Hearing this, Holden grew desperate.
âPlease, just listen to me for a moment,â he pleaded urgently, wishing to rush forward and explain everything, to embrace her.
But Sadie clung to him with all her strength, stopping him.
Her eyes blazed with pure hatred as she glared at Ariana, as though she wanted nothing more than to tear the woman apart.
âWhy are you still alive, Ariana? Now that your dear husband is gone, youâve come to snatch another womanâs man?â Sadie sneered venomously, skewering Ariana with her gaze.
Then, her expression twisted into a sinister smile.
âWell, isnât this just perfect karma? You deserve to be abandoned, crushed into the dust, and never allowed to rise again! Youâre cursed, but you relentlessly haunt us.
Why didnât that car accident five years ago take your life, too? What gave you the right to keep living?â Sadie said.
âItâs your fault that your daughterâs gone!â Sadie spat venom, eyes blazing with fury.
Ariana had brushed off Sadieâs insults until the mention of her deceased daughter pierced her like a dagger.
Her bloodshot eyes turned towards Sadie, pinning Sadie with a gaze that could pierce steel!
Sadie recoiled from Arianaâs searing glare but refused to back down.
She met Arianaâs eyes defiantly, sneering.
âAm I wrong? The whole Anderson family perished, and youâre the only survivor.
Are you a harbinger of doom or what?â
Ariana continued her silent stare for a moment before cutting through the tension.
âWho are you exactly?â she asked Sadie.
Sadie hesitated, panic flashing across her face before she composed herself.
She was confident Ariana couldnât know her true identity.
But Ariana persisted, demanding, âI asked you, who are you? What do you know about me?â
The public only knew her as a black widow but was oblivious to the fact that she had lost a child.
Annoyed, Sadie crudely replied with a frown, âEverything about you is plastered online.
Of course, I knew that!â
âImpossible!â Ariana stated flatly, her gaze unwavering.
âOnly my closest confidants know I lost a daughter.
Who the hell are you? Why do you know that?â
As she spoke, Ariana moved toward Sadie, her bloodied hands reaching out as if to grab her.
Sadie let out a panicked shriek and shoved Ariana away.
Ariana, weakened from the recent car crash, stumbled backward, the bleeding wound on her head colliding cruelly with a nearby pillar.
âAriana!â Judy cried out, rushing forward, but Holden acted faster.
He broke free from Sadieâs grip and held Arianaâs body in his arms, his face etched with worry.
Without a second thought, he dashed toward the exit.
In her dazed state, Ariana gazed hazily at Holdenâs face.
She weakly lifted a hand to touch his cheek, her voice hoarse as she asked, âWho are you⦠Theodore or Holden?â
Holden felt a pang in his heart.
Without hesitation, he softly replied, âIâm both Theodore and Holden