<b>Chapter </b>557


    The series <b>of </b>closed doors and mmed opportunities was finally breaking Nancy.


    No matter howposed she had been in the past, she couldn’t withstand the shock and consequences


    of this case.


    She had hoped to find a way out on her own, but now, it felt like a brutal reality hade crashing down


    on her overnight.


    Nancy realized she had no useful connections and had never really stood on equal footing with people in


    this world.


    She couldn’t ept Perry’s attitude.


    At this moment, it seemed like only Matt could speak up for her. Even just persuading Perry or letting


    Jayson know what she was facing would help.


    Nancy felt her chest grow heavier by the second.


    She pushed caution aside and turned the car toward the club Matt frequented.


    When Matt learned Nancy was here, he didn’t stop her. She was led straight inside.


    Matt gave her a once–over as she stepped in. It was the first time he had seen the once–proud,


    untouchable Nancy looking like this–disheveled, almost defeated, yet her eyes still burned with


    relentless ambition.


    “You can move around freely now?<b>” </b>Matt asked, raising an eyebrow.


    Just one question struck Nancy to the core.


    Actually, she couldn’t, and there were people watching her every move.


    “I came to ask if you know what Jayson is trying to do. You know, I didn’t mean for this to happen.” Nancy downyed it. She had no other options left.


    Matt sat on a barstool and studied her before smiling. “What do you think Jayson can do?”


    Nancy paused for a second and looked at him. “He hasn’t figured something out yet?”


    Matt poured a drink and shrugged. “You seem to be mistaken about something. People are criticizing you heavily, and many are openly attacking you. If you hadn’t publicly tried to turn on Ariel, the bacsh might not be this intense, and you wouldn’t be buried in scandal. Why do you think… someone like Jayson would lower himself for you?”


    Stunned, Nancy stared at Matt. His expression was still kind, no different from before. But his words…


    Her heart sank in an instant. She couldn’t hide her shock as she looked at him. “Matt, what do you mean by that?”


    Matt raised an eyebrow and set down his ss. “Nobody forced you to take such a shortcut. The Larkin family is all about capital. They may have power, but they wouldn’t squander it on someone who doesn’t create real value. What makes you think Jayson is the type of man who’d go blind over a woman?”


    Nancy went numb. A cold, creeping dread spread through her.


    Matt stood. “I’ve got things to do. Make yourselffortable.”


    With that, he turned and left.


    Nancy’s ears rang sharply. Something inside her was pulling her downward, but she refused to ept it.


    She couldn’t believe Jayson wouldn’t care about her. They had always been close.


    Nancy suddenly thought of how morous Ariel had be. Now that the Larkins knew Ariel’s


    capabilities, they would never give her up. That was an obvious fact.


    With Ariel’s talent, she didn’t even need to join thepetition, but she did. Nancy felt that Ariel must have done this on purpose. She deliberately put her in the spotlight and humiliated her in front of


    everyone, all to show off just how exceptional she was.


    Ariel’s cruelty made Nancy feel sick. Hatred burned in her eyes.


    But what she struggled to ept most was the thought of Jayson not stepping in. She couldn’t believe he


    would abandon her.


    Nancy leaned on the table for a long moment. Then, she called Jayson again.


    They had already taken things further. Their rtionship had grown intimate. There was no way Jayson would ever give up on her.