When had he found out, and why hadnât he disclosed it to her?
Struggling to find her voice, Ariana could only pat on Holdenâs shoulder.
But at that moment, Holden found himself overcome by a surge of desire.
He couldnât bear the thought of stopping or releasing her.
His hand roamed her supple skin, grasping her ankle firmly and pulling Ariana, who attempted to withdraw, back into his embrace.
The fervent ki*ses gradually eclipsed Arianaâs thoughts.
Surrendering to the moment, she ceased her resistance.
Her hands found their way to Holdenâs collar, deftly unfastening each button of his shirt.
Her fingertips traced a path down his chest, grazing over his firm and resilient muscles.
Ariana was clad in pajamas, and Holden refrained from tearing her clothes to shreds.
As their ki*s deepened, Holdenâs exploration of Arianaâs body intensified.
Eventually, he reached for her buttons, deftly undoing them.
In response, Ariana couldnât help but release a soft moan.
She wrapped her arms around Holdenâs waist, drawing him closer, their bodies melding together in a warm embrace.
Under the fervent onslaught of Holdenâs ki*ses, Ariana felt a searing heat suffuse her entire being.
Clinging to the remnants of her rationality, she stole a glance at the man before her.
With a surge of impulse, she lifted her head and sank her teeth into his collarbone, leaving a vivid mark.
Holdenâs desire surged in response to her action.
He met her gaze with intensity before returning the fervor of their ki*s, his movements becoming more urgent.
In a swift motion, he removed her underwear.
As Holdenâs caresses and ki*ses intensified, Ariana couldnât help but moan.
Initially intending to savor the moment, Holdenâs excitement surges upon witnessing Arianaâs reaction.
With a surge of desire, he seized her slender waist and entered her without hesitation.
Ariana let out a scream.
Her body felt weak, and Holdenâs hands held her back to keep her from sliding down the sofa.
She gripped his neck with all her strength.
Their breaths mingled, and the stimulation between their bodies continued relentlessly.
A rich sense of pleasure exploded in Arianaâs mind.
Gasping, she clung to Holden, whispering, âTheodoreâ¦â
Holden ki*sed her again hard, his gaze intense and his cheeks flushing.
His eyes turned red with emotion.
âCall me Holden,â he said, taking her hand and placing it on his face.
âTheodore is Holden, and Holden is Theodore.
Call me Holden.
â
Ariana grunted, teeth clenched, resisting the urge to moan.
But his ki*s was so intense that she parted her lips, and their tongues met.
The intensity beneath her increased, becoming more vigorous.
Unable to endure it any longer, she called out Holdenâs name.
Holden didnât seem satisfied.
He ki*sed away her tears, nibbled her skin, and said, âDonât try to escape.
You can only belong to me.
â
Upon awakening to the sound of the alarm clock on the second day, Ariana stirred from her slumber.
Still groggy, she reached out to silence the alarm, but Holden gently pressed her hand down, signaling for her to stay.
Ariana wasnât even able to open her eyes since she was so tired.
She turned over and fell asleep again.
Cradling her in his embrace, Holden opened his eyes and gazed tenderly at the sleeping Ariana.
A soft smile graced his lips as he leaned down to place a gentle ki*s on her forehead.
Then, he got dressed, mindful not to disturb her peaceful slumber.
After getting dressed, Holden stole a glance at Ariana, a sense of unusual contentment enveloping him.
Gently, he tucked her in with care before quietly leaving the room to check on Melon.
He found Melon sleeping in the same posture as Ariana.
Smiling, Holden went in and touched Melonâs head affectionately, feeling incredibly happy and wishing that he could slow down time.
He then descended the stairs to the kitchen, a determined gleam in his eyes.
Rolling up his sleeves, he set to work, preparing breakfast for Melon and Ariana.
After that, Holden settled into the Living room with his laptop, ready to delve into his work.
Ariana finally woke up around noon, blinking sleepily as she glanced at the time.
With a sleepy gaze, she realized it was nearly midday.
Rolling over, Ariana felt soreness pervading her entire body.
As Ariana gradually woke up, memories of the passionate lovemaking with Holden from the previous night flooded her mind.
Instantly, her cheeks turned red.
She reached out to the space beside her.
The location where Holden had slept was already cold.
She got up and put on a random shirt she grabbed.
Then, she ventured outside without her slippers to find Holden.
Ariana let out a sleepy yawn as she shuffled out of the bedroom.
Still feeling drowsy, she spotted Holden sitting in the living room from a distance.
With a groggy voice, she called out, âHolden.
â
The next moment, she heard a voice from Holdenâs laptop, saying, âMr.
Fredrick.
â
Ariana was startled.
Was Holden participating in a video conference now?
Upon hearing Arianaâs voice, Holden turned his head and spotted her descending the stairs, clad in his shirt and barefoot.
Quickly silencing the microphone on his laptop, he approached her and scooped her up into his arms.
Frowning slightly, he said, âWhy are you walking around without shoes? The floor is cold, and you might catch a cold.
â
The private work chat group of BRD Group was abuzz with chatter.
Arianaâs voice just now had left everyone puzzled.
âDid you hear that? Whose voice was that? It doesnât sound like Miss Pierreâs.
â
âMiss Pierreâs voice is different.
That was not her voice.
â
In a flash, several colleagues in the meeting began gossiping about the unidentified voice.
They were all intrigued.
It marked the first instance they had a peek into Holdenâs personal life.
Holden typically kept his familial matters discreet, never even allowing glimpses of Sadieâs presence during work.
However, this time, the voice unmistakably differed from Sadieâs.
Speculation inevitably ensued.