Chapter 51
Ariel had no interest in Jayson and Nancy’s sweet routines, but even if she’d given up on him after three years of marriage, she couldn’t act indifferent however she wanted to.
What cut deepest was witnessing Jayson doing with Nancy all the things she’d once longed for but never had.
A mocking smile tugged at Ariel’s lips. Then, a dull ache tugged in her chest, and her abdomen, which had been quiet for days, began to throb.
Setting her phone down, she hunched over the table, one hand pressed against her stomach. A faint tremor ran through her slender body and the sharp lines of her shoulder blades.
After a few minutes, she staggered to her bag and fished out a bottle of painkillers. By then, she was drenched in cold sweat from the pain.
Too drained to keep working, she typed a reply to Chad, “Who knows, you might be on the guest list for their wedding.”
Chad replied, “I’d rather watch a circus and see monkeys perform.”
But Ariel just popped another pill and curled up in bed to sleep.
As the year drew to a close, Ariel officially became the third–largest shareholder in Faye Technologies and earned a substantial dividend.
She’d recently joined the company, and her team’s project was still in the planning stage. To her, the dividends felt unearned.
Chad said, “When your U.N2 launched, everyone thought it was my research. That title helped Faye Tech land numerous partnerships, and you’re the main reason for Faye Tech’s current success.”
Ariel no longer resisted the offer.
As the New Year approached, Janice announced a full–day company break to celebrate together.
As the life of the party, she planned a trip for the entire team to one of Eldoria’s most luxurious resorts, which offered a comprehensive gateway with every form of entertainment imaginable.
Ariel hadn’t planned on going. Her energy couldn’t keep up with others these days, but Janice relentlessly talked her into it, and she eventually agreed.
Instead of joining the others for hiking, she chose to stay in the hotel of the resort and work on drone data.
She picked a quiet café and sat there for two hours straight.
On the way back from the hot springs, Freya spotted her by surprise and dashed over. “Ms. Walker, you’re here too!
Ariel looked up. “Yeah, for a team–building event.”
Freya plopped down beside her and beamed. “I was just thinking about asking you out for dinner. Now that we’ve
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met, can we have dinner together tonight?”
Ariel thought about it and said, “Some of my colleagues might join too. Is that okay?”
Grinning, Freya nodded. “Of course! The more, the merrier!”
As she spoke, she glanced at Ariel’s laptop screen, and her jaw dropped in awe. “Is that a structural blueprint for a drone?”
The screen showed the base schematic they’d been working on over the past few meetings, covering highly technical data. Freya couldn’t understand anything, but she could tell it was next–level professional.
“Do you like drones?” Ariel asked.
Freya sheepishly scratched her head. “I play with consumer ones, but though I like them, I don’t know much.” Ariel smiled. “What kind of stuff are you curious about? We can talk about it.”
Admiration brimmed in Freya’s eyes. She could tell that Ariel’s calm offer meant she was willing to teach her.
Ariel didn’t find it a burden at all. Since Freya was just plain curious, she made sure to explain the concepts in easy -to–understand terms.
More than once, Freya found herself staring at Ariel’s sharp yet graceful profile. She was quickly drawn to Ariel, who felt distant at first glance but was quietly warm and tolerant up close.
The slow and steady way she spoke was incredibly captivating.
Before they knew it, over an hour had passed.
Perry arrived and was welcomed with the harmonious scene.
He froze in his tracks as his gaze lingered on Ariel’s face, which wore a faint smile as she spoke to Freya.
It was only now that it hit him. Why hadn’t he noticed that Ariel was stunning?
