Upon reflection, Ariana came to understand that Dr.
Larson wasnât swayed easily by a mere afternoon of farm activities and a few meals.
It was likely Mitchelâs influence had played a significant role.
There were vacant seats near Dr.
Larson.
Following a_ brief conversation with Rodney, Ariana and her two children took their seats beside Dr.
Larson.
The children were exceptionally well-behaved.
Melon even greeted Dr.
Larson politely.
Dr.
Larson glanced at the children and casually inquired, âAre they your children?â
âThe boy is mine, but the girl isnât,â Ariana responded truthfully.
Dr.
Larson squinted, observing the children closely.
âDonât try to trick me; these two resemble each other.
With my extensive experience in bone study, they must be siblings.
â
Ariana was momentarily speechless upon hearing Dr.
Larsonâs sharp observation.
It wasnât the first time someone had commented on the childrenâs striking resemblance.
She hadnât given it much thought; she simply assumed that good-looking children often had similar features.
Additionally, the children had the same father, Holden.
This might explain their resemblance.
Thus, Ariana clarified, âThey share the same father but have different mothers, which might explain the resemblance.
â
Dr.
Larson fell silent but remained skeptical, scrutinizing the children and Ariana again before questioning, âAre they really not twins?â
When Ariana heard that, she was caught off guard, triggering a flood of memories from the fire that had claimed her daughterâs life years ago.
She forced a smile and said, âI had twins back then, but my daughter died shortly after she was born.
I only have one child now.
â
Dr.
Larson fell silent when he heard that.
He wasnât the type to dig up old wounds, so he just shook his head and dropped the topic.
Though Dr.
Larson didnât ask anything more, his words had stirred something in Ariana.
She took a longer look at Adele, thinking back to the times people had mentioned how much Adele and Melon resembled each other.
Ariana examined the two kids carefully, and she discovered that there was indeed a striking similarity between them.
Seeing Ariana silently staring at the children, Dr.
Larson figured he might have upset her, so he changed the subject.
âWhy are you so interested in what Sadie looked like before her surgery?â he asked.
After a pause, Ariana decided not to mention what had happened with Helen five years ago.
She just said, âIâm trying to piece together something that happened five years ago.
I need to know if Sadie is the person Iâm looking for.
â
Dr.
Larson gave a little grunt and left it at that.
Ariana didnât push further, knowing that Sadieâs records were probably long gone, so dragging Dr.
Larson into the matter wouldnât help.
Soon, the rest of the guests all arrived, and the banquet started.
Rodney had brought in top-tier chefs to prepare the meals, and they cooked the farmâs specialty dishes, each one more mouth-watering than the last.
Rodney was happy, so he uncorked some fancy wine to share with everyone.
The banquet hall buzzed with lively chatter as guests dug into their food.
Dr.
Larson, sipping his wine, turned to Ariana and said, âIâll send you Sadieâs files when I get back to the hospital tomorrow.
â
Ariana lifted her eyebrows in surprise.
She asked, âI thought those were Long gone?â