In the afternoon, Chad called. “Earlier today, my old man pretended to show concern about the progress of the projects under Faye Tech. He’s actually just curious about the topic you’re interested in after making a comeback. Well, you should compile your data and send it to him. He surely can’t refrain from himself after reading them.”

It was a good opportunity to break the ice. Ariel could now show Carlos her level of expertise, so he could forgive

her.

She was nervous, of course. She had been about to take the test to enroll for a graduate degree under Carlos. But alas, to save Lucas, she was sent off to the Larkin family as part of the deal and had her dream cut short.

Without hesitation, she emailed her proposal to Carlos.

It was almost 8:00 pm when she finally received his call. Her fingers curled into a fist as she answered it.

There was silence on the other end of the receiver.

Some time later, she heard a snort. Carlos snapped, “Have you lost your ability to speak now? What are you, a coward?”

Knowing that she was at fault, she mumbled, “No…”

“Enough. I’ve looked through Faye Tech’s projects. Using that as your first post–comeback project isn’t too shabby. However, talents in this field are easily replaceable. If you want to gain a foothold in this industry, you’d better not slack off.”

If Ariel hadn’t been held back for three years, she would’ve long since achieved greater heights.

Geniuses were a dime a dozen, but true prodigies were rare.

Carlos had always held high expectations for Ariel.

Back then, he had reserved a spot for her in the graduate program for many years. However, she devoted herself to her marriage and never returned.

Ariel took a deep breath. “I will do my best.”

She didn’t know when her life would end and when she would finally succumb to her illness. All she could do was make the most of her remaining time.

Carlos fell silent again. Then, he sighed. “How have you been?”

Ariel knew he was asking about her marriage. She was too embarrassed to talk about it, and silence ensued.

Carlos suddenly snorted. “Lost your speech again? That man called Jayson Larkin did all he could to meet me, vouching for that young woman. Why is he doing that?”

He knew Jayson was Ariel’s husband. Chad had already told him about it. He had an inkling about why Jayson had introduced Nancy to him.

Ariel’s lips pressed into a thin line. She said, “You probably know the answer already.”

She knew Chad wouldn’t tell Carlos about her problems, but Jayson had been overt about his favoritism toward Nancy. How could Carlos not notice it?

She was feeling ashamed. She’d given up on herself because of the circumstances, yet that was what she got in

return.

It was foolish and unworthy.

This time, Carlos didn’t reprimand her. How could he not notice she was embarrassed?

Peeved and feeling sorry for her, he said, “If that’s the case, focus on improving yourself. A man’s love is worth less than nothing. There’s no need to feel sorry about losing it! You shouldn’t lose in your expertise, though!”

Ariel slowly exhaled. Meekly, she answered, “I understand.”

Carlos had a quirky personality. He was really bad–tempered, and it was difficult to appease him when he got mad. After that, he ended the call right away, not giving Ariel a chance to gain his favor.

However, Ariel felt more at ease after the interaction. It also gave her more motivation and a clearer sense of

purpose.

If she had the opportunity, she would still be willing to join the graduate program under Carlos‘ mentorship.

But for now, there was something more important on her mind. She had a plan laid out for Elena’s third death anniversary.

Katie and Leonard still hadn’t learned about her divorce, and now, there wasn’t a suitable time for her to inform them. So, on the day of the ceremony, Jayson would have to keep up the act as her husband.

And for that, she had to talk to Jayson.

She pondered over it. She thought she should just call him, but remembering the time when Nancy answered his phone, she eventually called Betty instead.