Dead at Heart (Ariel and Jayson) novel Chapter 782

The call was from a department head at the military base.

"Ariel, there's an urgent business trip. It's important, and we need our best senior engineer to lead the team. You'd be flying out tomorrow. Can you make it?"

Ariel slapped away the hand tracing her earlobe.

Jayson seemed obsessed with everything about her. When she pushed him away, he only grew more dissatisfied. He wrapped an arm around her neck to pull her even closer.

"Business trip? Where to? What exactly will I be doing?" Ariel asked.

She had no other choice but to press an elbow to his shoulder to keep some distance.

"To Bellador. We've got a strategic partnership with them, but their tech setup's been giving us a lot of trouble. The higher-ups want you to go as our lead engineer to handle some of the technical issues and work closely with their team on-site," the department head replied.

When Ariel heard the name of the country, she knew it had always maintained close ties with Croinia. The two had frequent exchanges.

Now that she had reached this position, she understood how critical diplomacy could be.

Orders like this were never random; they were part of key strategic moves.

"How long?" she asked, already guessing it wouldn't be a short trip.

"Two months."

Jayson was close enough to catch every word. He lifted his gaze a little.

Ariel hesitated. "And I have to leave tomorrow?"

"Yes. It's urgent. A few other teams will join you, along with an elite flight squad. This ties into our upcoming partnership with Faye Tech, too. You can also assign someone to accompany you on the trip."

Ariel pressed her lips together, thinking for a moment. Since everything had already been arranged, she agreed. "Alright, I'll get ready."

"Thanks, Ariel. Things are a bit unstable there, but don't worry. We'll ensure your safety."

"Understood."

Once the call ended, Jayson looked at her. "A business trip?"

Ariel understood that once she was part of the government's team, she would have to carry a lot of responsibility.

She would just have to find a way to make it work.

No one was more torn than she was. Even knowing her baby was alive, she still had to put off seeing her.

Then, she checked the time. "I'm going to pack. Do whatever you want."

Jayson didn't move from his spot.

Ariel hurried off to the guest room to grab her things—charger, laptop, and a few essentials.

She would need to swing by her apartment to properly pack up. Most of her belongings were there.

When she stepped inside and unplugged her charger, the door behind her opened.

Turning around, she saw Jayson standing there.

She stuffed the charger into her bag. "What are you doing here?"