As he recalled how she had repeatedly mistaken him for Theodore, Holdenâs expression turned sour with resentment, almost a hint of jealousy towards this man.
But then he paused and scolded himself for feeling jealous of a man who was no longer alive.
Still, his curiosity lingered.
An idea crossed his mind, and he reached into a drawer, retrieving a bracelet he had stumbled upon years ago at the hospital.
Comparing the pendant and the bracelet, he was taken aback to discover that the engraved initials on them were exactly the same.
Holden held both objects in his palm, still somewhat amazed at how strangely they matched.
Many years ago, acting upon Devinâs advice, Holden had left the bracelet at the lost and found desk in the hospital, hoping its owner would reclaim it.
Surprisingly, even after his own discharge three months later, the bracelet hadnât been claimed.
Just as Holden was about to leave the hospital, he saw a nurse about to discard the bracelet into the trash, alongside other unclaimed items that had been laying around for over three months.
âs
Driven by an inexplicable urge, Holden saved the bracelet from its imminent disposal.
He discreetly tucked it away and had kept it safe all these years.
As Holden looked at the two objects resting in his hand, he recalled that Arianaâs husband had tragically lost his life in a car accident five years earlier.
Though reluctant to accept such a coincidence, Holden couldnât help but wonder if Arianaâs late husband had been involved in the very same fateful incident.
After contemplating for a while, Holden carefully stowed away the bracelet, planning to broach the subject with Ariana at the appropriate time.
If his conjecture were correct, it seemed likely that this special bracelet had once belonged to her late husband.
If that were the case, then Holden felt he should return it to its rightful owner.
Ariana woke up the next morning, feeling rejuvenated and renewed.
The TV showâs producers had decided to delay the recording for a day following the traumatic events of their kidnapping and Rollingrock Mediaâs abrupt withdrawal from the competition.
With this unexpected break, Ariana took the chance to send her son, Melon, off to a summer camp she had previously enrolled him in.
As he prepared to leave, Melon gave his mother some careful instructions.
He stood with his hands on his hips, imitating a grown-upâs authority.
âYou must eat properly while Iâm away and not skip meals because youâre busy,â he advised.
âAnd be careful not to get your wounded arm wet, or itâll hurt a Lot.
When I come back, Iâll examine you closely and weigh you on the scale to make sure you havenât lost a lot of weight.
â
Seeing her son take on such a serious demeanor as the little man of the house moved Ariana deeply.
âRight, right, Iâll allow you to examine me thoroughly when you get back, my dear,â Ariana reassured and squatted down to ruffle Melonâs silky hair affectionately.
With arms wide open, Melon embraced her tightly and promised, âIâll be well-behaved at summer camp, so you must take good care of yourself, Mommy.
â
âI will, my darling.
â Ariana planted a ki*s on his chubby cheek and sent him off to board the waiting camp bus.
She watched as Melon boarded the bus with his little backpack, feeling her heart grow heavier with each step he took away from her.
Melon kept turning to eagerly wave through the bus window until a cheerful.
camp counselor directed him to his seat.
He pressed his small face against the glass, offering a final goodbye to Ariana.
With a brave smile, Ariana waved back until the bus rumbled down the street and vanished from sight.
Only then did she get into her car, determined to check on preparations for the upcoming show rehearsals.
The third episode was scheduled to be filmed live the next day in the evening, with a full rehearsal set for this afternoon.
She needed to make sure everything went as planned.
Upon arriving at the studio, she saw it was Tomâs turn to rehearse on stage.
Ariana observed from below and was confident that Tom wouldnât encounter any issues.