<b>Jayson’s </b>throat tightened, but in the end, he only said, “Uncle Kyle just got back, and Grandma’s in good spirits. There are too many people around today, and her birthday’sing up. We can tell her <b>after </b><b>that</b>. Besides, the first phase of your work at the 719 base is almost done.” <fn9d6d> ???? ????s? ???????s ?? FindN0vel</fn9d6d>


    Ariel did the math. Betty’s birthday was more than 20 days away. She wasn’t so desperate that she


    couldn’t wait.


    But Jayson’s answer told her that he agreed to the divorce.


    The matter of the baby weighed on him more heavily than she had expected. Despite his immense love


    for children, he had never once asked her to have one in all their years together.


    If he hadn’t tampered with the herbal soup back then, she wondered what their lives would look like now if they had had a child.


    Maybe she wouldn’t have had to endure so much pain.


    “Alright.” Ariel nodded, then turned and walked away without another word.


    Jayson stood watching her back. After a while, he lowered his head and let out a heavy breath, feeling


    like he could barely breathe.


    What he wanted to hear was that her abortion had nothing to do with Lucas, and that it wasn’t because she didn’t love him. Even if she had said she hated him, he could have found a way to convince himself


    otherwise.


    But she said nothing, not even a lie.


    Maybe now Jayson finally understood how Ariel had felt when his feelings for her had “faded“.


    At the family dinner, Ariel noticed something was off. Everything felt like surface–level politeness, especially between Jayson and Shane.


    She knew vaguely how fierce their rivalry had been. But the way they sat here chatting as if nothing had


    ever happened, it only felt strange.


    When dinner ended, Betty tried to keep everyone around.


    But this time, Jayson quickly said, “Grandma, Ari has to head to the military base early tomorrow. It’s too


    far from here.”


    Betty had no choice but to let them go.


    Shane and his family nned to stay behind, so Jayson left with Ariel.


    <b>He </b>even kept up appearances, asking Ariel for her car keys and driving her car as they left together.


    <b>1/3 </b>


    <b>From </b>the third–floor balcony<b>, </b>Shane stood watching as the Range Rover pulled away.


    Only after a while did he pull out his phone.


    It rang for some time before the line connected. “You’re back<b>?</b><b>” </b>


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    Shane leaned against the railing. His eyes narrowed into the night. <b>“</b>Mr. Pryce, your intel must be wrong. They didn’t seem like they were having problems.”


    “What made you think they were having issues in the first ce?” Shane asked, amused.


    Samson didn’t answer. Instead, he said, “You’ve been abroad long enough, so you know Jayson’s business overseas better than most. Mr. Larkin, you won’t get many chances. Help me, and I’ll make sure you stay.<b>” </b>


    Shane said nothing, just narrowed his eyes.


    On the way back, the car was quiet. It wasn’t exactly awkward, just a quiet silence, with both lost in their own thoughts.


    The drive ended in the underground garage.


    When Ariel got out, Jayson followed and tossed her the keys. “Go on up.”


    She caught them, then watched him as he walked toward the Rolls–Royce parked in its usual spot. Clearly, he wasn’t nning to stay here tonight.


    Her thoughts flickered back to the old incident the Larkin family had dredged up. She had been at the center of it, yet somehow she was the one who knew the least.


    Watching Jayson reach for his car door, she suddenly asked, “Did you really have no idea you were being set up back then?<b>” </b>