Chapter 1233:

The woman glared at Jayden, her face flushed with anger. “You’re impossible!” she hissed, spinning on her heel and storming off, her heels clicking sharply against the polished floor.

Louise had been watching the entire exchange from her seat at the bar. Her gaze lingered on Jayden, taking in his disheveled appearance—loose tie, slightly slouched shoulders. She knew that look. He was clearly drinking his troubles away.

The bartender set a glass before her, and Louise took a slow, deliberate sip. Her mind swirled with possibilities. As Elyse’s love mentor, what if she extended her expertise to Jayden as well? A thrill shot through her at the thought. She could be a matchmaker in every sense, maybe even provide the nudge they both needed.

Resolved, Louise stood, gathering her confidence like a cloak, and strode over to Jayden. “We haven’t met before, have we?” Her voice was casual but charged. “I’m Louise, a friend of Elyse’s.” She extended her hand, her movements smooth, carrying an air of superiority.

Jayden’s gaze lifted, meeting her eyes with a mix of recognition and disdain. Without hesitation, he swatted her hand away. The smile she wore almost faltered.

“I know who you are,” Jayden muttered, his voice sharp. “But what are you doing here? Shouldn’t you be at some meeting? Isn’t your brother making a fuss about whom you should marry?”

His words hung in the air, cold and piercing. Louise’s confidence wavered, but she didn’t back down. Instead, she narrowed her eyes, her expression darkening. “Mind your own business, Jayden. You’ve got enough of your own problems to worry about.”

Jayden picked up his empty glass, twirling it in his fingers. “My problems?” He gave a hollow laugh. “Everything’s perfectly fine with me.”

Louise scoffed, casting him a sideways glance. “Not concerned about Elyse’s situation, then?”

Jayden’s hand froze, the glass nearly slipping from his grip. He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing visibly. When he spoke, there was a faint tremor in his voice, a note of pain barely held at bay. “She told me not to get involved anymore. She wants to keep her distance. What am I supposed to do with that?”

Louise exhaled a sigh, settling down beside Jayden with a calm poise that made her seem older, wiser. She spoke softly, yet her words carried a firmness. “You feel hurt now, but when you were the one hurting Elyse, did her feelings even cross your mind?” She glanced at him, her expression steady. “Didn’t she feel wronged, too?”

Jayden clenched his jaw, his voice low. “I had my reasons.”