Semua Bab Dead at Heart: Bab 491 - Bab 500

Ariel instinctively exchanged a glance with Janice.Janice's friend had insider info saying the art exhibition started at 1:00 pm, but Cecilia was told it was at 10:00 am.Yet neither of them said a word.Ariel thought for a moment and finally asked, "How did you find out my mom has a painting in Halread University's collection?""After hearing that big news, I had someone keep tabs on Jayson's moves." Cecilia raised an eyebrow. "I have the means to dig into Sarah's past, and I discovered that she studied at Halread University back then. And on the same day, I received word that Jayson's assistant had flown there specially."No clue what they talked about, but I found out your mom has a painting in their collection. I could tell right away that the painting Nancy gave me bore traces of the one at Halread University. So I reached out to the person in charge to borrow it. I've got enough pull in this world. Others might not be able to borrow it."After a pause, Cecilia continued, "

Nancy's face darkened as she shut her eyes tight. "50 million dollars."Sarah felt like her heart was being torn apart.Her account was already running low. Just a few days ago, she had paid the rent for Cecilia's art museum and hired the best curators in the country.Every single thing cost a fortune."This is serious. It's not going to be easy to fix," Sarah admitted, her complexion turning even paler.Nancy's mind was spinning, and a roaring buzz filled her ears. "We can't tell Jayson about this. The gallery scandal is already bad enough. I don't want him dragged into it. It's too embarrassing."Even though she knew perfectly well that if she asked, Jayson wouldn't hesitate for a second to help.Just like with the media at the art exhibition, Jayson had shut it down immediately, preventing the story from spreading. He moved fast to protect her and Sarah.Nancy knew how much he cared and how hard he had always worked for her, but she needed time to sort out this situation.A

"Lie down over there. I'll do a quick check," Liam said, gesturing toward the examination bed behind him.Ariel nodded and lay down. Liam stepped closer and looked into her eyes. "Don't be nervous. You can lift your shirt up a bit."Ariel knew this was routine for a doctor's exam and didn't hesitate. She loosened the fabric over her abdomen.Liam's expression was serious as he pressed carefully on her lower belly. He was feeling around to get a sense of her condition.When he glanced at Ariel again, she had her eyes tightly shut, her lips pressed together without realizing it. It was almost as if she was trying to steel herself mentally.Liam suddenly remembered Zach's chatter about Ariel—how capable, calm, and fearless she was. He could almost picture her back then through those snippets of conversation.But now…Seeing her like this, forcing herself not to be anxious, he thought she looked just like a young woman her age.He smiled faintly, shook his head silently, then withd

After confirming the time with Edward, Ariel arranged to meet at Faye Technologies.When Edward arrived and saw Ariel, he gave her a quick once-over.The last time they had met had been at the courthouse. He could tell she had changed noticeably since then.By now, many outsiders had already heard about Ariel's work at Faye Technologies.This was her first real breakthrough in academia.Many people had heard about her one-shot rise to fame after presenting her research paper at Ashford University."Ms. Walker, it's been a long time," Edward said, stepping forward to shake her hand.Ariel stood to greet him and asked Cassidy to bring in some coffee."Good to see you again, Mr. Graham. I'm sure you've already heard about my case."Edward nodded as he sat down, then spoke matter-of-factly, "I reviewed the files from the firm when I was in Lockewin a few days ago, so I've got a general idea."As you know, Ms. Walker, intellectual property cases aren't something most lawyers want

"Ms. Stanton, I expect to see results that satisfy me," Evelyn said. She didn't bother to stay a second longer.Lately, things had already spun out of control.Since Jayson hadn't agreed to deal with Nancy and was still intent on protecting her, Evelyn had decided to make the trip herself. If Nancy refused to fall in line, Evelyn had no problem using other methods.She didn't even bother to take a sip of coffee before turning to leave. Her gaze was cold and distant.Her manner might have seemed calm on the surface, but there was a sharp edge beneath it.Nancy would have to be a fool not to realize Evelyn had other ways of handling her. For all she knew, Evelyn might even meddle in the lawsuit.In the past few weeks, Nancy had tasted a humiliation unlike any she had ever known before.She had been born into wealth and pampered since childhood.Surrounded by a refined artistic environment and gifted in talent, she was always at the top of her class. She had made it into an elite