Zach’s voice wasn’t too loud or too soft. It was just enough for the two surrounding tables to hear him. Everyone instinctively turned to look at Jayson and Ariel. Their gazes brimmed with curiosity and scrutiny.
Nancy’s expression darkened. She glanced down at the watch peeking from Jayson’s cuff, then turned to look toward the neighboring table at Ariel with a frown.
So Ariel had planned this far ahead?
Even Zach looked speechless. Matching couple watches? That just felt way too deliberate.
Guests nearby couldn’t help but tease, “Will there be such a coincidence?”
“Right? I’ve seen those watches before. They’re from a limited edition couple’s set. They do sell them individually, but still, what are the odds? Must be fate.”
One person waved it off. “I’m guessing it’s just a coincidence that Ms. Walker is wearing hers today. Ms. Stanton probably has the matching one. She just didn’t wear it. Right, Ms, Stanton?”
Nancy had no choice but to suppress her frustration toward Ariel. She gave a faint smile in response, neither confirming nor denying.
Perry frowned at the situation, casting a worried glance at Ariel.
Zach raised an eyebrow and said with a meaningful look, “Ms. Walker, this little misunderstanding really is interesting, isn’t it?”
Chad frowned and was about to speak.
But before he could say anything, Ariel calmly took off the watch and tucked it into her purse.
She showed no interest in offering any explanation for being accidentally “paired” with Jayson. She didn’t even bother picking up the thread of conversation.
Even with all the teasing and curious looks around her, she acted like an outsider–unmoved and uninterested. Only then did Jayson lift his eyes.
His gaze was unreadable–neither amused nor annoyed–like someone watching a scene that had nothing to do with him.
Zach noticed Ariel’s calm demeanor. His expression shifted slightly, like he couldn’t quite figure her out.
Ariel wasn’t just refusing to explain. She wasn’t reacting at all.
Chad jumped in at the right moment, jokingly saying, “It’s a total coincidence. Mr. Larkin’s got a beautiful date right beside him. Maybe we should pay more attention to Ms. Stanton, or she might feel left out.”
Nancy paused at those words. She pressed her lips together almost imperceptibly.
Then, as if nothing had happened, she leaned over and whispered something to Jayson, who had remained completely calm the entire time.
Now that Ariel had taken the watch off, making it very clear she didn’t want any misunderstandings, no one could keep pushing the topic.
Still, the coincidence was hard to ignore.
1/3
Chapter 248
+25 BONUS
Zach gave Ariel another glance before finally sitting at the table next to hers.
Was she just that good at pretending? He was starting to lose his read on her entirely.
Ariel took a small sip of tea. Her mind was already sorting through the pieces.
The watch was a birthday gift from Betty, left in their bedroom for her to grab.
One of the men had said it was a couple’s set. Even if the brand sold them individually, it didn’t change the fact.
She guessed that Betty had probably ordered a matching set for her and Jayson without ever mentioning that they were meant for couples.
Otherwise, how else would Jayson have ended up wearing one too?
While she was still thinking, Alan, who was sitting beside her, finally said with a smile, “I think you’re all reading way too much into it. Ms. Walker is married. Maybe the watch is something she picked out with her husband.”
He had always had a good impression of Ariel. The few times they had interacted, her intelligence had left him impressed. Seeing everyone tease her like this, he couldn’t help stepping in.
As for Chad’s comment about Ariel’s husband, he had assumed it was just a joke. A woman like Ariel would never marry someone unworthy.
That one sentence shifted the mood again.
Matt’s eyelid twitched. He instinctively glanced at Jayson.
How the hell did Alan know Ariel was married?
Even Perry frowned. Ariel was in the middle of a divorce. Where had Alan heard that she was married?
“You’re really married?”
Zach’s face changed. Suddenly, he remembered Frederick mentioning it once. But since Ariel and Chad had seemed so close back then, he had brushed it off as a joke and paid no mind to it.
But if even Alan was saying it, maybe it was true. Ariel was actually married?
Zach blurted, “Who’s your husband? Someone in our circle? Is he here tonight?”
Ariel didn’t even look at him. She had zero interest in airing out her private life for people to gawk at,
Zach’s expression grew more complicated when she didn’t answer.
She was married yet still entangled with Chad and even seemed to be eyeing Jayson, who already had a girlfriend.
How could Ariel do this to her husband? And Chad was okay with all that?
“Right…” Chad dragged out the word with a faint hiss and glanced around the room like he didn’t have a clue. He asked casually, “Is he here tonight?”
Jayson finally looked over at him. There wasn’t even a flicker of emotion in his expression, like he wouldn’t care even if Chad laid everything bare.
“If we keep going, Ms. Walker’s going to get embarrassed. Let’s drop the topic.” Matt cleared his throat, smiling as he stepped in to change the subject.
If they dug any deeper, their marriage might just get exposed.
2/3
Chapter 248
At that, a hint of disappointment showed on everyone’s faces.
Ariel had caught their attention today. She was elegant, intelligent, and strikingly beautiful.
More than a few had considered trying to get to know her better. But clearly, that window had closed.
+25 BONUS
Ariel, at the center of all this, didn’t bat an eye. She simply turned slightly toward Chad and started talking to him, calm and collected.
As Zach watched the scene, he pressed his lips into a tight line. His gaze was clouded with confusion and complexity.
Ariel had a husband, and yet even someone like Chad still treated her with obvious care and attention. What was so great about her?
Nancy cast a cold glance in Ariel’s direction. There was a flash of disdain in her eyes.
How insecure could she be to be going around broadcasting that she was married, like she wanted people to dig and find out who her husband was?
Jayson was getting a divorce from her, yet she still went out of her way with matching watches and hints about their marriage.
It was nothing more than the desperate flailing of someone who had no real cards left to play.
Nancy didn’t even want to entertain it.
At that thought, she tilted her head and looked toward Jayson.
He sat there in his usual poised manner, clearly unaffected by any of it.
Nancy finally gave a slight smile, leaned in close, and pointed in a direction. “Jayson, shall we go talk to those CEOS over there later?”
