Gary and the others were caught up in policy talk, barely noticing what was happening here.

    Smiling, Jayson leaned back in his chair and responded to Samson, “It’s so nice of you, Mr. Pryce, but

    don’t worry. I’ll keep supporting our country’s aerospace projects and will do my best to provide all the

    necessary support. I won’t let my wife work too hard, so Mr. Pryce, you can focus your energy on your

    research.”

    He had a way of deflecting with precision.

    Samson knew men like Jayson all too well. He was utterly inscrutable. No ordinary person could hope to

    outmaneuver him. Otherwise, the saying in elite circles wouldn’t exist. Among peers from prominent

    families, they could only scramble behind Jayson for the tiniest scraps.

    Samson shrugged and raised his ss toward Jayson. “I will, Mr. Larkin. You have my word.”

    The two men kept their expressions neutral, giving away no hint of tension.

    Across the table, Elsie had been watching closely. She couldn’t shake the sense that Samson’s eyes

    carried a hint of ambition toward Ariel. That thought made the dishes in front of her suddenly hard to

    enjoy.

    Meanwhile, Ariel didn’t care to join the conversation. Her attention shifted when she heard Gary mention

    some of the technical barriers the aerospace field was currently facing.

    That referred to the material and production techniques for the material monopolized abroad. Some

    dominant countries had long imposed strict restrictions on their use here in Croinia.

    These were problems that had gued her five years ago, and clearly, they hadn’t been solved since.

    Oveing them remained one of her aspirations.

    “Mr. Quinton, it’s really you.” A tall figure appeared at the door.

    Cecilia stepped in on high heels, smiling brightly when she saw Ariel. “What a coincidence!” 1

    She had met some of the people in the room beforeb, /bso she went around with handshakes and greetings.” Long time no see, Mr. Knight.”

    “Mr. Quinton, this ce is actually run by a friend of mine. I only just found out you were here. Hope I’m not disturbing you.” Cecilia was considerate in the position of ia /ijunior.

    Gary didn’t mind. “It’s fine. You can join us.”

    Cecilia moved to Jayson’s side and extended her hand. “Mr. Larkin.” 1

    Jayson tilted his head to look at her but didn’t shake her hand. He just said calmly, “Oh, pleaseb, /bMs. Pryce. We know each other. No need for formalities.”

    Cecilia’s expression didn’t falter. Instead, she smiled subtly and withdrew her hand. “Ah, so you

    remember me.”

    After saying that, she walked over to Samson and gestured for him to make room. Samson didn’t argue and slid over to the seat next to his original spot.

    Once seated next to Ariel, Cecilia said apologetically, “I forgot to mention that I’ve known Mr. Larkin for quite some time.”

    Ariel looked at her. “Oh, really?”

    “We were ssmates.” Cecilia squinted as she reminisced about those years. “Mr. Larkin and I both graduated from Merrick Institute of Technology. He was already a star then. He finished a dual PhD in Finance and Economics at 23. I was still plodding through my undergrad in Arts.” (3

    Ariel knew that Jayson had always been several steps ahead of everyone else.

    As for Cecilia…

    Ariel did some quick mental math. It seemed like Cecilia and Jayson had known each other for quite a long time, even before Ariel entered the picture.

    Cecilia propped her chin on her hand and raised an eyebrow at Jayson. “I thought you might not remember me, which is why I never mentioned it.”

    Jayson sipped his tea,posed as ever. “Well, we weren’t close. It just came back to me now.” (3

    His words…

    Cecilia’s eyes flickered for a moment.

    Ariel was a little surprised at Jayson’s response.

    She knew him well. Saying something like that was actually him showing very little courtesy. Others might not have noticed, and it might even have sounded polite to them, but Ariel knew better.

    She found it strange.

    But Cecilia didn’t seem to mind. She shrugged casually. “Mr. Larkin, you do have a sense of humor. Then again, I suppose your eyes are only on your wife.” 1

    She smiled warmly at Ariel, with a hint of teasing in her expression. “You don’t mind that I didn’t mention this to you, right? Mr. Larkin hasn’t told you either?”

    Ariel smiled faintly. b“/bIt’s not important anyway. Doesn’t matter.”