For a moment, Ariel almost forgot what they were even arguing about.

    “Can you be reasonable? That’s not what we’re talking about.” Ariel’s expression darkened. Her usual calm was reced with sharp edges.

    Jayson tossed his phone on the table. “If I hadn’t been reasonable, you wouldn’t have been able bto /btouch me that day.”

    Ariel was so thrown off by his words that she nearly forgot she was furious at being lied to. She couldn’t believe he would say something like that.

    He sat back down and looked up at her. “Grandma’s asleep. Don’t wake her. I’ll stay here. You take the bed, alright?”

    Ariel calmed down, her gaze turning cold as she looked at him. She wasn’t interested in keeping up the polite facade anymore. “You’re always busy with work anyway. It shouldn’t be hard to find an excuse to leave.”

    That way neither of them had to suffer through this.

    Jayson met her gaze and replied in his usual tone, “Fine.”

    He grabbed his clothes, ready to walk out. And yet, Ariel suddenly felt a headacheing on.

    When she really thought about it, who was she to throw the host out of his own house?

    She pushed back the turmoil inside her. “Forget it. This is your home. As a guest, I have no right to tell you to leave. Do as you please.”

    Betty staying the night was a surprise, and Ariel hated going back on her word. If she failed to honor the

    agreement, that would be her responsibility, and it would only stir up trouble with the whole Larkin

    family.

    Only now did she finally see what a terrifying man Jayson really was. He had never shown the slightest sign of his scheme before.

    Divorce was absolutely the right choice. 2

    Jayson picked up on the t way she called herself a guest. Catching the numbness in her eyes, he twisted her words back at her. “Well, at most, guests give their hosts a kiss on the cheek. But with you,

    that kiss turns into a p. How polite of you.”

    Ariel snapped back to her senses. When she heard that, her tone turned sharper. “bI /bnever touched you. Don’t make things up.”

    He tossed a pillow on the couch. “Sure. Almost doesn’t count. Thanks for sparing me, Ms. Walker.”

    +15 bBONUS /b

    Ariel felt a twinge of regret. She should have just thrown the p without caring about appearances.

    She didn’t bother answering and headed to the bathroom to wash up.

    When she came out, she nced at the man on the couch. “The deadline for keeping this a secret isn’t far off. Once it’s over, I have no reason to y along. Mr. Larkin, you’d better prepare your grandma for it.”

    Only a few months left.

    Tonight was an exception. Ariel would never do this again.

    Without waiting for his response, she went straight to the bed she had slept in for three years andy down with her back to him.

    They didn’t share a bed.

    Whether Ariel had uncovered the truth tonight or not, the distance between them was already set in stone.

    Jayson watched her slim back for a long time before finally getting up. He walked to her bedside, switched off the light, and left only a dimmp on for her to see if she got up in the night.

    Ariel didn’t sleep well that night. Her dream was a mess.

    By the time she woke up, Jayson was already gone.

    She got herself ready and went downstairs.

    Betty was overseeing the breakfast preparation. “Jayson went out for a run. He’s not back yet. Do you want to eat first, Ari?”

    Ariel checked the time. It was barely past 6:30 am.

    At the thought ofst night, Ariel really didn’t want to linger. “I’ve got something urgent at work. I’ll head out first. Enjoy your breakfast, Grandma.”

    Betty didn’t press her and just muttered, “You’re working yourself too hard. Let me have someone pack you a sandwich for the road.”

    Ariel didn’t turn down the offer. She left before Jayson returned.

    If he wasn’t willing to tell her the truth, she wasn’t going to push. They both carried their own resentment. There was no point in forcing themselves to sit together and be ufortable.

    Back home, she showered, changed clothes, and finally went to the office.

    Bluum Corp’s press statement had set off waves.

    +15 bBONUS /b

    Early in the morning, Janice rushed into Ariel’s office while biting into a burrito she had bought on the way. She plopped another burrito down beside her and said, “What’s this guy after? Why did he pull a stunt like this? It’s not like him at all!b” /b

    That kind of statement was obviously not something a proper PR department would put out. Without Jayson’s approval or instruction, there was no way it would have gone out like that.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!