With a heavy sigh, Ariana let go of Adeleâs hand, whispering softly, âGo.
Your momâs waiting.
â
Adele glanced towards Sadie and took tentative steps towards her, murmuring, âMommy.
â
Ariana and Shawn watched with unease, worried Sadie might act harshly towards Adele.
But to their surprise, Sadie knelt down, ran her fingers gently over Adeleâs hair, and apologized, âMy dear, I missed your birthday yesterday.
Iâm really sorry.
â
While speaking, Sadie pulled out a beautifully crafted gemstone hairpin from her jacket and said, âThis was your birthday gift.
Happy birthday, my love.
â
She placed the hairpin in Adeleâs hand and ki*sed her on the forehead.
Seeing that Sadie didnât do anything out of the ordinary and appeared to be a loving mother, Shawn breathed a sigh of relief.
Witnessing the mother-daughter bond, Ariana felt an unexplainable tug at her heart.
A heavy sensation lingered, suggesting something was off with Sadie, though Ariana couldnât pinpoint what it was.
With Sadie embracing Adele, Ariana pushed those thoughts aside.
She sighed inwardly.
She believed that as long as Sadie treated Adele well, she didnât care about why Sadie had changed.
With mixed feelings swirling within her, Ariana saw no reason to stay any longer.
She turned to leave.
But just as she was about to step away, Sadieâs voice stopped her.
âAriana,â Sadie called out.
Arianaâs brows drew together in confusion.
Then, Sadieâs plea caught her off guard.
âCanât you just let me be?â
âs
Turning back with a look of surprise, Ariana couldnât help but ask, âWhat are you talking about? When have I ever made things hard for you? Havenât you been the one causing me trouble?â
Tears streamed down Sadieâs face as she faced Ariana, admitting, âI know Iâve been harsh to you before.
Iâm sorry for that.
Truly, I am.
â
Sadieâs tearful eyes and her plea for understanding made her Look like she was the victim of all their past conflicts.
Through her tears, she begged, âPlease, just leave Holden.
â
Arianaâs expression tightened, but before she could respond, Sadie continued, âIâm willing to forget everything that happened between us.
I can move past it.
But Adele and the baby Iâm carrying need their father.
â
Continuing to cry, Sadie said, âYou can hate me all you want.
Do whatever you wish to me for what happened before.
But Iâm begging you.
For the childrenâs sake, leave Holden and spare me.
â
As Ariana listened, her displeasure grew.
Sadieâs words seemed to accuse her of being a homewrecker.
She wanted to argue back but found herself at a loss for words.
With a cold glance at the tearful Sadie and the innocent Adele, Ariana chose to remain silent, turning around to leave.
Shawn, caught in the awkwardness of the moment, didnât know whether to follow Ariana or not.
If he did, Sadie and Adele would be left behind alone.