Jayson now seemed more human than he ever had before. Cecilia even wondered who had changed him.

    What started as her threat had ended up as his counterattack.

    Did he not realize how absurd his words sounded? She knew someone like him wouldn’t yield, even if striking back was no simple task.

    Cecilia watched his retreating figure, then drained the rest of her drink in one igo/i. Finally, a smile tugged

    at her lips.

    Jayson was so fiercely protective of Ariel. Even if it meant mutual destruction, he wouldn’t let anyone

    hold her back.

    Cecilia couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy for Ariel.

    But… so what? She had plenty of time to y the game with Jayson.

    Ariel had received Freya’s call, but she declined politely. Although she liked Freya, she didn’t want anything to do with Perry anymore. It was better to keep boundaries clear.

    She really did have work to do. That afternoon, she headed straight to the 719 Military Aircraft Base for a

    major meeting. The core department members kept it going until almost 9:00 pm.

    Temporary lodging was arranged on–site.

    Her body couldn’t take it anymore, so she just rested there. She hadn’t intended to go back anyway,

    especially with the possibility of running into Jayson.

    The next day, Ariel needed to visit anotherrge military base to get Gary’s signature.

    Luckily, the 719 base had a car heading that way, so they arranged for her to go along.

    Before getting in, she noticed Samson was driving.

    He looked up from his phone, caught her gaze, and smiled slightly. “I’ll drive you there. Don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not doing this for you. I have a few things to handle there too. Don’t feel pressured.”

    Since he had said that, Ariel couldn’t really argue. Turning away now would seem petty and ungracious. She nodded and got into the car. “I’m headed to Zone 3.”

    “Perfect, me too. Buckle up. I heard you had a meeting yesterday. If you’re tired, don’t worry about me. Just close your eyes for a bit. It’s fine.”

    Samson conducted himself with perfect propriety. During their conversation, he had already switched

    the music to something soothing.

    Ariel could tell he knew how to take care of people. At his age, that kind of attentiveness was rare.

    “Thanks. I’m not sleepy.”

    He nced at her and chuckled softly. “It’d be a little awkward if we don’t talk. I actually have a lot of professional questions I want to ask you. I’m curious by nature. You know, having my idol right here, staying thisposed is already pretty hard.”

    With a knack for joking, he could effortlessly ease tension and subtly lower the invisible boundaries

    between them.

    “No problem. Ask away.” Of course, Ariel wouldn’t refuse.

    If it was about work or research, she could answer every question seriously, without letting any personal

    thoughts slip in.

    Samson asionally stole nces at her profile as she spoke, silently smiled, and then seamlessly dove deeper into the conversation.

    Before she knew it, they had arrived.

    The sun was bright and ring. Ariel raised her hand to shield her eyes as she stepped out.

    Samson got out and, almost magically, opened a folding umbre for her. “You’ve got reports to write. Do your work. I’ll hold this for you so your phone screen won’t re.”

    The scene made them look like a perfect couple.

    Ariel wasn’t in a rush to start writing anyway. Just as she was about to say something, she felt a gaze

    straight ahead. She looked up.

    Jayson had just gotten out of the car. He was a little distance away, making his expression hard to read. However, she was certain he was watching her. His gaze lingered for a long moment.

    And next to him was Stanley, who had just arrived.

    Ariel was a little surprised to see him.