bChapter /b592

    +15 bBONUS /b

    Jayson looked at Betty, who was clearly displeased. He could tell she was upset about how Ariel was being portrayed in the recent news article.

    Betty had brought up the incident from back then because she felt sorry for Ariel.

    Jayson softened his tone, speaking as though he were narrating someone else’s story.

    “Grandma, some things aren’t as simple as they appear. If you think carefully, Ari didn’t have much of a choice back then. She used to be someone who’d sacrifice herself just to make others happy.

    “She deserves the chance to be independent now, to put herself first. She needs the time and space to calmly decide what she really wants, and what choices she should make for her own life.”

    Back then, Ariel had been alone and powerless. She’d been put on the spot and treated like amodity. Scared, flustered, and embarrassed, she still had to hope for a solution that would please everyone else.

    With the Sanderson family pressuring her and banking all their hopes on her, she had neither backing nor an escape route. (1)

    Betty was momentarily stunned. Was Jayson hinting at something more with his words?

    Jayson raised his brows and offered her a faint smile. “I’m going to get changed,” he said, ending the conversation.

    Ariel had initially thought about waiting in the living room. But Georgia approached her. “Mrs. Larkin, Mrs. Larkin Senior said you’ll be dining on the rooftop terraceter. Would you like to head up there and enjoy the breeze in the meantime?”

    Ariel epted the suggestion. The rooftop terrace had always been her favorite part of the house.

    Back when she and Jayson had just gotten married, she would sit there reading while waiting for him to return from work.

    She often dozed off while waiting, and Jayson would carry her back downstairs when he arrived. Sometimes, if the weather was nice, he’d simply lie down beside her until she woke up.

    The memories stirred a faint mncholy in her chest.

    She didn’t immediately go up on her own, instead following behind Georgia, who led the way.

    But as they passed one of the rooms, Georgia stopped abruptly, as if remembering something. She turned to Ariel with an apologetic expression. “Mrs. Larkin, I identally broke a part of something while cleaning earlier. Please forgive me.”

    Ariel gave her a puzzled look.

    Georgia turned around and opened the doorb. /b

    +15 bBONUS /b

    Ariel was taken aback, staring at the room that was unmistakably decorated for a child.

    The spacious room was neutral, not clearly designed for a boy or a girl. A cradle sat in the centerb, /bthe floor covered with soft beige carpeting. Any sharp edges had been padded for safety.

    It was clear some items had yet to be purchased, but the essentials were already in ce.

    Georgia stepped inside and picked up a toy from the edge of the cradle–a small gadget meant to soothe a baby to sleep.

    “The toy fell off while I was wiping the cradle. I couldn’t get it back into ce,” Georgia exined nervously. “I saw Mr. Larkin working on assembling everything before, but I don’t know how to fix it.”

    She looked genuinely flustered and apologetic.

    Ariel realized then that Jayson had assembled the cradle himself. She had no interest in prying into his private life. This was clearly part of the ns he had once shared with Nancy.

    “It’s fine. Just leave it and let him know,” Ariel replied without much thought.

    As she turned to leave, she nearly bumped into someone behind her. She stopped abruptly and looked up.

    She had no idea how long Jayson had been standing there.

    He was staring at the room for quite some time. After a moment, he looked at her and lifted his chin slightly. “Do you have any feedback on the room’s decor, Mrs. Larkin?” 1

    The question sounded like a casual conversation between husband and wife about their child’s room–at

    least in front of others.

    But Jayson had clearly chosen the wrong person for this exchange. This was supposed to be part of his future with Nancy. Ariel wasn’t about to entertain his act.

    “Do you even have a child, Mr. Larkin? Maybe you shouldn’t n so far ahead just yet,” she said coolly, brushing off his question. His ns and arrangements had nothing to do with her.

    Her words were blunt, perhaps harsh, but entirely true.

    X