”
Aarya’s smile was sickly sweet, more unsettling than charming. “You may not see me as a friend, but I do.”
Elyse’s unease intensified, her instincts screaming that something was wrong. Aarya seemed unhinged, an aura of madness clinging to her.
Jayden, surprised to see Aarya, turned to Charlie with a thoughtful look. “I’m impressed, Mr. Hudson. I’ve been trying to pull some strings to get Aarya out, but I couldn’t manage it.”
Charlie waved off the compliment. “It just takes the right connections. I know you don’t have them, but you’ve done your best, so I don’t hold it against you.” Then, his gaze shifted to Elyse, his tone taking on a condescending edge. “But how can you long for a man who doesn’t love you?”
Uncertain, Elyse pointed to herself. “I’m longing for a man who doesn’t love me?”
While speaking, she stole a silent glance at Jayden, who offered no response. Elyse couldn’t suppress a laugh, finding the situation oddly amusing.
Aarya’s face twisted in anger at Elyse’s laughter. She snapped, “You’re saying you don’t covet him? Listen closely. Jayden is mine now. He sees no one else but me. If I catch you dreaming about him again, I’ll make you regret it.”
Elyse had always known Aarya to be a bit off-kilter, but she was now seeing the depth of her instability. Despite their past, Elyse had kept her distance from Jayden after their divorce. It was always he who unabashedly pursued her. Aarya chose to confront Elyse instead of Jayden.
Elyse held her tongue, knowing it wasn’t the moment to claim that Jayden had been the initiator. Aarya would never accept such a truth. She presumed Elyse was the temptress, attempting to shift the blame.
Feeling a tightness in her chest, Elyse looked over at Jayden. He was looking down, his bangs covering his eyes, leaving his thoughts hidden and unreadable. With Jayden keeping silent, a slight pain tugged at Elyse’s heart. It dawned on her that he wouldn’t defend her in this situation. She was on her own.
Breathing deeply, Elyse addressed the room, “Even if I assure you he’s not on my mind, you won’t believe me. What do you expect from me?”
Charlie observed Elyse, his eyes reflecting a hint of admiration. “I don’t wish to complicate things,” he began, “but Aarya is deeply troubled by your presence. I’ve looked into your reasons for being here in Manfek. It’s clear you’re here to compete.”