Ariel caught a familiar fragrance. Shocked, she weakly lifted her head, and her gaze locked with Jayson’s eyes.

He stared at her with an expressionless face.

That look made Ariel feel utterly embarrassed, as if she had done this on purpose.

“Sorry.” She gritted her teeth to get up. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead, and the wave of pain made her body feel weak and unsteady.

“Do you need me to carry you?” Jayson’s voice was neither cold nor warm, almost detached, as if he were talking to a stranger.

Ariel noticed the shift in the way people around her were looking at her.

It was as if they thought she was deliberately putting on a show and chose the most powerful man in the room.

“Ms. Walker, Jayson’s girlfriend is right there. Are you really so helpless?” Matt scoffed loudly.

Nancy watched Ariel calmly, as if she were just observing a spectacle.

Perry, however, frowned. He felt that something wasn’t quite right with Ariel.

Just as he was about to speak, Matt suddenly exclaimed, “Nancy, did you get burned?”

The moment he spoke, Ariel felt a sharp push against her lower back. She managed to grab onto a table for support, preventing herself from falling.

Jayson had already turned to look at Nancy. Frowning, he asked, “Did you burn yourself?”

Nancy raised her arm, revealing a red spot on her skin. She glanced at Ariel and said, “It’s no big deal. I’m not that weak.”

Ariel noticed the concern on Jayson’s face, but it wasn’t directed at her. It was for Nancy.

She calmly withdrew her gaze. Gritting her teeth, she tried to hold herself up.

“Are you really not feeling well?” Perry asked, now standing in front of her with a complex expression. “Do you need me to…”

Ariel couldn’t make out his words anymore. Her vision went black, and her body collapsed downward. “Ariel!”

Several voices echoed in her ears, but she couldn’t tell who they were before slipping into unconsciousness.

Chad quickly swept her up in his arms and stormed out of the room.

The whole scene became chaotic.

Perry pulled back the hand he had almost extended to help.

Jayson’s gaze lingered on the entrance for a long moment. His sharp eyes grew darker.

Noticing his distraction, Nancy grew suspicious for a brief moment.

But soon, she understood why he was acting this way.

Ariel had thrown herself at Jayson in front of everyone. She was clearly trying to publicly claim their marital bond. No doubt Jayson was surprised by her audacity.

“What’s her game?” Matt frowned. “Nancy’s right here, and she’s just throwing herself at Jayson?”

Matt continued with disdain, “I bet she faked fainting. She just couldn’t handle the embarrassment after Jayson ignored her. Look at how Chad’s panicking now. She’s got some serious tricks up her sleeve.”

Nancy didn’t respond.

She couldn’t deny Matt’s words had some truth.

Ariel had tried to kill two birds with one stone. Jayson didn’t respond to her, but Chad definitely took the bait.

Perry, however, thought for a moment before saying, “She didn’t fake it.”

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Both Matt and Nancy turned to him. Even Jayson glanced at him.

As Perry met Jayson’s questioning gaze, his thoughts drifted back to the moment earlier when Ariel had told him, “I don’t like any of you.

A strange irritation rose within him.

“I ran into her outside about half an hour ago. Her face was already pale. She must be sick,” Perry explained. Nancy frowned.

Matt awkwardly cleared his throat, then added, “But why would she fall right into Jayson’s arms out of all the people? Perry, what’s going on with you? Why are you speaking up for Ariel?”

Perry looked at Jayson. “I’m just stating the facts.”

Aside from a subtle reaction at the beginning, Jayson showed no further emotion. There wasn’t the slightest sign of concern for Ariel.

He simply focused on Nancy. “Does the burn still hurt?”

Nancy could feel how much he cared about her. Smiling, she replied, “Not really.”

Perry frowned, and a strange feeling rose within him.

Chad rushed Ariel to the emergency room. Her temperature had spiked to 102.56 degrees Fahrenheit.

When she finally woke up, Chad was sitting beside her, working on his laptop.

“You’re awake?”

Chad set aside his work. “I had them run a blood test. The doctor said there are several abnormalities. What’s going on with your body?”

Ariel tensed for a moment. But seeing that he didn’t look alarmed, she figured the test hadn’t shown anything serious. “I’m fine. Just caught a cold.”

Looking at her pale face, Chad felt a mix of sympathy and anger. “You really gave up three years of your life for someone like that?”