<b>Chapter </b><b>441 </b>
The birthday party incident had blown up far beyond control. By now, nearly everyone in Eldoria’s upper crust had heard <b>about </b>it. And given Jayson’s unique status, the fact that his personal life was now tabloid–worthy was almost surreal
<b>In </b>this circle, it wasn’t rare for married men to keep mistresses. A so–called close female friend waiting in each city was practically an unspoken norm.
But what made Nancy different was that from the moment she entered the public eye, she had always stood beside Jayson as his official girlfriend.
She had the polished looks, the right family background, and a prestigious degree admired even by high society. The moment she returned home, she was seen as the wothan Jayson cherished the most.
Layer uponyer of filters had been ced over her image in people’s minds.
And now, it had all shattered overnight.
Nancy was exposed as the woman who had interfered in someone else’s marriage.
Her carefully curated image of ss, intellect, and perfection had crumbledpletely.
That was the real reason people couldn’t stop talking. After all, it wasn’t umon for powerful men to keep mistresses.
So once the storm had passed, and all three people at the center of the scandal appeared at the same event,parisons were bound to be made.
Ariel knew exactly what everyone was thinking. That was just how people were.
But she had no intention of being caught up in any of this drama. She didn’t care how Jayson would respond. Without hesitation, she picked up the namete the staff member had just ced down for her. “No need to change anything. I’ll sit where I was originally assigned.”
With that, Ariel turned and walked toward her original seat.
She had no interest in beingbeled as a woman fighting over a man. And she especially wasn’t going to sit around waiting to see which woman Jayson chose.
The choice had always been hers to make.
Ariel’s response left many in the room visibly stunned. Then came the quiet admiration.
No wonder she was thedy of the Larkins. That kind of mindset andposure wasn’t something most people possessed.
Even Nancy frowned slightly. She didn’t expect Ariel to pull something like this.
She assumed Ariel was putting on a show because she felt guilty and insecure. Ariel was just afraid she couldn’t outshine her.
Nancy nced at Jayson again, only to find him watching Ariel’s retreating figure.
She pressed her lips into a line before saying, “Jayson, let’s sit down first<b>.</b>”
Jayson looked at her, his expression unreadable. “No need for special treatment. Just stick to the original arrangement. The seating doesn’t need to be changed.”
Nancy instantly understood what he meant.
The staff member asked in surprise, “Should we move Ms. Stanton to <b>a </b>different seat then?”
Jayson had already sat down. <ol start="15"><li>15. </li></ol>
Before Jayson could respond, Nancy straightened her back and gave the staff member a calm nce. “I appreciate the concern, but rules are rules. I’ll take my assigned seat.”
The staff member <b>looked </b>uncertain.
<b>But </b><b>with </b><b>both </b><b>Jayson </b>and Nancy having spoken, It was only natural to move her seat back to where it had originally <b>been</b>.
And just <b>like </b>that, the three of them ended up sitting in separate spots.
To the rest <b>of </b>the room, the scene was bizarre and impossible to read.
They couldn’t stop sneaking nces at Ariel, who had remainedposed through it all.
Regardless of opinions, one fact was undeniable–Ariel was Jayson’s wife.
Plenty of people nearby made an effort to strike up a friendly conversation with Ariel. She wasn’t the least bit aloof; she answered every question professionally.
The more they spoke with her<b>, </b>the more impressed they became.
Lately, Ariel had been all over the news because of her skills.
The system she independently developed had made national headlines. She had topped the list in the postgraduate admissions exam<b>, </b>earning the spot as Carlos‘ final student.
And even the sh with Veyo Solutions had ultimately be a stepping stone to Ariel’s sess and rising reputation.
So, although people were surprised to learn she was Jayson’s wife, that wasn’t the only reason they respected her. Most of all, they genuinely admired what she was capable of.