Ariel’s pupils dted in a sh.
In the roar of the rotor wind, the high–speed des hurtled straight toward her.
She instinctively tried to step back, but before she could move, a shadow suddenly loomed over her. In the next moment, she was swept into a warm, solid embrace, and the person holding her swiftly pulled her to the side.
At the same time, shouts and gasps erupted around them.
The drone was quickly brought under control and guided to a safending beneath the corridor eaves.
Ariel barely registered what had just happened until she heard Nancy’s frantic voice cut through the chaos. ” Jayson! Are you okay?”
Still dazed, Ariel opened her eyes and met Jayson’s intense gaze.
His brows were drawn tight, his expression was grim, and his pupils were dted. It was the first time she had ever seen Jayson look so intimidating.
When he noticed her looking at him in shock, he immediately let her go.
As Jayson straightened, Ariel finally noticed that his right sleeve waspletely shredded, torn open by the drone’s spinning des.
Bright blood trickled down his arm, pooling fast on the ground beneath them. Even his palm and fingers were covered in deep gashes.
Nancy ran over with a pale face. “Jayson, are you badly hurt?”
Matt and the others rushed over, all looking tense.
“What happened? Why would you…” Matt nced at Ariel, then looked at Jayson, trailing off as if unsure whether
to say more.
Why would Jayson risk himself to save Ariel?
Zach and Liam arrived then, both looking serious.
“Ms. Stanton was standing close to Ariel. Mr. Larkin must’ve grabbed the wrong person in the confusion.”
That was the only possibility Zach could think of.
It was only then that the people around them suddenly realized that Jayson had been standing quite close to both Nancy and Ariel just moments ago.
With the drone descending rapidly and visibility obstructed, it was usible that Jayson had reacted purely on
instinct.
Jayson’s brow furrowed deeper, but he didn’t argue. He simply turned to Nancy and asked in a voice rougher than usual, “Are you hurt?”
Nancy, still pale, gave a slight shake of her head. “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me.”
Jayson didn’t spare Ariel another nce, as if the entire incident really had been just a mistake in the heat of the
moment.
Liam stepped forward and checked Jayson’s wound. He quickly performed a simple procedure to stop the bleeding. “He needs to get to the hospital. The cut is deep. Might’ve hit the bone.”
Zach quickly arranged for a car. “Get Mr. Larkin to the hospital.‘
The scene was tense and chaotic.
Chad rushed to Ariel. His face was grim as he checked her over.
She was untouched. Not even a scratch.
Gary and Jackson joined the scene. Jackson, seasoned and steady, immediately gave orders <b>to </b>calm the guests.
Gary looked at Ariel. “Ms. Walker, are you alright?”
Ariel finally took a shaky breath. “I’m fine.”
Gary gave a quick nod and went to help with hospital arrangements.
The car arrived swiftly, and Jayson was helped inside.
In themotion, Ariel was jostled by the crowd, bumped back and forth as people swarmed around.
Nancy held tightly onto Jayson’s uninjured arm. Just before getting into the car, she suddenly turned around and shot Ariel a cold nce. Without saying anything, she got in the car with Jayson.
Ariel didn’t miss the look. And she could guess what Nancy was thinking.
Nancy cared deeply for Jayson. Of course she would resent the fact that he had gotten hurt saving Ariel.
n squeezed through the crowd from behind, still shaken as he said, “Even if Mr. Larkin meant to save Ms. Stanton, at least Ms. Walker ended up safe.
“If that heavy drone had hit her, her small frame wouldn’t have stood a chance. Honestly, it just shows how good the rtionship is between Mr. Larkin and Ms. Stanton.”
Good thing Nancy wasn’t hurt. Otherwise, Jayson would’ve been eaten up with guilt for saving the wrong person.