บททั้งหมดของ Dead at Heart: บทที่ 671 - บทที่ 680

Ariel's gaze flickered. She never expected Isaac's treatment of Leonard to somehow involve Jayson.Isaac finally remembered everything. "Ms. Walker, back when you were waiting for Mr. Walker's surgery, I remember thinking Mr. Larkin looked familiar. I'm not great with faces, so it took me a while. I was swamped with work overseas and barely had time to come back. Mr. Larkin must've coordinated with the hospital over a month or two to make that happen."And the hospital had offered him a hefty bonus, plus pay 40% higher than what he earned abroad. That was a big part of why he came back.Janice looked confused. "Wait, I thought Dr. Spencer introduced you to Ariel."She didn't see how Jayson fit into this.Isaac smiled. "I got assigned to the hospital where Mr. Walker was being treated, and since I specialize in oncology, it was only natural I'd end up handling his case. Even without Liam's introduction, there would have been a public onboarding ceremony at the hospital. Ms. Walker

Samson was holding a file, clearly on his way to the data center.The moment he saw Ariel, he heaved a sigh of relief and quickened his pace toward her. Frowning, he stared at her. "You've been gone eight days. They said you took leave. Did something happen?"His sharp features were shadowed with concern as he studied her.Ariel met his gaze, while her thoughts stirred beneath the surface."I had a miscarriage, so I took some time to recover." This time, she kept nothing back and dropped the bombshell news.Painful as the truth was, she didn't flinch as she said it. She just looked at Samson openly.His gaze flickered. Surprise hit first, then stiffness, before his expression settled into something solemn. "How could that happen? What caused it?"He pressed his lips together. "Actually, I had already heard from Cecilia that you were pregnant. You know it wasn't easy for me to accept, so I could only pretend I didn't know. But what you're going through…"Ariel's eyes were clear,

The group moved in step with Jayson. No one made a special effort to greet Ariel.Ariel wasn't surprised. This felt like exactly how things should be right now.Since Jayson had left the hospital, she hadn't seen him at all.Eric hadn't noticed anything unusual. "Mr. Larkin's probably busy. He was abroad for a while and just returned today."Ariel nodded. That explained his absence.But even if he hadn't left Croinia, they still wouldn't have crossed paths. After what happened with the baby, there was no chance of any emotional connection between them anymore.She remembered what Jayson had said at the hospital—that he would wait until her work at the 719 base was done to cooperate with her. She understood exactly what that meant.He was hurt. He assumed she had gone through with the abortion before he returned. He despised her for not wanting his child. So it was over.It made sense that he would think that way.They wouldn't have any further ties in the future.Ariel didn't

Ariel lowered her gaze and looked at Jayson's hand holding her wrist. His expression remained calm. When he spoke to Shane, there was even a faint curve of a smile on his lips, yet it revealed nothing of his thoughts.Shane chuckled and tilted his head toward Ariel behind Jayson. "See? Jayson's still so protective of you. We haven't been back in years, so it's normal that Ari isn't very close to us."Betty chimed in, "True. You all went abroad about a year after Ari and Jayson's wedding. It's been nearly three years since she last saw you."The Larkin family's businesses spanned multiple countries, with various ongoing investments, all managed regionally."I was so surprised when I called you about Ari," Jayda said, then playfully glared at Ariel. "Ari, how did you never let anything slip before? You're incredible at keeping secrets."Before Betty went to take her supplements, she proudly added, "Ari's not an arrogant person. It was the government's demand. It wasn't like she want

Shane had been the first in the Larkin family to truly realize just how much Jayson valued Ariel."Now that you're back, what's your plan?" Jayson asked as if nothing had ever happened. His tone was calm and unreadable.Sometimes, Shane hated that about him. He was always so composed, but every move of his was ruthless."Why? Nervous about me coming back?" Shane chuckled, throwing the question out as a joke.Jayson's gaze slid lazily his way. "I'm glad that you don't hold a grudge. Back then, it was a real blow to your pride. Now that you're back, people will still gossip. You'll probably feel uneasy for a while."The words might as well have slapped a "loser" label across Shane's face.Shane's smile didn't waver, but he knew the truth. He had lost badly, and plenty of people had enjoyed watching the spectacle. Despite being a year older, he had still ended up shoved overseas."How could I? We're family in the end. Family doesn't hold grudges," Shane answered smoothly.Jayson d