Chapter 444
The backlash was inevitable. By the time Sarah got home, she wasuming.
“These women are so short–sighted! They don’t even know who Jayson’s protecting, and they’re already picking sides!” she snapped.
Nancy closed her eyes, trying to stay calm. Her voice was cool when she replied, “It’s fine. I’ll talk to Jayson. Once he knows what’s going on, he’ll handle it right away.”
Sarah didn’t doubt that. Still, the whole thing left a bitter taste in her mouth.
“Ariel really takes after her mother. She pretends she doesn’t care about anything, but underneath, she’s always scheming and always trying to win. If she hadn’t pulled that stunt and brought Mrs. Larkin Senior into it, maybe you and Jayson would’ve–” “Mom.” Nancy cut her off. She wasn’t in the mood for this. “That doesn’t matter anymore. Jayson had no choice. Mrs. Larkin Senior was right there, and he had to think about Bluum Corp’s reputation. He had to acknowledge Ariel.”
With so many people around, it was impossible to keep things under wraps.
Jayson had too much to juggle, and Nancy understood the pressure he was under.
Sarah fell silent for a moment, thinking it over. “Things like this aren’t exactly a big deal in this circle. It’s just a temporary gossip. It’ll pass soon enough. What really needs to be handled is the live stream clip. Clean that up, end the speculation, and it’ll settle. We should lay low for a while.”
Frowning, Nancy glanced at her phone. “Yeah, I know.”
Jayson was still tied up in a meeting, but Nancy got another call. It was from Frederick.
She remembered the look on his face during the party and decided to answer.
Frederick asked to meet.
A distraction didn’t sound so bad to Nancy at this moment, so she agreed.
They met near the villa.
“Mr. Swanson, is there something important you need to see me about?” Nancy’s expression was composed, showing no trace of being shaken. There was still a quiet pride in her demeanor.
Frederick was relieved to see she hadn’t fallen apart. He had seen the news too and had been worried she might not be doing well.
“I just wanted to check in on you. The public doesn’t know the full story. I hope you’re not letting the comments get to you.” Frederick was worried, but deep down, he still believed in her. Nancy was strong and independent at her core. She could handle it.
Nancy could tell he was genuinely worried, but she didn’t show any vulnerability. She stayed as graceful as ever. “Thank you, Mr. Swanson.”
Frederick looked at her, hesitating for a beat, then finally spoke up. “Ms. Stanton, I just want to say that you’re a good woman. You’re smart, capable, and beautiful. You deserve better. If you stay with Mr. Larkin, you’ll only be wasting your time.”
After all, Jayson was married.
Frederick still couldn’t wrap his head around it. Why would someone like Jayson marry a woman like Ariel? She seemed suited only for housework, completely dependent on Jayson, and needed heavy PR just to get a sliver of attention
If Chad hadn’t pushed Ariel into the spotlight as a shield, would she have been able to take credit for the other engineers‘ work at Faye Technologies and claim she was the sole developer of the flight control system?
1/3
20 BONUS
Nancy, on the other hand, was flawless. She was clearly the ideal wife in every way. She didn’t deserve the criticism being thrown her way.
Of course Nancy knew Frederick cared about her. Not just him. She knew others did too. But…
“Thank you. But Jayson and I have our own arrangement.”
Frederick clenched his fists. He paused, then looked her straight in the eyes. “But he has a wife. Maybe you should give up on him. 1-1 can give you a future, and you wouldn’t have to hide.”
