Ariel froze.

“Ari?” She repeated inwardly.

Jayson had called her by that name before but only on very few occasions.

It made Ariel frown when he addressed her with the nickname that only those close to her were allowed to the Even Nancy had pursed her lips.

Even though she didn’t like Jayson calling Ariel by that name, the good thing was that his voice was devoid of warmth and emotion. It just sounded cold and business–like.

Nancy reckoned Jayson had probably made a slip because he was used to using that name previously.

She hoped Ariel wouldn’t be getting any strange ideas now. After all, Jayson had already divorced her.

As for these terms regarding how their workload would be assigned, Nancy had all the reasons to believe that Ariel might have persuaded Chad to give his approval for the contract just to get back at her.

Nancy was convinced there was no way someone who was so vengeful and narrow–minded, even when handling such an important project, could amount to anything.

Jayson had no objections. Moreover, Nancy was aware that all of their efforts would go to waste if they were to back out of the collaboration now.

They would end up getting used by Faye Technologies and even lose their title as one of the partners working on this project.

After thinking about it deeply, Nancy signed the contract even though she was seething inside.

She saw no need to maintain a friendly relationship between Veyo Solutions and Faye Technologies after what happened during this collaboration.

With a frigid expression, Nancy got up first and headed for the door.

Jayson smiled faintly. He stood up and said expressionlessly, “I’ll see you around.”

Ariel kept her gaze lowered and said nothing.

Chad was in a rather cheery mood. “Sure. See you next time, Mr. Larkin.”

Jayson’s gaze fell on Ariel briefly. Then, he turned around and left.

Once Jayson and Nancy exited the coffee shop, Chad burst into laughter.

“She was thinking of splitting the workload evenly and sharing our technologies. How naive! They’re a new company that’s still working on and figuring out the best way for them to work together as a team.

“So what if they have Jayson’s backing and the most advanced tools and infrastructure? We’re already being generous enough by letting them be a part of the project.” Chad shook his head.

It was all thanks to Ariel’s foresight. She had never intended for Veyo Solutions to take advantage of their team from the start.

Given how much Veyo Solutions needed this opportunity, they were likely to agree to the terms that placed Faye Technologies in the lead role for the project.

However, Nancy probably hadn’t expected that Faye Technologies would be so “unethical” and only allow them to

participate in the development of basic tools and technologies.

Ariel had a pensive look on her face.

“It’s very likely Jayson has checked the agreement that we sent to the Veyo Solutions team previously. With how well I know him, he’s probably already seen through our intentions. However, he didn’t request to meet up and revise the agreement.”

Ariel grew more certain of it after seeing how Jayson didn’t look angry or surprised at all just now.

“You’re saying that he predicted this?” Chad’s brows arched. “Still, Jayson agreed to it? What is he really up to?”

He couldn’t help but wonder what Jayson was thinking to have walked right into the trap they had set up for Veyo Solutions when he already knew it was a trap.

Ariel’s brow furrowed in contemplation.

Since it was decided that Faye Technologies would be leading the project, Ariel couldn’t be bothered to find out what Jayson’s plans really were.

It was big news for those in their industry that Faye Technologies would be leading the project launched by the Department of Defense.

Over the next few days, they received numerous calls from various groups and companies expressing interest in collaborating with Faye Technologies on their subsequent projects.

Chad became a lot busier, whereas Ariel remained unaffected.

As she mapped out the project plan, Ariel simultaneously delved into the potential uses of renewable energy.

At the same time, they had officially launched the product that they had worked together with Nexura Solutions to

create.

Since they had finally concluded an important phase, the two companies decided to throw a party to celebrate. The location was set at a resort villa, which offered various recreation and entertainment facilities.

When she arrived at the destination on Friday night, Ariel realized she had visited this resort villa before. It was one of the establishments owned by Houston Group.

Ariel obtained the access card and went to her room to drop off her belongings. A while later, someone knocked on the door.

Ariel felt slightly confused. She put down the clothes she was holding and headed toward the door.