ayson stared at Ariel for about two seconds before averting his gaze. Then, he turned his head and went up the stage with Nancy.

Ariel was no longer looking in the direction of the stage. She picked up her glass and drank her juice.

On the second floor, Zach and Liam had not missed a single moment of what transpired earlier.

Zach leaned back against the couch and chuckled. “How amusing! That lady, Ariel Walker, doesn’t seem to know her place. Earlier, she competed with Ms. Stanton for the ring during the auction. Then, she tried to compete with her for the chance to perform on stage.

“I can literally see her eagerness to prove that she’s much better than all the other ladies!”

He suddenly recalled the time at the art exhibition when Frederick had told him the gossip about Ariel’s husband. Back then, Nancy had even helped Ariel by stopping them from speaking about that gossip.

At the very least, Nancy was not someone who was so obsessed with proving she was more superior to others. She had even put aside her personal feelings and helped preserve Ariel’s dignity.

Ariel could never compare to Nancy in that regard.

Liam’s brows lifted. He lowered his gaze until it eventually landed on Ariel.

Zach leaned toward him. “I think… Ariel won’t give up on Mr. Larkin just yet.”

Liam had a pensive look on his face. “It’s a little too soon to say that.”

Zach glanced at him, looking confused. However, Liam wasn’t planning on explaining anything further.

Actually, just as Jayson and Nancy were going up to the stage, Ariel had turned away slightly to drink her juice. During that brief moment, Liam happened to catch a fleeting expression on Ariel’s face that no one else had noticed.

It was a look of scorn and indifference.

Ariel clearly did not care about any of this.

…

Ariel was able to maintain her composure because she had spent several years training her heart to be strong enough to handle any stress. Meanwhile, even as a bystander, Janice could not help seething with anger.

She glowered at the lovely pair on the stage while feeling extremely sad and sorry for Ariel.

Janice wondered if Jayson had ever actually seen Ariel as his wife. Was it really necessary for him to publicly express his affection for another woman and completely neglect Ariel?

“If it weren’t because we had to look for Fergus, I would have left this place right away! Who on earth would want to watch those two perform a piece together!” Janice downed a glass of iced soda.

Still, it did not help ease the anger boiling in her. Janice could not even begin to imagine how Ariel had managed to pull through during their three years of marriage.

Ariel shook her head. “As long as we can find Fergus, nothing else matters.”

Janice slowly nodded. “Fine. Jayson is pretty good at playing the piano, though it was as expected of someone who received the relevant training and education in preparation to be his family’s successor. People like him have often mastered various skills and talents.”

Ariel made no comments about it. It was because she had not expected to see this side of Jayson either.

Ariel had spent three years trying to get to know him better, but still could not. On the other hand, it only took Nancy a few months to get Jayson to open up to her.

It was clear how guarded Jayson was around Ariel, especially when it came to matters of his personal life and feelings.

Jayson and Nancy’s performance ended. The guests broke into rapturous applause.

This time, Jayson stood up and held his hand out toward Nancy.

Nancy beamed and placed her hand on top of his. She got up as well and bowed slightly, looking absolutely graceful and elegant. She seemed even more radiant and alluring standing next to the handsome and stoic Jayson.

What happened next was extremely predictable. The organizer decided that they would build five schools in Jayson’s and Nancy’s names.

Ariel felt nothing. Her heart had gotten so immune to these occurrences that it no longer ached.

The event went on.

The host walked up to the stage with a smile on his face. “Actually, tonight’s charity event isn’t just held to collect donations for children living in poor, remote areas. The Johnstone Group also has some good news to share with us!”

Ariel finally turned her eyes to the stage. She could see Wendy holding Lucas‘ hand as they went up to the stage together.

Wendy was glowing with joy and happiness. She clung to Lucas‘ arm. Her gaze drifted across the hall. “Lucas and I are getting engaged today!”