Dead at Heart (Ariel and Jayson) novel Chapter 720

Cecilia had been famous in the circle since graduating. She was outstanding. Was Jayson blind?

"You'd better lay low around Jayson for a while. You think he's someone you can push around?" Samson came downstairs, pulled a box of pills from a drawer, and tossed it to Cecilia.

Cecilia sneered. "What surprises me is that Ariel went through with the abortion quietly, and Jayson covered for her, hiding it from the Larkins. Otherwise, how could she have stayed so comfortably in their ranks?"

That was what really set her off.

Her art exhibition overseas was just around the corner, and thanks to everything with Jayson, she had been in such a bad state she could hardly paint. That alone was enough to leave her fuming.

She scratched at her neck in frustration and shot Samson a look. "What about you? Don't tell me you've gotten too caught up in the act. Jayson teamed up with her and ruined your plans. What are you going to do about it?"

Samson paused. As he recalled how Ariel had defended Jayson before, his expression went cold. "I'm not like you. I can't stand someone whose heart belongs to someone else."

…

Jayson received the report on Cecilia's movements just as he pulled up outside Katie's gate. After confirming the details, he pocketed his phone and went in.

Katie was worried about Ariel and insisted she shouldn't live alone anymore.

A maid opened the door for him. After he stepped inside, she told him Katie was in the backyard and Ariel was upstairs. Jayson nodded in thanks and headed up.

Ariel had just showered and blow-dried her hair.

When her phone rang, she glanced at the screen. It was an unfamiliar number.

Out of work habit, she usually answered even unknown calls.

She was about to apply hair oil, so she put the call on speaker. "Hello, who's this?"

"It's Dad." Morgan's voice sounded hurried. "Ari, do you have a minute?"

"No." Ariel intended to hang up. She didn't want anything to do with Morgan.

Her breathing quickened. The emotional surge made her feel queasy and weak.

Jayson arrived just in time to hear the call. His gaze went cold.

He pushed the door open, and sure enough, saw Ariel looking pale and furious. Her emotions were visibly shaken.

Her body was fragile now. Any sudden shock could be dangerous. Every stress was a trigger to her illness.

Jayson's gaze was menacing as he strode toward Ariel when Morgan spoke again. "You don't want that, right? It's not a huge amount anyway. Why make this so hard?"

It was her own father saying such things, after all. Ariel's eyes glimmered with a tide of barely restrained scorn.

When the room fell quiet, footsteps behind her made her turn.

She watched as Jayson came up to her. He lifted her chin with one hand, bent down, and pressed his lips on hers before she could react.