Ariel hadn’t expected Betty to be in the loop already. Puzzled, she asked, “Did Jayson agree to this?”
“Of course he did. I suggested it. He wouldn’t dare say no, Betty replied.
Ariel frowned and stayed quiet for a moment.
She hadn’t expected such a high–profile event. And what was even more surprising was that Jayson actually agreed to it.
Wasn’t he worried this might blow up and expose their past?
“Grandma, you really don’t have to do this. It’s not that big a deal.” Ariel rubbed her temples, already trying to come up with a polite way to decline.
“Oh, I’m more than happy to do this. I already paid 100 thousand dollars for the deposit. I booked the weekend too, so it won’t mess with your schedule. I’ll let you know the details when the time comes.”
Betty knew Ariel well. Without giving her time to refuse, she ended the call swiftly.
Ariel was rendered speechless.
She put down her phone, still struggling to process it all.
How did this even reach Betty’s ears? And why the grand celebration?
What Ariel really wanted to know was, why hadn’t Jayson done anything to stop Betty?
Then again, judging by Betty’s excitement, she probably wouldn’t listen to anyone right now.
After thinking it through, Ariel knew there wasn’t much she could do.
If Jayson hadn’t raised any objections, it meant he was confident the party wouldn’t cause any issues.
News that Ariel had outscored Nancy by nearly 40 points had already made its way to Sarah.
Word spread almost immediately after the results were released.
Ariel from Faye Technologies had set a new record for the highest score ever in the aerospace engineering
program.
Nancy hadn’t shared the details with Sarah.
The latter grew too restless to wait. She took a leave from the hospital and showed up at Veyo Solutions.
Everyone knew she was Nancy’s mother, so they respectfully brought her upstairs.
Nancy saw her and instantly knew why she had come. Her head had been pounding for two days straight, and she still looked pale. “Mom, you’re not in good health. You shouldn’t be running around like this.”
Sarah frowned, clearly in no mood for sympathy.
“What’s going on with Ariel? How the hell did she score higher than you? Did she sleep with Chad and get the questions before the exam?” Sarah asked, her breath uneven with anger.
Nancy frowned and responded calmly. “No way. That would be a serious violation. Even if Chad wanted to help her, his father would never allow it.”
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Chapter 366
+25 BONUS
Sarah scoffed. “You’re too naive.”
Nancy didn’t respond. She had gone through dozens of possibilities in her head, trying to figure out how Ariel could have scored so high. But none of them really held up
“Mom, please don’t make claims unless you’re certain. Saying Mr. Hockney favored me last time has already put me in an awkward position.”
Nancy wasn’t in a good mood. “And as for what you just said, save it for behind closed doors. I don’t want anyone else hearing it.”
Sarah huffed, still bitter. “Who knew Ariel was hiding a trick up her sleeve? She’s so scheming!”
In her eyes, Ariel was far too cunning for her age.
Nancy took a deep breath.
Just as she was about to say something, her assistant, Robin Reynolds, knocked gently on the door. “Ms. Stanton, someone just dropped off an invitation for you.”
“Bring it here,” Nancy said.
“What kind of invitation?” Sarah asked. She was no stranger to the social scene.
As Robin handed over the invitation, his expression was somewhat odd.
Puzzled, he said, “They said it’s from Mrs. Larkin Senior. She’s inviting you to attend a celebration party for her granddaughter–in–law.”
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