Dead at Heart novel

Chapter 420 Ariel glanced to the side, then turned her attention back to the notebook she had prepared. Chad was surprised to see Nancy sitting there too. By the usual standards, Nancy was just considered a promising talent from a top university. Especially since she had applied on her own, there was no way she should have ended up in the second row. So... His gaze landed on Jayson, who had just taken his seat in the front row. It didn't take much guessing. With someone like Jayson pulling strings, of course Nancy could be bumped closer to the front. Chad looked at Ariel.

Luckily, she didn't seem affected by who was sitting next to her. She had her head down, focused on her notes. Nancy didn't exactly love sitting beside Ariel either, but she didn't feel awkward about it. If anyone should feel out of place, it would be Ariel, who came into the field out of nowhere. Still, Nancy had to admit Ariel was undeniably sharp in certain areas. That whole "plagiarism" scandal involving Veyo Solutions, for example. Ariel had stepped up, taken the heat with a righteous flair, and somehow turned it into an opportunity to be here. She was bold and clever.

However, the entire conference was conducted in Merinian. Ariel had no experience abroad, and with all the technical jargon, there was a good chance she wouldn't be able to fully understand it. Ariel, unaware of Nancy's assumptions, leaned toward Chad. "Jan wants to see what it looks like here. Should I snap a few pictures for her?" Chad knew Janice's temperament, so he nodded and handed his phone to Ariel. "It doesn't start for a while. Just snap a couple." Ariel took the phone and snapped a few shots of the conference hall, then sent them to Janice.

Nancy sat with her legs crossed and noticed Ariel taking photos. She frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure flashing in her eyes. What a show-off. She assumed Ariel was treating the place like some Instagrammable spot. She snapped a few photos just to flaunt she was here and boost her own status. Before long, the conference officially kicked off. It was a biennial event, and the topics had been set in advance. The first speaker was one of the most respected veterans in the field. Ariel listened carefully and jotted down key points as he spoke.

Soon, the scholars and industry leaders began an open discussion on the central theme. Both Chad and Ariel found the conversation insightful. They would occasionally lean over and exchange a quick 1/2 Chapter 420 +25 BONUS word or two. On the other hand, there were parts Nancy found genuinely flense and hard to digest. She had to keep jotting things down to go over in depth later. As she paused mid-note, she glanced over and saw Ariel looking perfectly at ease, even smiling and whispering something to Chad. Nancy's expression grew cold.

As expected, only someone who didn't understand a word could be this relaxed. Smiling in a setting this serious was unbelievable. During the intermission, Ariel rubbed her neck, but she was in good spirits. The whole experience had given her a fresh perspective. They had 15 minutes before the next session. The organizers were preparing new materials. Nancy frowned as she stared at the page of notes in front of her, deep in thought. Suddenly, her phone buzzed. She glanced at it and noticed a WhatsApp video call from Renee. "Renee?" she answered.

Renee was wide awake and buzzing with excitement. "Did it start yet? Is Steven Pollard there too?" Nancy smiled and angled her screen to show the front of the room. "Yeah, he's sitting with Jayson in the front row. I might get a chance to say hi after the session." "Nancy, you're amazing!" Renee gushed. "Didn't you have to submit a research paper to even apply? And they only take the top-tier ones. You're seriously my role model."