Zayden hadnât anticipated Holden turning the tables using the hidden microphone.
With incriminating photos stacked against him, any explanation would certainly turn out futile.
Zayden made an effort to remain calm.
He secretly wished he had never gotten close to Sadie.
It was this woman that he blamed for luring him in!
Struggling to keep his cool, he said, âMaybe thereâs a misunderstanding? Canât we talk this out.
The photosâ¦â
âEnough! I donât want to hear any excuses,â Holden interrupted, uninterested in Zaydenâs justifications.
His priority was wrapping things up swiftly to find Ariana.
Without waiting for Zaydenâs retort, Holden tossed a tiny vial at him.
âNo way this is a mix-up, Zayden,â he said.
âRemember? This medication was cooked up by a pharmaceutical under my label.
It makes people gullible with prolonged use.
â
Sadie widened her eyes in shock, shooting Zayden an irate glare.
âWhat? Thatâs not what you told me when you gave it to me!â
Zaydenâs face darkened instantly, cursing inwardly at Sadieâs foolishness.
With a stern expression, he snapped, âZip it!â
Meanwhile, Holden remained composed.
Looking at them, he said calmly, âWeâre all part of the Fredrick family, and I am not looking for trouble.
I can grant your wish.
You two can be together from now on.
â
Having said that, Holden paid no mind to Zaydenâs escalating displeasure.
Instead, he directed his attention to Sadie.
Before Holden could speak, Sadie, terrified, shook her head, stepping back.
âNo, Holden, you canât do this.
Iâm Adeleâs mother, for heavenâs sake! Forgive me.
I did it under duress.
Youâre the o
nly one I love.
He was just a balm for my loneliness.
Please, Holden, I canât lose you!â
Holden let out a cold chuckle.
âAt this juncture, you still call yourself Adeleâs mother?â
This statement stiffened Sadieâs body.
Before she could respond, Holden casually added, âItâs because youâre Adeleâs mother that youâre breathing right now, until today to be precise!â
Realizing Holdenâs leniency was solely for Adeleâs sake, Sadie panicked, finding herself speechless for a moment.
Holden was about to mention the media-invited wedding between Sadie and Zayden.
But at that moment, the door swung open unexpectedly.
Holdenâs gaze darted toward the entrance, and he saw Ariana with a bleeding forehead standing there.
Beside her stood the middle-aged woman who had previously greeted him as âYoung Masterâ at the hospital.
Ariana stared blankly at the figure in the room resembling Theodore.
Tears streamed down her face, mixing with the blood.
Drop by drop, they fell to the floor.
Holden, taken aback by Arianaâs sudden appearance, was about to speak when the middle-aged woman urged, âMadam, we must go to the hospital now!â