Ariana thought about it and decided she had no issue with revealing the truth.
The voice continued after a brief pause.
âMy second condition is that you let me operate on you.
Your facial structure is already excellent, but I can enhance it even further.
Once Iâm done, people worldwide will want to emulate your look, making you my finest work.
â
The message ended, leaving Ariana and Holden in shock.
The room fell silent.
During this silence, Ariana pondered over countless outcomes.
She knew the doctor was highly skilled and unlikely to make any errors.
Although his request seemed a bit extreme, it appeared harmless to her health, and it would enable her to access Sadieâs past plastic surgery records.
She wondered if it would be safe to agree to his termsâ¦
But Ariana had never considered getting plastic surgery, so she felt a bit uneasy.
She was content with her appearance as it was, and the idea of knives cutting into her face was too frightening for her.
As she hesitated, Holden took her phone and typed a response.
âNo, I cannot accept your second condition.
Thank you.
â
Before Ariana could grab her phone back, Holden had already sent the message.
Glancing at her phone and the text on the screen, Arianaâs shoulders sank.
âWhat are you doing? Weâre close to the truth.
His offer isnât too steep.
Iâ¦â
She was interrupted when Holden tapped her forehead and said, âNo.
I canât let you do that.
If finding the truth means you have to compromise yourself, then Iâd rather stay in the dark.
â
As he talked, he gently pulled Ariana into his arms, ki*sed her lightly between her eyebrows, and added, âThere are other ways to uncover the truth.
â
Ariana knew he was concerned for her.
She exhaled deeply and said, âOkay.
â
Suddenly, her phone started ringing again.
Ariana turned to see Catalina calling.
Her heart raced.
Why was Catalina calling her at this hour?
As Ariana noticed the variety show news spreading online, she panicked.
Could it be that the Chadwick family had already discovered something had happened to Mitchel?
Attempting to compose herself, Ariana answered the phone.
Catalina sounded anxious on the other end.
âHas Mitchel contacted you recently, Ariana? Is he still with the show crew? Why is his phone off? I saw the news on the internet.
Is Mitchel okay? Are you with him now?â
Catalinaâs voice trembled with anxiety, and hearing it made Ariana feel a wave of guilt wash over her.
She opened her mouth to speak but found herself at a loss for words.
Sensing the silence from Arianaâs end, Catalinaâs voice shook even more.
âIs Mitchel alright? Did something happen to him?â
Faced with no other choice, Ariana took a deep breath and confessed, âMitchel is okay now, but he fell into the sea beforeâ¦â