Zach had watched the whole thing unfold–from when Ariel opened Jayson’s car door to when Nancy, the actual girlfriend, showed up.

He couldn’t help but shake his head with a chuckle. Why did he always end up catching these entertaining little dramas?

No wonder Ariel had given Jayson that look earlier. It turned out she had another idea brewing. And now, just as she tried to get in his car, the actual girlfriend came and put her back in her place.

“What’s so funny?” a low male voice asked from the phone.

Zach flicked the ash from his cigarette. “Just saw a juicy little scene unfold. I’m telling you, too much romantic luck can be a pain. Some women really have no end of tricks when they’re trying to get a man’s attention.”

The voice on the other end was calm and cutting. “Since when did you get so gossipy?”

Zach choked. “Only you would say that to me. I’m just enjoying the show.”

He stubbed out the cigarette and changed the subject. “Liam, when are you coming back? Are you going to make it back for the federal holiday?”

“We’ll see,” came the unhurried reply.

Zach clicked his tongue. “Dr. Spencer, don’t let your talents go to waste overseas. It’d be better to bring those skills back home and help the millions of patients here.”

“Fair point.”

Zach let out a laugh, tossed in a teasing curse, then hung up and hopped into his car.

It was past 4:00 pm by the time the tech zone tour wrapped up.

Ariel chatted with Tony about Faye Technologies‘ end–of–year project. Tony was moved to the point of misty eyes.

“This project fills a major gap in the domestic market. Ariel, you don’t make a move unless it’s something big, huh? Once it’s up and running, taking Faye Tech public will just be a matter of time.”

Chad agreed.

If Ariel hadn’t taken time off years ago for marriage and had stayed with them, Faye Technologies might already be a global name. Even if she wasn’t at Faye Technologies, she’d surely be working alongside Carlos on the national aerospace engineering project.

But thankfully, Ariel was still young. It wasn’t too late.

Ariel merely gave a quiet smile. She didn’t like forecasting the future. She just wanted to focus on the present. Results would speak for themselves.

The follow–up plan for Carlos‘ team was still being worked out, so Ariel hadn’t made it her main focus.

Faye Technologies was about to launch the new project. There was more than enough to keep her busy.

That afternoon, she got a call from Leonard’s attending physician, Ewan Burton, and headed to the hospital.

Ewan didn’t sugarcoat the truth. “Mr. Walker’s condition isn’t improving. There are signs of metastasis, and we haven’t found a suitable liver donor yet. If we stick with conservative treatment, he may only have two years left.” Ariel felt her stomach drop. Her lips went pale. “Is there no other option?”

Ewan hesitated. “There is. But…”

“But what?” Ariel’s voice caught with a flicker of hope.

“There’s a renowned oncology expert returning from overseas around the holiday. If we can coordinate a joint consultation, it might lead to a new treatment approach. But I’m not sure exactly when he’s coming back. You’d have to wait.”

Ariel understood what he meant.

A joint effort between experts would be ideal, but the one thing she couldn’t afford to waste was time.

Leonard’s body was a ticking time bomb, and truthfully, so was hers.

As Ariel stepped out of the consultation room, her thoughts surged like a tide. She walked through the lobby, her mind racing with ways to solve the current crisis.

Too caught up to notice anything around her, she didn’t even realize when she brushed past someone.

The other person stopped abruptly and turned to stare at her fading figure.