Adele showed no resistance as Sonia bathed her, quietly following the bedtime routine.
As Sonia gently bathed her, she noticed a small red mark between Adeleâs shoulder blades.
She worried that their play might have caused an injury.
She softly prodded the spot and asked, âDoes this hurt?â
Adele, captivated by her rubber duck, didnât reply.
Sonia closely examined the mark and, finding no reaction, concluded it was likely a normal birthmark.
Relieved, she left it alone and finished Adeleâs bath.
After their baths, the two children eagerly joined the adults for playtime on the bed.
The games were uncomplicated, but Ariana and Sonia played with great excitement, bringing joy to Melon and occasionally making Adele smile.
She appeared pleased.
Following the bedtime stories and lullabies, Sonia tucked the drowsy children into bed.
However, Ariana lay awake for a while, staring at the ceiling as troubling thoughts kept her from sleeping.
What link could Holden have to that online wealthy friend? Could they be the same person? She mulled over the clues but couldnât quite piece them together.
Restless in bed, Ariana was hit by a thought.
The video platform she used might be able to trace IP addresses.
Ariana instantly logged in to check the IP address of the account that had rewarded her.
As expected, the address was listed at the bottom of the homepage.
It was in Eleymond.
This discovery, along with recent events, led Ariana to believe that the online wealthy friend was indeed Holden.
Still, she knew she needed to find a way to confirm it further.
Ariana set her phone aside, but her mind kept on racing.
She couldnât understand why Holdenâs voice now resembled Theodoreâs, even though it was entirely different just five years ago.
Could he have secretly undergone vocal surgery? Ariana thought the idea was unlikely but couldnât come up with a more plausible explanation.
Despite her best efforts, the puzzle remained unsolved.
With a deep sigh, she wondered if it was all just a series of coincidences.
Then, the eerie apparition she had seen earlier that day returned to haunt her thoughts.
Was it real, or simply a creation of her imagination?
Shawn showed up in the afternoon to fetch Adele.
Thanks to Arianaâs pep talk, Adele went along without a fuss instead of clinging to her friend.
Adele and Melon exchanged their farewells, the latter a bit downhearted about watching his buddy leave.
Off to the side, Ariana and Shawn chatted about setting up therapy sessions.
âConsidering how Adeleâs feeling, I think once a week is plenty,â
Ariana said.
Shawn gave her a nod.
âYou just tell me when, and Iâll get everything sorted.
â
Once theyâd hammered out the details, Shawn departed with Adele.
As they went on their way, Ariana dove straight back into plans for the upcoming talent show.
Sonia chimed in with a playful tone, âSlow down! Youâre working too hard!â