Chapter 903:

Jayden put his phone down and sniffed himself, relieved to find no lingering odor; otherwise, Elyse might have avoided him. He approached her carefully. “Honey, are you alright?”

Elyse turned at the sound of his voice, her face expressionless. After a long pause, she replied, “I’m fine.”

“Are you scared? Don’t worry. None of this involves you. You’re just a victim.” He stroked her hair, his gaze gentle.

Elyse’s lips tightened. Her voice trembled as she asked, “That room… is it really filled with blood?”

In a low tone, Jayden answered, “Aarya was a psychopath. She enjoyed torturing and killing people. That basement… I don’t even know how many died there; its floor was soaked in blood.”

A deep shudder ran through Elyse; her body trembled uncontrollably.

Seeing her distress, Jayden attempted to lighten the mood with a small smile. “I told you to stay away from Aarya. Now you understand why. Still think it’s my fault?”

Elyse bit her lip, her eyes filling with tears. “I told you to stay away from me, but you came anyway. No wonder she targeted me.”

Jayden gently wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. “I know; I should’ve kept my distance. I shouldn’t have come to see you.”

He paused, his voice softening. “But it’s over now. Aarya won’t hurt you ever again. She can’t.”

Elyse looked up at him, confused. “What did you do?”

Jayden pressed his forehead to hers, his voice tender. “Don’t think about it. Please forget about today. I don’t want you carrying that burden.”

Elyse wanted to ask more, but the words wouldn’t come. She could see in Jayden’s eyes that he had handled Aarya. There was no need to ask further.

Her thoughts were in turmoil. Since coming to this country and meeting Jayden, her world had unraveled, revealing dark and terrifying things she had never imagined. She had never encountered anyone as deranged as Aarya; even Mabel seemed insignificant in comparison.

After a long silence, Elyse finally asked, “What about Charlie? You said Charlie holds power in this city. How are we going to deal with him?”

Jayden gently patted her back. “But there’s always a way.”

Elyse lowered her gaze. “So you’re going after him now? Fine. Do what you have to.”

“Yes,” Jayden nodded, taking her hand. “But you’re coming with me. It’s too dangerous for you to stay here alone. I’d rather have you with me than risk you being retaken.”

Elyse frowned, confused. She tried to pull her hand away, but Jayden held on tightly. “Don’t take me to such a dangerous place. I don’t want to suffer because of you,” Elyse protested.