Dead at Heart (Ariel and Jayson) novel Chapter 689

It seemed as though Ariel and Jayson had complete faith in each other, no matter what kind of crisis they faced.

Samson fell silent, looking slightly dazed.

Beyond the shock and confusion, an inexplicable feeling stirred within him.

As he tried to suppress that strange, unsettling sense of unease, Samson finally said, "I came here today to tell you that I can help you if you ever need it."

"That won't be necessary." Ariel set down her cup. "I never said I couldn't handle the issue. There's no need for you to get involved."

Samson had rarely seen such calm composure in any woman. Even men who had weathered countless experiences might not remain as steady as Ariel did.

He stared at her, momentarily at a loss for words, as though something had struck him in the head.

Once again, he realized just how different Ariel was from anyone else.

Ariel wasn't interested in whatever Samson was thinking. She rose to her feet and looked at him. "I'm curious about one thing, Mr. Pryce. On what grounds did you start to believe I was sabotaging Jayson, or that Jayson might sacrifice me for his own sake?"

Anyone who didn't know much about her and Jayson's relationship wouldn't have drawn such conclusions.

Samson lifted his head, his eyes strangely burning with longing. "If you two were happily married, Mr. Larkin wouldn't have been with Ms. Stanton, and you wouldn't have seemed so unaffected by your miscarriage.

"I've simply analyzed the situation based on the facts. After everything that's happened, you probably wouldn't stay devoted to Mr. Larkin. As for him, since he didn't love you, he might be capable of anything."

Hearing someone else say that Jayson didn't love her only confirmed what most people believed.

Ariel pondered briefly before saying, "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Pryce. But you don't need to worry about whether Jayson would discard me just to secure a business deal. As for your feelings toward me, I believe I've made my stance clear before."

With that, Ariel gave a slight nod and left the cafe.

He must have seen her too, because he stepped out of the car.

He glanced in the direction she came from. "Are you done talking to him?"

Ariel frowned. "You saw us?"

Jayson didn't deny it. "I saw you two sitting at the table by the window on my way here. You seemed pretty engrossed in your conversation."

"Why didn't you come in?"

"Would it have been fine for me to interrupt?" Jayson leaned against his car, his eyes fixed solely on her. "Do I even have the right to meddle in your personal matters?"

He spoke as though he were already an outsider, deliberately keeping his distance—as if practicing how they would interact once they were officially divorced.