Chapter 17 Ariel clenched her fists and replied calmly , " No one exactly enjoys stumbling upon something like that , just so you know . " She didn't feel the need to explain further . Jayson fixed an intense gaze on her , his expression unreadable . " You're just making excuses . You would've never admitted it if I hadn't caught you ! " Renee stared at her with an accusatory gaze . " How annoying . This is a guesthouse , everything's taken care of . We don't even need you here , so why did you follow me up ? " For the past three years , she often went to Jayson's place whenever she wanted to escape Evelyn's nagging on weekends or during holidays . Ariel would always look after her like a dutiful mother . Having gotten used to that dynamic , Renee instinctively thought Ariel was using the excuse of looking after her to deliberately pick fights with everyone . " What's going on ? " Wendy and Lucas also stepped out one after the other . He glanced at Ariel , who was left fending for herself , and chuckled . " Why is the mood so tense , Mr. Larkin ? " Although Renee was young , she knew how to read the room . Upon realizing that Lucas was technically Ariel's brother , she pouted but kept quiet . However , Ariel could tell that Lucas was giving them a way out to move on from this situation . Nancy didn't comment but turned to Wendy . " Let's go grab a bite . " Wendy , uninterested in the drama , left with Nancy . Lucas smiled lazily , as if he did not notice how awkward it was for Ariel . " You can handle your family matters first , Mr. Larkin . I'll go accompany my girlfriend for now . " He didn't even mind that Jayson was parading around with his mistress , choosing to stay out of it like an outsider . Renee was about to comment more when Jayson cast a brief glance over . Frightened , she immediately set off . 1 Ariel's gaze remained trained on Lucas ' back . " What are you looking at ? " Jayson's indifferent tone snapped her back into reality . She looked up and met his emotionless gaze . He said , " Let's talk . " " I wasn't spying , " Ariel calmly said . " Okay . Give me your phone . " Jayson seemed to believe her . Ariel frowned . " What for ? " Jayson briefly glanced at her before reaching out to take her phone from her hand . He tapped on the camera icon and went into her photo gallery . Ariel's face fell . Even her tone was shaky when she asked in surprise , " You suspected I was secretly taking photos of you ? " She couldn't help but wonder if Jayson was trying to insult her . He made sure there wasn't anything suspicious in the gallery before returning the phone to Ariel . He coldly looked at her and spoke in a tone that left no room for argument . " You even hired paparazzi to take photos of us in bed three years ago . Who knows what else you'd do , Mrs. Larkin ? " 1/2 Chapter 17 +25 BONUS She knew that Jayson was still bitter about what had happened three years ago . He always believed that she was the one who had shamelessly climbed into his bed while he was drunk , bringing in the paparazzi to expose that incident and pressuring him into marriage . No matter how Ariel tried to explain , it all felt futile . She had no evidence to convince him otherwise . " I'm surprised you're still concerned that your relationship with Nancy would become even more high - profile , " she said after calming down gradually . Jayson glanced at her and replied , " She's different . Her reputation would be tarnished if such photos got leaked . " It was clear that he was drawing a comparison between Ariel and Nancy . Ariel had hired paparazzi to capture their intimate moments while he would protect Nancy's reputation . Jayson had no intention of listening to her explanations . He cast a brief glance at her before turning to leave . Ariel chuckled bitterly : As she rounded the corner , she saw Lucas leaning against the wall , smoking . She wondered if he had overheard much . He looked up and asked , " Were you wronged ? " Surprised , Ariel suddenly felt as if the old Lucas was back . He flicked the ash from his cigarette and casually chatted with her for the first time since getting out of prison . " I've taken over the branch of Wendy's father's company . Lately , I've been working on a project with Jayson's company . " " So ? " Ariel suddenly asked calmly . Lucas watched her closely , finding that she had changed . She had once been soft and meek , but now she was sharp and assertive . " Don't upset him , " he replied nonchalantly . 1 2/2 Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!