âWho do we have here?â he said with a cheerful voice.
âRodney!â Melon darted over to hug Rodney, handing him a model.
âAdele and I made this for you.
â
Rodney was thrilled, grabbing both kids by the hand and leading them inside while chatting with Ariana.
âItâs been ages; you young folks always seem to be busy.
â
Ariana smiled and glanced toward the banquet hall, asking, âWhereâs Mitchel?â
Rodney snorted and grumbled, âHeâs still in the lab, but heâll join us soon.
Heâs always stuck in there.
He barely comes home.
â
âWell, heâs really focused on his work, and you know, with great power comes great responsibility,â Ariana said, defending Mitchel.
âIâm sure heâs always thinking of you.
â
Rodneyâs face brightened since he noticed that Ariana was willing to defend Mitchel.
Upon entering the villa, Ariana immediately noticed a significant change in the living room.
A larger and more elaborate chandelier now illuminated the entire space, lending a brighter atmosphere.
Additionally, the walls were adorned with oil paintings depicting serene scenes of rural life.
In the center, a grand, long table was positioned, surrounded by a gathering of influential figures from the business world.
Among them was Maxwell, someone Ariana recognized.
Ariana hadnât spoken to Sonia about Maxwellâs situation since the recent misunderstanding.
She made a mental note to catch up on that gossip later.
She glanced casually towards a corner and suddenly paused.
Dr.
Larson is here.
Why was he here?
Ariana was stunned and blurted out, âDr.
Larson?â
Rodney, noticing her surprise, grinned and inquired, âYou two are acquainted?â
âYes, we do,â Ariana replied.
âOne of my artists needed corrective surgery, and Dr.
Larson performed the procedure.
â
Rodney chuckled.
âSmall world! Heâs actually my cousin.
Heâs always been fascinated by bones and such.
I know about his cosmetic clinic, but I didnât know you had been there.
â
âItâs unbelievable! I didnât know you two are related,â Ariana said, clearly astonished, her gaze fixed on Dr.
Larson.
Dr.
Larson chuckled and remarked, âItâs not a big deal.
Iâve known for some time that you and Mitchel are acquainted.
â
Ariana was taken aback.
âReally? I had no idea.
You never told me about this.
â
Dr.
Larson snorted and said, âWhy else would I have readily agreed to perform surgery on that artist you brought?â