?Chapter 689:


    Raising an eyebrow, Matias asked, puzzled, “Why should I care about your feelings?”


    Elyse looked momentarily taken aback but quickly masked her surprise with a smooth facade. He must be shy. She wasn’t usually patient with men whocked the courage to engage with her. However, considering Matias’s youth and vigor, she decided to give him a chance. Youthful shyness, she reasoned, was something he would outgrow.


    “Acting bashful might have worked when you were younger, but you’re grown now. Mature men are gracious and thoughtful.” Elyse believed she was guiding Matias on how to appeal to her, unaware that Matias found her quite delusional.


    Matias was puzzled by her words. What was she even trying to say? His world revolved around his friends and sports, not entanglements with women, much less ying dating games. Moreover, Elyse’s opinions on what made a man appealing were the least of his concerns. Matias kept a tight-lipped frown and opted for silence.


    Elyse watched silently, assuming Matias was reflecting on her words. With a gentle smile, she reassured him, “There’s no need to be upset. I wasn’t mad at you. I’m merely offering a friendly suggestion.” She felt it was prudent to extend him another chance, given his apparent longstanding admiration.


    Unable to hold back any longer, Matias blurted out, “What do you mean by that? Why should I be upset? And why should it matter to me if you’re angry? What’s this all about?”


    Javier was just as baffled by Elyse’s remarks. “Elyse, what are you trying to say? Cut to the chase,” he said with growing impatience.


    Elyse’s frustration mounted as Matias appeared to feign ignorance. She considered him overly cautious, unable to seize the moment to reveal his feelings despite her cues.


    Rolling her eyes, Elyse thought she had made her intentions obvious. Since Matias couldn’t grasp them, that was his loss. She left with a huff of annoyance, leaving both Matias and Javier more bewildered.


    “What just happened?” Matias questioned.


    Javier shrugged, mystified. “Beats me. She’s lost it, maybe.”


    Matias nodded in agreement.


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    Whenever Matias visited Javier, he always brought gifts and was polite, but he made sure to keep his interactions with Elyse to a minimum. Despite Elyse’s outward kindness and Javier’s frequent defenses of her, Matias had never been…


    Matias never felt quitefortable around Elyse. His instincts told him something was off, perhaps influenced by his own experiences with his sister.


    He thought about his sister, who never made demands or voicedints like Elyse did. While she often teased him yfully, she supported him financially without hesitation, transferring money whenever he needed it. She even indulged his desires for new shoes, fashionable clothes, and thetest gaming consoles.


    In stark contrast, Elyse had never once offered financial support to Javier, nor had she ever gifted him anything. It was always Javier who ended up buying things for her or transferring money into her ount. If Elyse truly cared about Javier, how could shefortably use the money from his secret art sales?


    Fortunately, Javier had finally seen through Elyse’s facade and stopped treating her with kindness.


    A thought struck Matias, and he asked, “Javier, has Elyse always harbored resentment toward Elena?”


    A subtle change came over Javier’s face. “Are you suggesting…”


    “Elyse might be behind this,” Matias dered, his voice heavy with conviction. In all of the, Elyse likely held the deepest grudge against Elena.


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