Chapter 799: noveldrama

Elyse gave a half-smile, raising an eyebrow. “You flew all the way to another country just to watch me compete? I don’t buy it! There’s got to be more to it than that!”

Brook placed a hand over his heart in mock hurt. “Elyse, you wound me! I crossed oceans just to see you!”

She held his gaze for a moment, then laughed, seeing through the act. “We both know that’s not true. Are we really that close? I almost believed you.”

Dropping the pretense, Brook grinned. “Alright, alright, you got me! I’m here for other reasons. Seeing you is just a bonus.”

Elyse rolled her eyes, her smirk softening. “I knew it. There’s no way you’d come all this way just for me!”

Brook took a sip of his drink, his expression growing more serious. “Actually, I came because of Jayden. He’s been stirring up some serious trouble. Did you know?”

Elyse’s eyes widened slightly. “What exactly do you know?”

Brook stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I’m curious; has he ever shared anything about his past with you?”

The question struck a nerve. Elyse shifted awkwardly. “He hasn’t told me.”

Brook’s expression turned pensive. “If he hasn’t shared it, then it’s not my place to talk about it. His past isn’t exactly something to be proud of, so I get why he’d keep it to himself.”

Elyse fell silent, her mind swirling with thoughts. Brook didn’t push further, quietly sipping his drink. The silence hung heavy, only interrupted by the waiter arriving with their food.

After a few moments, Elyse broke the silence. “Did you book a room here at the hotel too?”

Brook’s lips curled into a smug smile. “Yep, presidential suite. If you get bored, you can always drop by and hang out.”

Elyse forced a laugh, dry and humorless. “You’ve gotten shameless in the past few months.”

“Shameless?” Brook chuckled. “You should watch out for someone else then. He might just throw all shame to the wind this time to see you!”

Elyse raised an eyebrow, suspicious. “Who are you talking about?”

Brook’s eyes gleamed with mischief. “Theo, your ex. He was on the same flight as me but booked a different hotel.”

Elyse’s brow furrowed. “What’s Theo up to now? We ended things ages ago.”

Brook paused, a rare seriousness in his voice. “You know, for once, I’ll be the good guy and fill you in.”

Elyse raised her chin slightly. “Go on then. Not that I’m too keen on hearing about him.”

“Such a cold and heartless woman!” he teased, but quickly turned serious. “Theo lost it when he found out about your miscarriage. He said he regrets breaking up with you, letting you go through all that alone. He even caused a scene at the Owen Group.”