Chapter 419
The flower sat quietly on the table.
Chad and Nancy didn’t look over at Jayson and Nancy at the nearby table either.
On their end, Jayson wrapped up an overseas work call, left a tip, and got to his feet.
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Nancy had to head back to organize some of the academic conference materials, so she walked out with him, holding that flower.”
When they passed by the table Ariel and Chad had just vacated, Jayson caught sight of the flower still sitting exactly where it had been left.
He glanced at it briefly, then looked away and kept walking
Nancy noticed it too and barely reacted.
To her, Ariel’s gesture felt more like a last–ditch effort to hang on to some shred of pride. It was pointless.
Back in the hotel room, Ariel and Chad joined a video call with Janice back in their home country.
It was the middle of the night there, but Janice was a night owl and didn’t seem to mind. In fact, she was in high spirits and asked Ariel to bring back some handbags and clothes for her.
Ariel hadn’t fully adjusted to the time zone yet. When she woke up the next morning, she had a mild headache.
The conference would start at 10:00 am.
She wore a safe and elegant choice–a fitted off–white trench coat. The designated hotel wasn’t far from the venue, and with a private shuttle, it only took about 15 minutes to get there.
On the way, Chad filled her in on the nature of this international academic conference.
It was a gathering of top academic minds from around the world, leading figures in the field, representatives from industry–driving companies, and standout talents from prestigious global universities.
The former were invited directly by the organizers, while even the brightest students from top schools had to apply on their own.
There was a lot to gain from this trip. Being able to exchange ideas with the best of the best was an opportunity in itself.
Chad and Ariel entered the venue with their official invitations.
The conference hall was massive, big enough to hold over a thousand people. Seating had already been arranged by the organizers.
As soon as they stepped in, Chad got recognized. A number of people came over to say hello.
Chad’s international reputation was beyond question, but people were far more intrigued by Ariel, the woman by his side who had never appeared publicly before.
Chad introduced her with a smile. “This is Ariel Walker, Faye Tech’s chief engineer. She’s the one behind the flight control system you’ve all heard about.”
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Upon hearing that, the technical crowd from around the world looked at her in shock.
She was so young.
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Ariel held her own with ease in situations like this, speaking confidently and engaging with them with poise.
Not long after, someone from the organizers went out to greet a new arrival.
Ariel turned around just in time to see Jayson and Nancy walk in through the side door.
Jayson spotted Ariel and Chad as well. He gave them a slight nod and kept moving with Nancy in tow.
It looked like he was one of the specially invited attendees, as he had staff leading him personally. Even just standing next to him, Nancy’s presence seemed elevated. She wore a polite smile the whole way through.
It was clear that a lot of people were interested in who she was.
Jayson led her up to a few industry heavyweights who were often seen on international news.
Since he was the one making the introductions, they genuinely took the time to get to know Nancy.
She gave Jayson a warm glance, then turned and introduced herself in fluent Merinian.
Chad and Ariel moved toward the front rows and couldn’t help catching everything going on with Jayson and Nancy.
Chad leaned toward Ariel and muttered, “Nancy really has been trained up. Without Jayson, she probably wouldn’t have made it into this conference hall even ten years from now.”
For someone like Nancy, getting to be here and rubbing shoulders with international leaders was nothing short of a leap in social class.
Ariel’s and Chad’s seats were in the second row.
The front row was reserved for seasoned veterans who had made their mark in the field, along with representatives from major companies across the globe. Some of them were on the same level as Carlos.
After Ariel took her seat, someone sat down beside her.
She turned to look. It was Nancy.
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