Chapter 94:

Julie burst into laughter. "Lucky! How fortunate to marry a cripple!" After a brief pause, she added provocatively, "Elyse, take my advice and divorce him. Perhaps Jayden will appreciate your sensibility, freeing him to marry Joanna."

Tess was furious. Had she not been concerned about maintaining her elegance, she might have pulled Julie's hair. Elyse calmly intervened, pouring a cup of tea for Tess. "Thank you for your concern, Aunt Julie," she said, "but I have no intention of divorcing Jayden. We are a true couple, and no one can tear us apart."

Julie, observing Elyse's confident smile, felt a chill. "Really? Don't dismiss my advice too quickly. You might regret it later."

"I won't regret it," Elyse replied firmly. "I truly am fortunate to be married to Jayden."

Tess's mood improved slightly. Though she considered Jayden to be of little use, Elyse's defense had somewhat salvaged her pride. With a more amiable tone, she advised, "It's best to focus on your life with Jayden, Elyse. That's more important than anything."

"You are right," Elyse responded softly. "Jayden and I will have a happy life together."

Seeing Tess appeased, Joanna shamelessly took her hand. "I, too, will take care of Jayden and live a happy life with him."

Tess's expression soured instantly. Joanna's behavior was repulsive. Despite knowing Tess's dislike for her, Joanna continued to pretend ignorance and relentlessly flattered her, even though Tess seldom spoke to her kindly.

Elyse felt no sympathy for Joanna. Instead, she found her relentless efforts and endurance exhausting. Joanna seemed determined to achieve her goals no matter what.

After afternoon tea, everyone returned to their rooms to wait for dinner. Joanna, however, remained in the garden, waiting for Jayden, but Bryce appeared instead.

Bryce, a college student and Jayden's younger brother, lacked Jayden's remarkable qualities. He approached Joanna, his gaze fixed on her. He had noticed her beauty at lunch and felt a twinge of envy that Jayden, despite his disability, could attract such stunning women.

"Why are you sitting here?" he asked.

Just as Joanna was about to respond, she recalled Jayden's advice. Softening her expression, she replied with a hint of distress, "I was at afternoon tea with your mother and aunts, but Elyse set me up and embarrassed me in front of them. Now I'm worried about your mother's opinion of me. How can I possibly marry Jayden?"

Seeing Joanna's frown, Bryce felt uncomfortable. "How dare Elyse bully you? She really should know better," he remarked.

Joanna remained silent.

Noticing her continued unhappiness, Bryce reassured her, "Don't be sad. I'll talk to my mother and help you win her over." Joanna's mood lifted instantly. "Will you really help me?"

"Yes, I will," Bryce assured her. "Don't be sad."

"I feel much better now," Joanna said, standing up. "Thank you. You're so kind." She gave Bryce a flirtatious look and gently touched his shoulder.

Bryce remained motionless, though inwardly captivated by her.

Meanwhile, Elyse returned to the guest room to find Jayden absent. She sat down and waited for his return.

Twenty minutes later, Jayden appeared. "Where have you been?" she asked casually.

"I was in the garden, soaking up some sun," he replied with a hint of intrigue. "I stumbled upon quite an interesting scene."

Curious, Elyse asked, "What did you see?"

"I'll tell you later," Jayden said, picking up a teacup. "It looks like we'll be staying overnight. We can't leave after dinner."

Confused, Elyse questioned, "Is that a rule set by your grandfather? I thought we could leave tonight."

"It seems we're all expected to stay," he explained. "They mentioned it's Grandpa's birthday and all the family members should gather. Leaving after dinner would upset him."

Elyse, sensing something amiss, handed him the teapot, joking with a smile, "I haven't seen them show much concern for your grandfather before. But on his birthday, suddenly everyone's demonstrating their considerations."

...