Dead at Heart (Ariel and Jayson) novel Chapter 750

Shane declared, "That time was an exception. You know very well how cautious and meticulous Jayson is. But this time… we won't be seeing him for a while. I'm sure you wouldn't want to miss this perfect opportunity to bring him down, Mr. Pryce."

Confused, Samson asked, "What do you mean?"

"Jayson was involved in an incident and has been admitted to the ICU. I'll give you another piece of information—Bluum Corp is partnering with the government on a major project tied to several long-term development plans.

"Our board of directors considers this project a top priority. They won't tolerate even the slightest error. I'll use this chance to get what I want and have Jayson removed from his position. With him out of the picture, it'll be easier for you to reach your goals, won't it?"

Shane laid out the advantage they currently held.

Samson fell silent, clearly weighing Shane's words. He couldn't imagine what kind of situation would land someone as careful as Jayson in the ICU.

Then Samson asked, "What about Ariel? Was she hurt too?"

Shane was caught off guard. "How did you know? They were probably caught up in the same incident. Ariel's injured as well."

Samson went quiet again. When he finally spoke, he didn't mention Ariel. "Send me the details of your plan. Let's hope it doesn't fail again."

"Of course."

…

Ariel sat outside Jayson's ward for a long time. She realized that he wouldn't be waking up anytime soon.

Lucas had been watching her the entire time. Eventually, he took a deep breath and approached her, speaking through clenched teeth. "Have you forgotten you're injured too? You need rest and proper treatment!"

Ariel had a chronic illness, yet she was sacrificing sleep to stay by Jayson's side.

Lucas couldn't tell if he was genuinely concerned for her or just bitterly jealous of Jayson. "Does he mean that much to you? Ariel, you and I had feelings for each other first…"

Her mind was a mess. She was exhausted and in pain, but rest wasn't an option. When she returned, Lucas was gone. Her words had appeared to have shattered his pride.

She didn't care where he'd gone. Ariel sat alone in the corridor for the rest of the night.

She thought about many things. Occasionally, she glanced toward Jayson's ward. Unable to sleep, she simply waited.

She watched night-shift nurses enter the ward to check on Jayson. Their calm expressions reassured her that he was stable.

Even after sunrise, Jayson still hadn't woken. Unfortunately, Ariel's condition had worsened.

A doctor noticed how pale she looked and checked her temperature—she was running a fever. He immediately ordered a nurse to start her on a drip. Ariel had no choice but to comply.

Just as the IV was being set up, Arthur rushed into the room, visibly anxious. "Mrs. Larkin, I have bad news."