Their argument spiraled, with Ariana defending Mitchelâs honor against Holdenâs growing resentment.
Holden asked, âDoes Mitchel have the passcode to this house?â
âYes, he does,â Ariana confirmed, her brow furrowing in confusion at the direction of the conversation.
âSo what? Sonia and Sarah know the passcode, too.
â
But Holden was beyond reasoning, his anger peaking.
âI donât care about them.
Youâre to limit your interactions with Mitchel.
Stay away from him, or Iâll lock you up and ensure you two never meet again,â he said, his words echoing with possessiveness.
Ariana found Holdenâs words absurd.
Despite the passage of time, his penchant for resorting to threats remained unchanged.
âs
Glancing at Holden, she remarked sarcastically, âHolden, such behavior hardly befits your status.
Could you please refrain from such childishness?â
Holden made it evident he wasnât inclined to heed her words.
Gripping Arianaâs hand tightly, he stared intently at her, his teeth clenched as he demanded, âI donât care what you say, but you must promise me that youâll never see Mitchel again.
â
Ariana rolled her eyes in frustration.
It was impractical for her to never see Mitchel again.
Mitchel had shown her kindness, and she couldnât do that.
Shrugging off Holdenâs grasp, she stated firmly, âIâll reiterate once more: there is absolutely nothing between Mitchel and me.
I see no reason to be wary of him.
But you, youâre the one who fathered a child with another woman.
And she is carrying another baby of yours now.
â
As soon as she finished speaking, the room fell into a hush.
Holden bowed his head, his silence palpable.
Regret instantly flooded Ariana as she observed his reaction.
Seeing him lower his head and retreat into silence filled her with remorse.
Yet, despite her guilt, her anger still simmered, making it challenging for her to offer words of comfort.
She maintained her cold and distant demeanor, refusing to meet his gaze.
After a prolonged silence, Holden spoke slowly, his tone heavy with emotion.
âI donât know.
â
Startled by the grievance in his voice, Ariana inquired, âWhat do you mean?â
âI donât know when she appeared in my life.
â Holden gently embraced Ariana, resting his head on her shoulder.
With a tone heavy with remorse, he began to explain, âI donât remember anything.
After the accident, when I woke up, my memory was blank.
I donât know how the child came to be, and I have no recollection of Sadie.
I canât even recall when she entered the room that day.
The child she carries may not even be mine.
Iâm sorry.
I donât understand why I lost my memory.
Can you forgive me?â
Arianaâs heart softened as she listened to his distressed confession.
Though she wanted to respond, words failed her.
She felt a sense of helplessness, recognizing that fate had led them to this complicated juncture.
Taking a deep breath, Ariana gently pushed him away, her voice resigned.
âLetâs just stop arguing.
Itâs pointless.
â
As Ariana spoke, she made a move to leave, only to be firmly restrained by Holdenâs embrace.
He questioned anxiously, âWhere are you going? Are you going to see Mitchel? I wonât allow it.
â
Exhaling a weary sigh, Ariana turned to face Holden, meeting his intense gaze.
His eyes were red, his grip unyielding as he held her close.
âPlease donât leave me,â he said.
Feeling her resolve weaken at his plea, Ariana longed to reach out and comfort him, but she hesitated.
Despite her efforts to break free, his hold remained steadfast.
Resigned, she sighed softly.
âPlease, just let me go for now.
I wonât leave the house.
I just need some alone time to gather my thoughts.
â
Holden clung to her firmly, his resolve unwavering.
âI canât release you.
If I do, youâll only distance yourself from me and avoid me.
â
With a tumult of emotions swirling within her, Arianaâs frustration boiled over.
âAre you feeling aggrieved? Whoâs at fault for all of this?â
She unleashed her anger, pounding on Holdenâs chest and delivering a sharp slap, but his grip remained unyielding.