After a moment of contemplation, she gently cupped Holdenâs face in her hands and uttered solemnly, âNo, youâre not Holden.
Youâre my Theodore.
â
Holden, caught in this web of confusion, couldnât help but let out a resigned sigh.
He found himself in a tight spot, compelled to play along.
He conceded, âAlright, alright, Iâm Theodore.
â
At this juncture, Ariana scrutinized him once more and reached out to caress his face, her eyes misty from alcohol but still shining.
Perplexed, she probed, âIf youâre Holden, whereâs your mask?â
âWhat?â Holden was completely at sea, not comprehending the enigmatic reference to a mask.
Ariana embraced him, drawing nearer.
Her alcohol-blurred eyes had a watery luminescence to them, rendering her strangely captivating.
She tugged at Holdenâs visage, her curiosity unwavering.
She asked, âWhereâs your mask? Where have you hidden it?â
Confronted with her persistent curiosity, Holden sighed and grabbed a random piece of paper, poking eyeholes and playfully donning it.
He quipped, âHere, my mask.
â
He thought this would appease Ariana, but to his surprise, she pouted and muttered something while shooting him an accusatory glare.
Holden didnât quite catch her words, so he removed the paper mask and regarded her patiently, gently inquiring, âPardon? What did you say?â
Ariana huffed and turned her head away, grumbling loudly, âYouâre Holden.
I wonât play your game!â
Holden was taken aback, a sense of disquiet gnawing at him.
He nervously asked, his lips tightly pursed, âWhy not?â
âBecause Holden is nothing but a wolf in sheepâs clothing!â Ariana asserted with unwavering conviction.
Holden retorted, âThen Iâm certainly not Holden.
â He made a quick decision and added, âIâm just your online friend.
â
Even though Ariana continued to ignore him, Holden gently tugged at her sleeve and pressed on, asking, âWhy did you block me?â
Ariana turned to fix him with a gaze that could freeze fire and replied, âBecause youâre Holden!â
Hearing this, Holdenâs heart sank.
He had a vague inkling that Ariana could have uncovered something significant; otherwise, she wouldnât have abruptly cut ties with him online.
Holden wanted to delve deeper into the matter but decided to begin with a direct question, âHow did you know that?â
âI donât possess that knowledge,â Ariana mumbled in a drowsy manner, evading a straightforward response.
Despite Holdenâs several attempts to extract more information, Ariana remained evasive.
Eventually, she simply ignored him and found a comfortable haven in her seat, drifting off into slumber.
Faced with her somnolent state, Holden had no choice but to secure her in her seat with a seatbelt and take her home.
Reaching the villaâs entrance, Holden propped Ariana up with one hand and pressed the doorbell with the other.
However, after two futile attempts, he became puzzled.
Was Melon not home?
He pressed the doorbell twice more, confirming that there was no response from inside.
Turning to Ariana, he questioned, âIs there no one at home? Whatâs the door code?â
Ariana mumbled a sequence of numbers.
Holden was on the verge of entering the code as per her instructions when he suddenly froze, realizing that the numbers she gave him corresponded to his birthdate.
Was it a mere coincidence? Or.
.
Holden cast a skeptical glance at the drowsy Ariana in his arms and couldnât help but wonder if she was playing a cunning prank on him while under the influence.