After wrestling with his thoughts, he faced Sadie, inquiring, âMiss Pierre, how did your medical check-up go?â
Sadie responded with a cold laugh, taunting, âAriana had already left, and you still didnât chase after her? You donât even know how to be a loyal dog for Holden.
Arenât you worried about Holden holding you accountable?â
Stung by Sadieâs cutting words, even Shawn, known for his patience, found himself irked.
Without a word, he turned and hurried after Ariana.
Shawn made quite the effort but finally managed to catch up to Ariana.
He poured his heart into convincing her, and at last, she agreed to let him drive her home.
During the ride, Ariana was deep in thought, her mood a mix of many emotions.
She didnât show much on her face, maintaining a calm expression.
Looking through the car window, the world outside blurred by, but Sadieâs earlier accusations played on repeat in Arianaâs mind, striking her as absurd.
Who was really the homewrecker in all of this? Ariana had known Theodore before Sadie did.
She was his wife, and Theodore was none other than Holden himself.
But Sadie? She had merely taken advantage of his memory loss.
Moreover, Ariana couldnât shake off the suspicion that Sadie had always been after her, aware of her history with Theodore.
Sadie was the one who had the audacity to use her circumstances and her child to claim moral superiority and slander her.
Ariana couldnât help but scoff, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.
The entire scenario appeared ridiculous to her.
Shawn kept stealing glances at Ariana through the rearview mirror.
He felt compelled to comfort her, saying, âMiss Edwards, try not to let Sadieâs words get to you.
Mr.
Fredrick really values you.
Youâre a priority to him.
He skipped a billion-dollar deal just for you.
Itâs obvious youâre very special to Mr.
Fredrick.
â
Hearing this, Ariana sneered, âReally?â
Shawn nodded earnestly, eager to prove his point.
âThere was this one time, a business partner flew in from Yland for a deal worth billions.
It was a major opportunity for the company.
But the moment Mr.
Fredrick heard you were in trouble, he dropped everything to be by your side.
And not just that time, there are other instances, tooâ¦â
Ariana listened, then replied with a scoff, âSure, heâs come to my rescue, and I appreciate it.
But what about Sadie? Heâs good to her as well, right?â
Shawn paused, considering his response.
When it came to material support, Holden had always been generous with Sadie.
Whether it was jewelry, sponsorship deals, or money, if Sadie asked and it was within reason, Holden would make it happen.
At the heart of it, Holden had showered Sadie with gifts mainly for Adeleâs sake.
âMiss Edwards, there seems to be a misunderstanding.
Mr.
Fredrick doesnât actually care for Sadie.
He only gives her what she wants because he feels obligated to Adele.
But truthfully, those close to Mr.
Fredrick know he doesnât love her,â Shawn said.
Watching Arianaâs face as he spoke, Shawn added, âAlso, to be completely honest, Mr.
Fredrick doesnât have much impression of Sadie, either.
For the last five years, Mr.
Fredrick has been Living according to Aldusâ plans.
Aldus watches him closely and never lets him ask about things from the past.
â
After a pause, he continued, âI often find him sitting by himself in the dark, staring up at the sky, deep in thought, yet he never shares his thoughts or desires.
Despite being surrounded by people, he appears to be disconnected from everyone, including Sadie.
It was only a year ago that Sadie showed up out of nowhere.
Before that, Mr.
Fredrick seemed unaware of her existence.
â
Ariana listened in silence, yet she was puzzled.
If Holden had no memory of Sadie, could it be possible he had been with her before losing his memory?
But that couldnât be.
How could Theodore be unfaithful to her? She remembered how, five years ago, he had devoted all his attention to her, focusing on bringing the Anderson Group to its knees.
How could he have had an affair?