Jayson came up the stairs, stopping just behind Ariel. His gaze swept over Renee, quiet but laced with warning.
Renee shrank back and instinctively hid behind Evelyn.
Evelyn understood why Jayson had said that.
Renee’s words had been out of line, especially in a public setting. With so many people around, if anyone overheard, their love triangle would be exposed.
That would ruin everyone’s reputation.
“Go find your grandma,” Evelyn told Renee with a pointed look.
Renee bit her lip and glared at Ariel before storming off.
Ariel noticed Jayson behind her and instinctively shifted slightly to the side to put space between them.
Evelyn gave her a complicated look. “Even though Betty arranged today’s event for you, to the public, this is just a normal party. No one here knows your identity. If you’re grateful for what Betty’s done, then be careful what you say. Don’t expose yourself and drag us into unnecessary trouble.”
The rumors swirling about Jayson and Nancy were still hot.
If Ariel revealed herself as Jayson’s wife now, it might not damage the family outright, but it would become instant tabloid fodder.
Not to mention, the Stanton family’s tech business was still in its infancy and not yet qualified to be tied to the Larkins by marriage.
It was best to keep things under wraps for now.
“Wasn’t it your family who threw this party? Why are you lecturing me?” Ariel’s expression didn’t change. She knew exactly what Evelyn was plotting.
Evelyn frowned instantly at those words.
Jayson looked over at Ariel, then turned to Evelyn before saying flatly, “When has Ari ever put us in a difficult position? If you want to talk about ‘unnecessary trouble,‘ that’s a conversation you should be having with me.”
Evelyn’s face tightened at that. She was rendered speechless.
She glanced at Ariel again but said nothing. Without another word, she turned and walked off to mingle with the guests.
When people asked what the party was for, they all got the same vague answer–the younger ones reached a milestone.
No one probed further.
Ariel didn’t even glance at Jayson. She just walked past him toward Betty. She wanted to let her know she had. arrived to put her at ease.
She didn’t want Betty fussing unnecessarily.
Jayson’s reprimand of Renee wasn’t about standing up for her. He was merely trying to prevent her from blurting
out the truth about Nancy.
What he feared most was someone overhearing and realizing Nancy had been involved as the third party. Deep
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Chapter 369
down, he was still protecting her.
Jayson didn’t mind Ariel’s cold attitude.
+25 BONUS
There was always a distance between them. They never stood too close, careful not to give anyone a reason to suspect anything.
When Matt and Perry showed up, Matt clapped Jayson on the shoulder and said quietly, “Ariel’s really something, huh? Your grandma’s treating her like royalty. How are you going to explain this to Nancy?”
Surely Jayson wouldn’t let Nancy be upset, right?
Jayson lifted his glass and took a sniff of the wine. He didn’t answer.
Perry watched Ariel’s figure as she walked away. He felt somewhat shaken. Her excellence always caught him off guard.
From where Betty stood, she could see Jayson and Ariel walking one behind the other, keeping a good 20 feet apart like strangers. She let out a quiet sigh.
The truth was, she did have her own agenda. She didn’t mean what she had said to Ariel earlier. Deep down, she had hoped today would be the perfect chance to make their marriage public. That was why she had deliberately sent Jayson to pick Ariel up.
It would serve as a warning to certain people.
But apparently, neither of them was willing to play along. They had even arrived separately.
The event itself was relaxed in tone. Betty had intentionally avoided anything too formal to create a space where guests could mingle freely, catch up, or even talk business.
She looked in Betty’s direction and saw a constant flow of guests.
After a moment of thought, she decided not to go over. It was enough that Betty saw she had shown up.
She was genuinely grateful that Betty had gone out of her way to organize such an event for her. But she could only accept that gesture quietly.
After all, she and Jayson were no longer married. This was simply her way of not letting Betty’s efforts go unacknowledged.
