Ariel never imagined she would be hearing these words from Jayson.


    He maintained his usual calm, dignified demeanor, but beneath theposure lingered a trace of sorrow


    in his eyes.


    Ariel felt confused. Jayson wasn’t supposed to act this way. He had just admitted that, during their four years of marriage, he had been wary of Lucas for nearly three.


    She was stunned. Ariel pursed her lips and looked at him. “What did you find out about me and him?” 1


    There was a time when she and Jayson had shared a happy, loving rtionship. Yet, one day, he changed abruptly. Ariel had long assumed he maintained their harmonious first year together simply out of good


    manners and upbringing.


    She thought his feelings for her had cooled because he had grown tired of her or had a change of heart. That was the conclusion she held on to, even long after they had gone through the “divorce” procedure.


    But now Jayson revealed he had been wary of Lucas all along.


    In all those years, he had never once mentioned Lucas to her, nor shown any signs of frustration or


    concern.


    After marrying Jayson, Ariel devoted herself to her partner and their household. She had bid farewell to her past. The thought of rekindling anything with Lucas had never once crossed her mind.


    So how had Jayson discovered her history with Lucas and even grown suspicious of him?


    Watching her closely, Jayson decided to reveal the truth. “I know you were childhood friends. I know you once had feelings for each other. You married me partly because of Lucas, not entirely because you spent the night with me. You were more or less forced into this marriage.”


    What he said was true. Ariel couldn’t even deny it. Still, she had never once brought up Lucas after marrying Jayson, and the Sandersons had wisely kept silent as well.


    “How did you find out about this?” she asked.


    Jayson dropped his gaze, inhaled deeply, then looked back into her eyes. “Remember theptop you once asked about? I told you it was lost or misced. That wasn’t true. I’ve kept it in my study all this time.”


    Ariel’s eyes widened. She understood instantly.


    Thatptop had been with her for years, starting from high school. Countless important moments and memories were saved on it–including traces of Lucas.


    She pressed her lips together and met Jayson’s gaze. Atst, she realized why he had changed back then.


    Jayson read the shock and bewilderment in her eyes. But beneath it, she seemed strangely unfazed. She didn’t appear to care about what he had discovered on theptop, or how deeply those things had


    affected him.


    “Did I ruin your chance to be with him?” Jayson asked evenly, though his eyes flickered with turbulent emotions. “Were you nning to marry him back then? Did you change yourst name so it wouldn’t look suspicious to others?”


    Atst, he asked the questions he had been holding back for years.


    Theptop had contained many things rted to Lucas.


    Jayson knew Morgan’s schemes had partly forced Ariel into marriage, but he hadn’t known who exactly she had made that decision for. <fnf1cb> Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n find{n}ovel</fnf1cb>


    It was onlyter, when he overheard a conversation between Ariel and Morgan, that he learned she had yielded to Morgan’s threats to help Lucas reduce his prison sentence.


    Then he found the diary entry saved on herptop.


    “Today, Lucas suggested that I change myst name to Walker. I think that’s not a bad idea.” Though she hadn’t borated on the details leading up to that suggestion, it wasn’t hard to guess. Lucas was the one who proposed it. As a man, what could his intentions possibly have been?


    If Ariel hadn’t changed her surname, official records would alwaysbel her as Lucas‘ younger sister. But once she became Ariel Walker, the perception shifted entirely.


    Ariel fell silent, lost in thought. The memory of that time resurfaced, and she understood what troubled Jayson. Still, she had no intention of exining herself. (5)


    Jayson lowered his gaze and let out a wry smile. “And about our marital home… Lucas once filmed you, asking about your dreams for the future.


    <b>“</b>You gave a detailed description of your ideal home, and it was almost identical to the one you designed and decorated after we married. That house wasn’t just ours–it was a representation of the future you and he once envisioned together.


    “These two things showed clearly how much you cared about him.”


    That was why Jayson hadpletely renovated the house after buying it back. 3


    The only space he couldn’t bring himself to touch was the master bedroom he and Ariel had shared for three years.