?<strong>Chapter 1617:</strong>


    It was Driscoll, standing with quiet respect. “Jordy and Zoe have invited you. Should I decline for you?”


    Elyse paused, a thoughtful frown furrowing her brow.


    “And what’s their connection to Jayden?” she asked, eyes narrowing slightly.


    Driscoll chose his words carefully, weighing them in his mind. “I’d say it’s lukewarm. Neither particrly friendly nor hostile.”


    Elyse’s eyes gleamed with understanding. “So, it’s not good. They’re clearly up to something. Decline it, please.” She suppressed a yawn.


    The news of Elyse’s rejectionnded like a sucker punch in Jordy’s gut. “She won’t even see me? It’s clear she’s hell-bent on exposing me and Corrie. How can she be so heartless?”


    Jordy slumped back in his study chair, the weight of his despair pressing down on him. Was he really going to let Elyse hold this kind of power over him? What im did she have over him? Just because she was with Jayden?


    Frustration churned inside Jordy, his nerves fraying as the urge for a cigarette crept up on him. Suddenly, Zoe burst in, causing him to jump out of his skin.


    Her gaze was sharp, unsettling, making him shiver.


    “Don’t you knock?” he stammered, flustered. “That’s rude, you know.”


    Zoe’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Knock? Are you seriously asking me that?”


    Jordy’s voice faltered. “I… I was just startled. Never mind.”


    Zoe locked eyes with Jordy’s guilty expression, her suspicion deepening. Folding her arms, she demanded, “Have you been hiding something from me?”


    Jordy flinched, clearly caught off guard. “What? Why would you even think that? How could I possibly do that?”


    A thought suddenly struck Zoe—the faint scent of perfume clinging to Jordy when he hade home. It was subtle, but unmistakable. “Did you put on cologne before you left?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.


    Jordy shook his head instantly. “Of course not.”


    “Then exin the perfume on you,” Zoe snapped, her temper ring. “You’re not getting any younger, Jordy. You wouldn’t dare betray me at this point, would you?”


    Jordy quickly shook his head. “Betray you? Come on, I’m way past my prime. Who would even be interested in an old man like me?”


    Zoe hesitated, studying him. He was indeed getting on in years—his face bore the marks of time, speckled with age spots. That thought alone doused the mes of her suspicion, at least for now.


    Still, her sharp gazended on something else—his hand, clutching a cigarette. Her expression darkened. “And where did thate from? Didn’t I tell you to quit smoking?” Her voice rose a notch. “Don’t tell me you’ve been sneaking cigarettes again?”


    Jordy nced down at the cigarette, cursing his own carelessness. He had been so preupied with covering up his affair that he hadn’t even realized he was holding a cigarette.


    Awkwardly, he let out a chuckle and tried to y it off, tucking the cigarette away. “It’s not what it looks like! Just a misunderstanding. I wasn’t going to smoke it—I just wanted to smell it, you know? Helps with the cravings.”


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