Chad had already agreed to attend Steven’s wedding, and now Jayson and Nancy would be there too. Ariel didn’t bother with them. She simply bid Steven farewell, then left with Chad ahead of the others.


    Sure, it was Steven’s fourth wedding, but etiquette was still etiquette. Ariel and Chad decided to pick out a wedding gift for him.


    The next day, Ariel and Chad arrived by cab at the wedding venue. It was an outdoor ceremony, styled more like a casual garden party.


    Despite his age, Steven was open–minded. His new bride was actually a former student of his.


    When he saw Ariel and Chad arrive, he greeted them warmly, with none of the arrogance people might expect from someone of his academic stature.


    Ariel handed over the gift. “Congrattions, Professor Pord.”


    Steven looked touched. “Thank you. Are you and Chad…‘


    Ariel gave a faint smile. “He’s my senior. We went to the same university. We’re business partners now. Nothing more than that.”


    “She’s also my father’s student. His only one at the moment. You can think of us more like siblings,” Chad added, understanding Steven’s curiosity. Quite a few people had mistaken his rtionship with Ariel.


    “Carlos‘ student?” Steven was clearly surprised. He knew all too well how picky Carlos was and how impossibly high his standards could be. For Ariel to have earned his recognition, she clearly had far more going on beneath the surface than she let on.


    “Well, Ms. Walker. That’s seriously impressive.”


    Ariel gave a modest smile. “You’re too kind, Professor Pord.”


    A short whileter, Jayson and Nancy arrived.


    Nancy wore a sleek, fitted dress and entered with her arm looped through Jayson’s.


    As they passed through the crowd, several guests recognized Jayson–the well–known figure from Nacsall’s finance and venture capital circles. Naturally, their eyes drifted toward Nancy, filled with curiosity and a bit of


    envy.


    “Professor Pord, this is a wedding gift from both Jayson and me.” Nancy smiled gracefully as she handed over the gift.


    Chad immediately caught the meaning behind that word.


    That deliberate use of “both” was her way of announcing them as a couple. It was as if she were afraid people might not realize just how close they were.


    Ariel heard it too but didn’t react. It had nothing to do with her anymore.


    Upon hearing Nancy’s words, Steven couldn’t help but specte about their rtionship and gave her a more thoughtful look.


    He only knew Nancy as a neer in the field. When they yesterday, he had learned she held a PhD from Arcadia Tech. In fact, he even knew her former professor.


    Now, with Jayson in the picture and the two of them looking every bit the perfect pair, Steven’s impression <b>of </b>Nancy had certainly deepened.


    “Thank you,” Steven said with a nod, then added half–jokingly, “So how long have you two been together? Any ns for a wedding yourselves? The mood today might just inspire something. Want to do a practice run and join us for a mock ceremony?”


    If Ariel hadn’t rified that she and Chad weren’t a couple, Steven honestly wouldn’t have minded turning his wedding into a fun group wedding with the younger couples.


    It would be so much fun.


    Nancy gave a small smile and instinctively looked at Jayson.


    Jayson’s expression stayedposed as he replied with practiced politeness, “You’re the star tonight. I wouldn’t want to steal the spotlight.”


    Nancy understood that he had his life carefully nned out. He wasn’t one for spontaneous gestures like this. He preferred things to be done properly.


    Chad gave a crooked smile. “No need to be shy, Mr. Larkin. You’ve cleared the deck anyway. Shouldn’t you be thinking about making her official soon?”


    Nancy frowned slightly. Thement rubbed her the wrong way.


    Jayson looked at Chad and inevitably caught sight of Ariel<b>, </b>who stood a step away. Her expression was indifferent andpletely detached.


    “As I mentioned, today belongs to Professor Pord. I’d prefer not to be the subject of such teasing, Mr. Hockney!”


    “Fair enough,” Chad replied, amused. Jayson really knew when to keep a low profile.


    Then he gave Ariel a pat on the shoulder. “Should we go sit for a bit?”


    As soon as he said that, Steven suggested, “Why don’t you all sit together at the VIP table?”