Jayson calmly withdrew his hand and glanced at Betty. “Happy now?”

Betty was reassured, but she still told the household staff to bring Jayson a bowl of concoction. “Take this supplement. It’s good for you.”

Seeing that she insisted, Jayson decided to go along with her. He didn’t even ask what it was for as he downed the entire bowl.

Betty smiled, pleased. She then turned toward Ariel, who was deep in thought. “Ari? Come here. Let Mr. Ward examine you.”

.”

Jayson leisurely turned to look at her too.

Ariel clenched her fists. She felt a lump in her throat. “I…”

She couldn’t let Albert examine her.

A skilled alternative doctor could definitely identify any health conditions that one had. Albert had been looking after Betty for the past few years. He was one of the best alternative doctors in the country. He could certainly identify Ariel’s condition.

“What’s wrong, Ari?” Betty stepped closer to her.

Ariel’s lips were drained of color. “Grandma, I’m feeling fine. There’s really no need for the trouble.”

“You’ve lost so much weight. I’ve always thought that you aren’t taking good care of yourself. It’s fine. Just let Mr. Ward examine you. There’s no harm in getting him to prescribe you supplements.” Betty tugged Ariel toward Albert.

Ariel’s palms were sweaty. She was truly caught in a dilemma. If they found out about her cancer, she couldn’t even bring herself to imagine how chaotic the situation would be.

She couldn’t help but turn toward Jayson, who was acting as though this all had nothing to do with him. He met her gaze but seemed impassive.

It wasn’t until Ariel was already standing before Albert, panicking while she tried to figure out a way out, that she felt someone grab her wrist. Jayson pulled her toward him, and she bumped against his muscular torso.

Taken aback, Ariel looked up at him. He remained expressionless as he coldly said, “Grandma, we’re still young and in perfect health. You can stop worrying about us. We know what we’re doing.”

11

He then pulled Ariel along with him as he went upstairs. Surprised, Betty watched them leave.

Albert smiled as he stroked his beard. He said meaningfully, “If things go well, they’ll hit the mark tonight itself.”

Returning to her senses, Betty grinned. “That would be for the best!”

Ariel’s heart was still pounding when she came upstairs. The suffocating sensation she felt just now was slowly easing. She looked toward Jayson in confusion, who’d let her go after entering the room and sat in front of his computer.

Was he… Was he helping her? But why? He didn’t know about her condition at all.

Even if Albert had failed to diagnose her endometrial cancer, he would’ve still been able to identify that her uterus had been injured before, and it wouldn’t be easy for her to bear a child. It would be tough to explain how she got that injury.

Sensing her gaze on him, Jayson looked at her. “If Grandma pulls something like this again, you can outright decline her if you’re unwilling.”

Ariel pressed her lips into a thin line. Then, she murmured, “Thanks.”

He looked at her, saying without a hint of emotion, “I’m just trying to avoid unnecessary trouble.”

Upon hearing that, Ariel finally understood his intentions.

He wasn’t helping her because he wanted to. He merely wanted to avoid being nagged by Betty into having a child quickly. It troubled him.

The woman he wanted to be the mother of his children wasn’t her.

He wasn’t worried that she would be embarrassed. Instead, he was protecting Nancy’s exclusive rights as his girlfriend.

Jayson appeared to be chatting with someone else and had no time to entertain her. Ariel chose to keep silent.

She knew Betty would certainly be keeping an eye on them tonight to see if their relationship would improve. Not wanting to make a fuss, she took her shower and got into bed, taking up only a corner of the king–sized bed.

Casting a glance at Jayson, who hadn’t moved from his seat at all, she said, “Make yourself comfortable.”

There was a pause before she heard him respond with a low hum. His voice was raspy. Not giving it much thought, Ariel slept soundly.

When she woke up the next morning, Jayson wasn’t in the room. The other half of the bed was untouched. He clearly hadn’t slept on it.

She didn’t linger on that thought and got up to freshen up.

When she went downstairs, Betty was already waiting. She immediately walked up to Ariel when she saw her, looking her up and down. “Why are you up so early? Where is Jayson? Is he still sleeping?”