?<strong>Chapter 1567:</strong>


    He paused, then added, “And I share her concerns. Reba isn’t someone to be trusted. The fact that she invited you to this concert means she has ulterior motives.”


    Elyse slumped back in her chair, her mind a whirlwind of emotions. She stared nkly, unable to fully process the weight of Cody’s words. Understanding her turmoil, Cody chose to retreat, leaving her with her thoughts. He picked up a tray and walked to the kitchen.


    Later, Elyse broke the silence, her voice trembling with uncertainty. “Did my father really give up the violin willingly?”


    Jayden, deep in thought, replied after a moment, “When you were a child, did Lanny and Glenda ever stop you from ying the violin?”


    A shadow of contemtion crossed Elyse’s face as she sifted through the hazy fragments of her past. Finally, recognition flickered in her eyes. “They tried to stop me,” she recalled, her voice barely above a whisper. “In my stubbornness to learn, they punished me with three days of starvation.”


    “The violin found you,” Jayden observed thoughtfully. “No one guided you to it. You discovered it on your own, as if your father’s spirit was invisibly steering you toward the instrument.”


    He leaned forward, choosing his words carefully. “I believe he never truly wanted to let go. The trauma was simply too overwhelming at the time, and abandoning the violin seemed like his only escape from the pain.”


    Elyse pondered and then said in a deep voice, “But this wasn’t his fault. Reba orchestrated everything from the shadows. He shouldered guilt that was never his to bear, punishing himself by forsaking his beloved violin. The injustice of it all…”


    Jayden’s gentle voice cut through her thoughts. “Time grows short. What will you say to Reba’s invitation?”


    Creases of worry etched themselves across Elyse’s brow as inner turmoil yed across her features. “I need space to think,” she said wearily. “Just… give me some time.”


    Rising from her seat, she retreated into the shelter of the wooded area. Momentster, Cody returned to the yard with freshly brewed coffee, his eyes scanning the empty space. “Where’s Elyse?”


    Jayden replied, “She went for a walk. She has a life-altering decision to make.”


    Understanding flickered across Cody’s face as he settled down, pouring Jayden a cup of coffee.


    “Elyse’s nightmare unsettled me,” he confessed while pouring. “She dreamed of Rickey’s past, and some pieces aligned perfectly with my own memories. I feltpelled to share the truth—it was as if Rickey himself was trying to reach her. I had to be his voice. The thought of him carrying that burden of guilt for all these years, unable to hold his head high… it would have been too cruel to stay silent.”


    Jayden nodded solemnly. “I sense he has never truly left Elyse’s side. Though physically absent, his protective presence lingers.”


    Cody nodded. “Exactly. Elyse was everything he’d ever hoped for in a child. No one knew better than I just how deeply Rickey loved her.” After a thoughtful pause, Jayden mused, “I’m beginning to grasp just how remarkable his life truly was.”


    A gentleugh escaped Cody. “If he were still with us, he’d have achieved even greater heights.”


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