Chapter 158

It had been an uncomfortable evening. Elyse couldn't stomach another moment and excused herself from the dinner table after barely touching her food. Before leaving, she reminded Theo, "Don't forget to release Mabel." She wasn't sure he'd heard her, but she didn't wait to find out.

Elyse quickly left, finding solace in the quiet of Jayden's waiting car. Jayden glanced at the clock. "Only forty-seven minutes. I take it dinner wasn't to your liking?"

"I barely touched my food," Elyse admitted, wishing to forget the unpleasant evening. She closed her eyes, feeling drained.

Respecting her silence, Jayden didn't disturb her, simply instructing the driver to take them home. Upon their arrival, they found Tess lounging on the sofa, sipping tea with an air of tranquility. Jayden and Tess had a strained relationship, marked by mutual disdain, and her presence in his home was unusual.

Jayden's voice cut through the tension, sharp and direct. "Why are you here?"

Tess, remaining composed, set down her teacup. "I'm here for a reason. Your brother just graduated from college. I intend to offer him a position in the company to gain experience before taking over."

Jayden scoffed. "And what does that have to do with me?"

Tess scrutinized Jayden. "Despite your disability, your mind is sharp. You must support your brother. In time, he will appreciate your guidance when he assumes control of the company."

Jayden's patience exhausted, he cut her short. "Escort her out," he instructed Driscoll, his tone clipped, dismissing his mother.

Tess, incensed by his dismissiveness, said firmly, "Consider yourself informed. Tomorrow, Bryce will arrive. You will mentor him for his future role in the company. We cannot afford to lose control of the Owen Group to your Uncle Seth's or your Aunt Jessie's families. Otherwise, we'll be at their mercy forever. Do you understand that, Jayden?"

With a tired sigh, Jayden rubbed his temples and excused himself, leaving Driscoll to handle Tess's departure. Tess didn't linger, having made her point. With a disdainful snort aimed at Elyse, she grabbed her handbag and stormed out.

Elyse looked at Jayden with concern, wanting to offer comfort, but sensing his need for silence, she remained quiet. He then asked Driscoll to serve dinner. They ate in silence.

After dinner, Jayden went to his study while Elyse returned to the bedroom. She had barely settled when her phone rang—Glenda. Resigned, she answered, only to be met with Glenda's accusatory tone. "Why hasn't your sister returned home yet? Did you not talk to Theo? Do you even care about saving her?"

Elyse defended herself, "I did talk to Theo. He promised to release her. If she's not home, he broke his word. Why are you blaming me? Why don't you talk to him yourself?"

Glenda's curses filled the air, her frustration evident. "Mind your tone! I'm your mother. Call Theo and find out when he'll release Mabel."

Elyse's patience snapped. "No, I won't. You call him."

Glenda erupted. "You don't care about Mabel, do you? You're her older sister."

Elyse reached her limit. "I do care, but she's the one causing trouble. I warned her to stay away from him, but she didn't listen."

Unable to argue, Glenda softened. "I should have known better. I'm just worried about her."

Elyse knew Glenda loved Mabel deeply—Mabel had received the affection Elyse had always craved. In a vulnerable moment, Elyse asked, "If I made the same mistake, would you ask Mabel to help me?"

Glenda frowned. "You would never do such a thing. Don't be ridiculous. Ask Theo tomorrow when he'll release your sister." With that, Glenda ended the call, leaving Elyse feeling profoundly lonely.

She longed for the love her mother gave Mabel, wishing for a carefree life like her sister's. Despite years of effort, Elyse felt invisible to her parents, her efforts constantly overlooked.

Clutching her phone, Elyse sighed before dialing Theo's number. Repeated attempts went unanswered, leading her to assume he was busy. She decided to call him later.

Meanwhile, Theo sat in his study, staring at his phone. He knew why Elyse was calling, but he couldn't bring himself to answer. He lacked the courage to face her.

The extraneous material ("Ⓜⓞⓡⓔ ⓤⓟⓓⓐⓣⓔⓢ ⓘⓝ ⓖⓐⓛⓝⓞⓥⓔⓛⓢ.ⓒⓞⓜ," ".noveldrama") has been removed.