Ariel looked up at Chad’s word.

There was a burst of applause as a tall and poised man strode in.

Upon recognizing Carlos, Ariel immediately straightened up. Her palms were slightly sweaty as an indescribable sense of anxiety crept into her.

Carlos had really come.

When he walked past her, he tilted his head slightly, casting her a glance. Then, he averted his gaze in frustration and ignored her.

A rueful expression crossed Ariel’s face. She understood how Carlos must be feeling.

As Carlos took his seat, Ariel glanced his way and realized he was actually seated beside Jayson.

Nancy was elegantly shaking hands with him as she introduced herself.

Ariel was slightly surprised.

The other guests were whispering among themselves.

“To think Mr. Carlos is actually here! Weren’t there rumors circulating, saying that he wasn’t showing up?”

“That’s true, but then…” started someone else. Lowering his voice, he continued, “I heard Mr. Larkin contributed 200 million dollars to the research engineering team in exchange for Mr. Carlos to make a brief appearance.”

“Now I understand. Mr. Larkin’s girlfriend works in the same field. It’s natural that she’d want to get to know the person who holds the highest authority in the national research engineering team.”

“Ms. Stanton is truly blessed–Mr. Larkin is simply generous toward his girlfriend! He doesn’t even bat an eyelid when splashing out such a great sum for her. As far as I know, he’s never been so nice to any other woman publicly

Π

Murmurs of admiration arose among the crowd.

Ariel heard everything they said. Lowering her gaze, she fell deep in thought. It turned out that Jayson spent 200 million dollars for Nancy’s sake, and that was how he got Carlos to attend the function.

She abruptly recalled that Katie had once managed a high–end vintage–styled hotel. Due to poor management over the years, she was faced with financial issues. Back then, Jayson had never once offered her financial support.

Two years ago, Katie could no longer keep the hotel afloat and decided to sell it.

Even though Ariel no longer cared, such a stark contrast in the treatment she and Nancy received brought a self- deprecating smile to her lips.

The convention went on until 7:00 pm, and then they were to attend the reception.

Chad couldn’t wait any longer. He instantly pulled Ariel to her feet. “Let’s meet that stubborn old man.”

Ariel held her breath unknowingly. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t the teeniest bit nervous.

As they approached Carlos, she stopped in her tracks.

Chad had already walked over to Carlos. Since they were in public, he behaved appropriately and didn’t call

out ” Dad“. “Mr. Carlos, could you spare us some time for a chat?”

With his hands behind his back, Carlos swept his gaze across Ariel. He snorted. “Who in this hall wouldn’t want to have a chat with me? I have so many people to entertain tonight. Do you think I have too much time to spare?”

He then strode off.

Ariel saw that coming.

Carlos regarded talented people highly and was willing to support them. Back then, he had held high expectations for her, but she gave up the opportunity to pursue her graduate degree under Carlos‘ mentorship and got married instead. Along with various other reasons, she had inevitably let him down.

If she couldn’t meet his expectations after returning to the field, he might not see her at all.

Though that made her feel downcast, it motivated her even more. Ariel quickly gathered herself.

Chad returned to her side, sighing. “Stubborn old man. It’s alright. I’ll try to talk to him. He’s just mad that you gave up obtaining your graduate degree and that slot he’d eagerly reserved for you.”

Ariel was ridden with guilt. “It’s fine. Let’s take it slow. I’m not attending the reception. I’d like to go back and have a rest.”

She had a cold yesterday, so she was feeling weary today.

Chad didn’t force her to stay. “Sure. You can keep that coat.”

Ariel was uninterested in the reception, after which the business negotiations would start. She wasn’t keen on that. Chad could handle it alone.

After returning to the hotel, she took a shower. Then, she started going through all the key ideas she had come across recently.

She wanted Carlos to acknowledge her too.

She wanted him to know she had never stopped learning throughout those three years.

Being in a good mood after meeting Carlos, she took a photo of the night view outside and posted it on her social media.

Soon, Betty video called her. “Ari, why didn’t you tell me you were going on a trip to Halread with Jayson?”