Jayson just sat there, quietly watching Ariel without another word.

His eyes revealed nothing. Only a faint trace of indifference lingered beneath the surface.

Ariel had said what she came to say. She didn’t plan to stick around. Without another word, she turned and walked

out.

As she passed Nancy, she didn’t so much as glance her way. She kept her eyes straight ahead, like Nancy didn’t

exist.

Nancy frowned. She wasn’t sure what Ariel had come here for. But after a quick moment of thought, she had a

guess.

Maybe Jayson’s impulsive move at the Spencer residence gave Ariel the false hope that there was still something between them.

Nancy hated that kind of self–importance. Especially from a woman like Ariel, who still had some vague tie to

Chad.

What, had she weighed her options and decided Jayson was the better bet after all?

But Nancy didn’t let a single thought show on her face. She didn’t even ask what Ariel was doing here because she already knew it wouldn’t matter.

Instead, she walked over to the bed and, without asking, tossed the cheap convenience store breakfast Ariel brought straight into the trash.

Then she poured a glass of water and handed it to Jayson. “Here, have some water.”

Jayson kept his eyes straight ahead, paying no mind to the breakfast tossed into the trash.

Nancy raised an eyebrow, still calm. His reaction was just as she expected.

Ariel had always been a stain in Jayson’s life–unremarkable and irritating. Otherwise, how could she possibly have spent all those years with him and still lost out to Nancy, who had only been around a few months?

Ariel could never hope for the way Jayson cared for her.

Ariel had the day off.

After leaving the hospital, she headed home and got on a video call with Chad to discuss the incident at the Spencer residence and what went wrong with the drone.

In the industry, product quality varied widely. Issues could stem from the drone itself or from the operator’s handling. This kind of accident served as a wake–up call.

They ended the conversation after nearly an hour of technical and safety discussion.

By the time Ariel checked the clock, it was almost noon. She figured she would cook something.

Just as she got up, her phone rang. She glanced at the screen and noticed it was Betty calling.

Ariel stared at the name for a moment before answering. “Grandma.”

Betty’s voice came through, sounding a little tired. “Ari, are you doing okay? Yesterday must’ve shaken you up.”

Ariel gave a light smile. “I’m fine. Some risks are inevitable when control is lost.”

Betty sighed. “True, true. Thank God you weren’t hurt. There’s no way you could’ve taken that hit. Jayson’s injury alone will take at least a month to heal, and you’re way more delicate than he is.”

For once, Betty had to admit that Jayson had done the right thing. At least he made sure Ariel walked away unharmed. Even though Jackson had mentioned that Jayson meant to save another woman, this outcome was still for the best, wasn’t it?

“Ari, aside from the accident at the Spencer residence, was everything else alright?” Betty finally asked the question that had been on her mind.

She was worried the events might have left Ariel with lingering resentment.

Ariel understood Betty was worried about her and Jayson. She had probably heard something about Nancy.

“Everything was fine,” Ariel replied calmly, not offering more.

Some things couldn’t be resolved by overthinking, especially when she already knew what kind of answer Betty was hoping for.