Liam walked over and gave Zach a once–over before smirking “Since when do you argue with women?”

Zach was momentarily stunned, then muttered in frustration, “That wasn’t an argument. You saw it. She’s completely unreasonable. She does something wrong and still acts like she’s in the right.”

Liam arched his brow. “Are you two close?”

Zach clammed up instantly.

He thought it over for a second. They weren’t really close.

But he still frowned and insisted, “That’s not the point. The point is that I caught her trying to be the other woman. I mean, she looks decent enough. Why is her sense of morality so low?”

1

“Let’s assume for a second that what you saw is even true.“Liam stopped walking and flashed him a faint smile. ” It’s not your business, is it? So why are you so worked up?”

Zach’s voice died in his throat.

And only then did the question hit him. Why was he so bothered? His brows drew in tight.

Liam gave his shoulder a pat. “Let’s go to the garden. Uncle Gary should be arriving soon.”

Zach grimaced.

Right, Gary was coming today too.

Thank God it was Liam who saw that scene earlier. If Gary had caught him arguing with a woman like that, he would have gotten a lecture for sure.

By the time Ariel arrived at the garden, dusk was falling, and the courtyard lights were flickering on one by one.

She had just stepped in when Chad slipped through the crowd and made his way to her. “The commander of the Department of Defense just arrived,”

Ariel followed his gaze.

The arrival had been discreet, but the guests‘ enthusiasm made it hard to stay low–key. People were already crowding around for handshakes and introductions.

She recognized the figure immediately. Back when she was on the U.N2 project, this official had publicly praised her work. He was a highly respected leader.

“Come on,” Chad said, gently guiding her. “Let me introduce you.”

Gary had just finished wishing Jackson a happy birthday when he spotted Chad approaching. His sharp eyes warmed with a smile. “Chad, your father didn’t make it today?”

Chad smiled politely. “You know how he is. Something urgent came up at the research institute, so he couldn’t get away. So he sent me to pay respects to Mr. Spencer Senior on his behalf.”

Jackson let out a hearty laugh. “That’s quite all right. The younger generation brings more energy anyway.”

Ariel stood quietly nearby.

Just then, Gary turned to her with a touch of surprise. “And who is this young lady?”

Chad’s smile deepened as he introduced her with a touch of formality, “This is Ariel Walker, one of Faye Tech’s key talents. Honestly, I feel outclassed.”

His words carried just far enough to reach the group standing off to the side.

Matt blinked in disbelief. “Is Mr. Hockney seriously introducing Ariel to Commander Quinton?”

And not just introducing her. He made it sound like she was indispensable.

Even Nancy frowned. She had underestimated just how protective Chad was of Ariel.

He knew she didn’t belong to their circle, yet here he was, going out of his way to pave her a golden path.

Almost instinctively, she glanced at Jayson beside her.

She noticed him gazing at Ariel and seemed lost in thought His eyes carried a hint of something unreadable. She couldn’t quite tell what he was feeling or what exactly was going through his mind.

“Jayson?” Nancy called softly.

Jayson withdrew his gaze and turned to her. “What’s wrong?”

He looked perfectly calm, as if nothing had happened. Only then did Nancy smile faintly. “Nothing.”

Meanwhile, Gary was taken aback. He knew exactly what Chad was capable of. He was one of the most promising young professionals in the field. For him to speak so highly of someone proved something.

Gary turned to Ariel. His gaze was calm on the surface but laced with a hidden sharpness. “Ms. Walker, what’s your relationship with Chad?”

Ariel thought for a second. “Friends? Colleagues?“.

Gary couldn’t help but chuckle. He found her composed, unassuming, yet confident. “Seems like you two get along quite well. What’s your role at Faye Tech, Ms. Walker?”

“I’m an engineer,” Ariel replied frankly. “I work on drone development.”