Chapter 425
Steven had someone escort Ariel and Chad to their table. Jayson and Nancy stayed back a bit longer to chat with the groom.
Chad handed Ariel a glass of juice. “You two never had a wedding, did you?”
Ariel wrapped her hands around the cold glass. “No.”
She and Jayson had married under pressure. He had dealt with the press swiftly and ruthlessly, keeping her identity out of the spotlight.
Their marriage had never seen the light of day. For three whole years, she had been Mrs. Larkin in name only. She was practically invisible.
It was only under Betty’s insistence that they had quietly registered the marriage.
Jayson never brought up a formal ceremony.
Of course, she understood how Jayson must have felt at the time. Given how everything began, not wanting to celebrate it with a wedding was perfectly reasonable.
But in Chad’s eyes, the one who had suffered the most through it all was Ariel. In the end, she bore everything alone—the blame, the hurt–and it was only her strength that carried her through.
“He really believes you didn’t set him up?” Chad asked.
He knew bits and pieces about what had happened with Ariel. Janice wasn’t great at keeping things from him and had mentioned it once in passing.
Ariel shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
Words meant nothing after what happened, especially with Morgan being behind it all. Whether she was innocent or not, she still had to take responsibility.
Chad couldn’t help but feel frustrated on Ariel’s behalf. She had gone through too much.
Just then, Jayson and Nancy joined their table. Guests were starting to arrive in droves.
That ended the conversation.
Whatever Nancy and Jayson had just been talking about, she now wore a sweet, unmistakable smile.
Chad couldn’t help but wonder if Jayson had just promised her something significant.
The outdoor garden wedding had a great atmosphere, filled with laughter and joy. It felt more open and relaxed compared to weddings back in Eldoria.
Even Ariel found herself swept up in the mood. Watching the bride’s beaming smile, she felt as if she could share in that happiness too.
Then came the bouquet toss.
Not wanting to spoil the fun, Ariel joined the others in the open space. As she was being pulled along by the excited crowd, her phone buzzed. It was Noah calling.
She knew Noah. He only ever called for urgent technical issues, so Ariel answered.
Sure enough, there was a tricky problem he needed help with.
Chapter 425
+25 BONUS
Ariel was quietly thinking things through as she tried to slip out of the crowd. Suddenly, someone tugged her back, pulling her right into the middle of the group again.
As she listened to Noah’s question, she quickly focused and gave him a calm response.
Then, all of a sudden, cheers erupted ahead of her. She felt something flying toward her. Reflexively, while still on the phone, she reached up with her left hand to catch it.
At that exact moment, another hand reached out and collided with hers.
When Ariel caught the bouquet, a broad palm brushed against hers, then instinctively closed around it.
Ariel finally snapped out of her daze. She turned and saw Jayson right beside her.
His expression hadn’t changed much, but in the next moment, he lowered his eyes and looked at her.
Their hands ended up clasped together. Both of them had caught the bouquet.
Cheers erupted all around them. The guests, unaware of the undercurrents, started chanting playfully, “That’s fate! Are you two a couple? Come on, show us a hug!”
“Hug!”
“Hug!”
Ariel, still on the phone and momentarily lost in thought, snapped back to awareness. Frowning, she tried to pull her hand away the very next second.
Just then, a particularly enthusiastic guest decided to “create a little romance” and gave her a playful shove from behind.
Ariel stumbled and fell straight into Jayson’s arms.
Jayson’s eyes sharpened. As he looked up to see who had pushed her, his arm had already moved, catching her firmly.
This scene made Nancy’s cheerful expression vanish in an instant. Her gaze toward Ariel turned cold.
How could a woman be so shameless? Was Ariel that desperate to throw herself into Jayson’s arms?
Chapter 426
