Ariana didnât dwell on the encounter.
After a short pause, she pretended to feel unwell and left the banquet hall, furrowing her brow.
Knowing Bennett had people watching her, she acted convincingly, aware that they would follow her.
As expected, Bennettâs people were on her tail when she left the banquet hall.
Not knowing the area well, she navigated the maze-like corridors, finally losing them and slipping into the bathroom.
Fraserâs â109â clearly meant it was a room number.
Situated in the same corridor as the bathroom, the room was the first room around the corner.
But getting to that room directly wasnât an option.
The first floor was bustling with people, making it hard for her to move around without being noticed.
So, she needed to plan while staying hidden in the bathroom.
Her gaze landed on the bathroom window.
An idea sparked-maybe she could reach room 109 through the window.
Feeling hopeful again, Ariana hopped onto the sink to check the window.
But her hopes sank when she saw it was barred with sturdy iron, blocking any chance of escape.
She realized she had to find another way.
Just then, Bennettâs people knocked on the bathroom door, asking, âMiss Edwards, are you alright?â
Realizing she had been in the bathroom for too long and worried someone might barge in, Ariana hurriedly responded, âYes, Iâm okay.
Iâll be out soon.
â
She stepped down from the sink, flushed the toilet several times to simulate the sound of using the bathroom, washed her hands, and exited, pretending to be in discomfort.
âIâm sorry,â she said.
âI have a stomachache.
â
âNo worries, Miss Edwards,â one of the men replied.
âIf you need the restroom, just let us know.
You donât have to sneak around.
â The man eyed her suspiciously as she walked out.
âI wasnât sneaking out,â Ariana clarified.
âI just really needed to go.
I was feeling very anxious and lost my way earlier.
â
After that, Ariana walked with them back to the banquet hall.
But shortly after, Ariana feigned another stomachache and rushed to the bathroom again.
Her pale appearance led Bennettâs people to believe she was genuinely sick, and they didnât question her further, though they kept a close eye on her
âMiss Edwards, go ahead,â said one of the men.
âIâll wait for you nearby.
â
After a few more bathroom breaks, Bennettâs people started to relax.
They let Ariana come and go from the bathroom freely, not following her to the door anymore.
Ariana felt a rush of urgency.
She realized she needed to get to Room 109 quickly before Bennett returned.
He was much sharper than his people.
When she dashed into the bathroom again, she noticed a janitor getting ready to clean up, pushing a large cleaning cart.
The cart, big enough to hide a person, sparked an idea in Ariana.
While the cleaner was preoccupied inside a cubicle and unaware of the surroundings, Ariana skillfully concealed herself inside a large bucket on the cart, designed to hold cleaning tools.
She then grabbed a large white cloth from the cart and dr@ped it over the bucket.
As long as she kept quiet, no one would notice her hiding here.
Ariana then positioned herself comfortably in the bucket.
Shortly after, the cart started moving.
Ariana overheard the cleanerâs puzzled voice, saying, âWhy is this cart so heavy suddenly?â