Chapter 1130:
Jayden arched an eyebrow. Noticing Edward was preoccupied with greeting Linda and Ken, he leaned in close, his breath tickling Elyse’s ear. “You were totally eyeing me. Bet you wish I’d hold you like Ken does Linda.” With that, Jayden mischievously blew a soft puff of air into Elyse’s ear, light as gossamer.
Elyse shivered involuntarily, her hand flying to cover her ear as her face flushed crimson. She darted away, scolding, “Don’t treat me like that.”
Jayden didn’t miss the telltale redness blooming on her cheeks. He straightened up, his tone suddenly serious. “Alright, I’ll do as you say.”
Elyse knew Jayden was deliberately teasing her, but she chose to ignore him. She linked arms with Linda and strode ahead briskly.
Linda, perplexed by their pace, asked, “What’s the rush? Are you that hungry?”
Elyse nodded emphatically. “Famished. Let’s go feast on some barbecue.”
“Hold on! We can’t handle all the grilling ourselves. We’ve got three strapping men here. Let them cook!” Linda exclaimed, then spun around, calling out to the men, “Whoever grills the best meat gets a special reward!”
Ken sprang into action, dashing ahead. Jayden followed hot on Ken’s heels. Edward stood rooted to the spot, bewildered.
He hadn’t quite caught Linda’s words, so he hurried to catch up with Elyse, curiosity evident in his voice. “What did Linda just say? Why did they run off like that?”
Elyse felt a twinge of awkwardness, but before she could respond, Linda interjected, “Don’t fret about it. You can stroll with us.”
Edward’s face split into a grin. “Fine by me.” As he spoke, his gaze surreptitiously drifted towards Elyse.
With Jayden out of earshot, Edward saw his golden opportunity. But before he could formulate his plan to charm Elyse, they arrived at the barbecue area.
Ken and Jayden had already donned aprons and were firing up the grill.
Edward sauntered over to Jayden, his voice dripping with arrogance. “You sprinted off like you were about to perform miracles, but here you are, just grilling meat. You’d better make it exceptional. If it’s subpar, don’t blame me for being harsh.”
Jayden glanced at the smirking Edward, his eyes brimming with a mixture of pity and amusement. He plastered on a fake smile and replied, “Rest assured, I’ll make the barbecue so delectable, you’ll be more than satisfied.”
Edward reveled in what he perceived as Jayden’s subservient tone. He nodded approvingly, speaking with an air of self-importance. “Don’t say I’m being too hard on you. If the food disappoints and Elyse is unhappy, she’ll be furious. I’m only looking out for your best interests.”