Dead at Heart (Ariel and Jayson) novel Chapter 833

Jayson couldn't bring himself to wake Ariel up. He covered her body with a thin blanket and drove at a steady pace toward their marital home.

For the past few weeks, he had been staying at Larkin Manor.

Betty and the others were against the idea of him taking Claire to the marital home and staying there. They wanted to spend more time with Claire too.

Eventually, Jayson agreed.

Interestingly, Claire had grown fond of Renee. These days, Renee had cut back on her outings and often stayed home to care for and play with Claire.

With the wedding scheduled for tomorrow, Larkin Manor was bustling with preparations.

Seeing how exhausted Ariel was, Jayson decided to take her to the marital home instead, hoping she could get a peaceful night's rest. Even when they arrived, Ariel didn't stir.

Jayson got out, walked to her side, opened the door, and gently placed her arm around his neck before lifting her into his arms.

Ariel opened her eyes briefly.

Jayson looked down at her. "It's alright. We're home now. Go back to sleep."

She nestled against his chest and closed her eyes again.

Jayson carried her upstairs.

He laid her gently on the bed, removed her shoes and thick coat, and adjusted the pillow beneath her head with careful, quiet movements.

Then, he sat on the edge of the bed, watching her sleep.

He had seen how hard she'd worked over the past several weeks. Every time they video-called, she was still writing code late into the night. Ariel had been incredibly dedicated.

If tomorrow weren't the wedding day, Jayson might have considered postponing it just to let her rest.

After a moment of reflection, he tucked her in and pulled out his phone to check a specific app.

The next morning, Ariel was awakened by the sound of her phone ringing.

Evelyn's stern voice came through. "It's almost time. The makeup team is on its way. They'll handle your hair and makeup. You need to get up now."

Ariel sat up abruptly, remembering what day it was. It was already past 7:00 am. Brides usually woke up much earlier on their wedding day to begin preparations.

She glanced at the time. "How long will it take to finish my hair and makeup?"

"About two hours, if we work quickly."

Ariel was speechless. She knew special occasion makeup took time, but finishing by 10:00 am meant they'd be late to the venue.

She turned to Jayson, who sat relaxed on the couch, still looking at his phone. "You're still on your phone? We don't have much time. What if we're late?"

Jayson raised his brows and put his phone away. "The guests can wait."

Ariel fell silent.

Could they really be this laid-back about their wedding?

Her fatigue had been building up for days. She didn't even want to think too hard anymore. Just sitting there felt draining.

As the makeup artists began their work, Ariel figured she might as well use the time to take a nap.