Chapter 430:

Fiona never expected to see her rescuer again. The area swarmed with workers; finding one specific person felt impossible. She'd almost given up hope of seeing him again, but unexpectedly, their paths crossed.

Overjoyed, Fiona asked, "What are you doing here? Taking a stroll?"

Jayden's brow furrowed, puzzled by her rapid-fire questions.

Undeterred, Fiona beamed and pulled out her phone. "I owe you a huge thank you for saving me that night. Could I get your number? Maybe we could meet again under less stressful circumstances?"

She gave him a playful wink, confident he wouldn't refuse her direct approach.

However, Jayden wasn't in the mood for conversation; he was waiting for Elyse. He could faintly hear music from the nearby studio, knowing she was still practicing. He glanced at Fiona's eager expression and felt a twinge of annoyance.

Ignoring her hopeful gaze, Jayden turned to leave.

Stunned by his indifference, Fiona called after him, "All I want is to thank you, perhaps over a meal?"

Jayden walked on, without looking back.

Focused on him, Fiona stumbled and fell. She half-expected him to help, but he didn't even glance back. Picking herself up, she stood slowly, simmering with frustration. "How cold," she muttered. "He didn't even want to talk to me."

Disheartened, Fiona trudged home without the phone number she'd hoped for.

An hour later, Elyse burst from the studio to find Jayden waiting in his car. As she got in, he said, frustrated, "Why are you out so late?"

Catching her breath, Elyse explained, "I was so engrossed in practice, I lost track of time."

She then put her arm around him and rested her head on his shoulder. Jayden tried to pull away, but a stern look from Elyse stopped him, and she clung to him tighter.

Impatiently, he remarked, "Your head is heavy."

Eyes closed, Elyse said firmly, "Stop it. I'm tired. Let me rest for a bit."

Jayden responded with a hint of annoyance, "Three minutes, that's all."

"Fine, fine," Elyse agreed, relaxed.

Three minutes passed, and Jayden tried to pull away, only to find Elyse asleep, her arm around his. She seemed genuinely exhausted, sleeping so soundly that even when he playfully pinched her nose, she didn't wake.

Upon arriving home, Jayden had no choice but to carry her to the bedroom. Following them, Driscoll worried, "Does she really need to push herself so hard every day?"

"I'm not sure. Just go with it," Jayden replied, half-talking as he watched her peaceful face. "Who knows? Maybe we'll have an international musician in the family soon."

Driscoll was surprised by Jayden's rare smile. Jayden lingered, watching her. Even asleep, she was restless. She kicked off her covers. Jayden's smile faded as he gently pulled them back up.

Elyse didn't wake until dawn. Thinking of practice, she headed to the studio early. Gavin and Irving were already there, ready to coach her.

When Fiona arrived, they'd been practicing for two hours. Noticing Fiona's relaxed demeanor, Gavin asked pointedly, "Why aren't you worried? Are you confident about the competition?"

Fiona felt unjustly criticized, and resented seeing Elyse there. Elyse remained oblivious to Fiona's growing discontent. By 5:30, she was packing up to leave.

Shocked, Fiona asked, "Why are you leaving so early?"

"The competition is tomorrow. I need to rest," Elyse explained as she packed. Once ready, she smiled and said to Fiona, "I'm heading out now." Jayden was picking her up, and she didn't want to keep him waiting.

After Elyse left, Gavin asked Fiona, "When are you planning to leave today?"

(The ellipsis at the end suggests more text follows. If you provide the rest, I can continue cleaning it up.)