Judy hesitated for a bit before finally confessing, “When you were hospitalized after the accident, I… I saw a man who looked exactly like Theodore at the hospital. It was when I came to visit you that day.
Upon hearing Judy’s startling revelation, Ariana was dumbfounded, momentarily thinking she must have misheard Judy. “Wait… What did you just say?” she stuttered in disbelief.
Meeting Ariana’s gaze squarely, Judy replied gravely, “I’m dead serious. He looked exactly like Theodore. That man appeared all high and mighty, dressed to the nines. He was even introduced as a big shot director at Mercy Hospital..
Ariana’s mind went into overdrive. Mercy Hospital was under the Fredrick Group’s wing. If he was a bigwig there, could he be…
Completely thrown off by the startling revelation, Ariana’s grasp on the bag of groceries slackened, sending its contents cascading to the ground.
If Judy’s account was true, then who was the man Ariana had spotted in the surveillance footage?
A suppressed thought, forcefully kept at bay, now burst forth, refusing to be contained.
“No, this can’t be! It just can’t be…” Ariana mumbled under her breath, mostly trying to convince herself.
At that moment, Ariana’s phone chimed, jolting her out of her swirling thoughts. She composed herself and picked up the call, her hand trembling slightly. It was Sonia.
Sonia’s voice came through, somber and direct. “Remember I told you about Holden and Sadie’s wedding today?”
At the mere mention of Holden’s name, Ariana’s suppressed her suspicion. Struggling to maintain composure in her voice, she said, “Yes. Has something gone wrong?”
Sonia took a noticeable pause, audibly inhaling deeply before continuing deliberately, “Well… Holden’s wedding is making headlines.
We’ve been camping out near the venue since sunrise, hoping to catch some exclusive footage or news. And I… I got him on camera.”
Ariana froze, feeling as though her breath had been stolen. She stood still, her hand tightly gripping the phone. Her entire body shook as her heart raced in anticipation of Sonia’s next words.
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After an agonizing moment, Sonia finally said, “Holden… He looks exactly like Theodore.”
With this unequivocal confirmation, the phone slipped from Ariana’s numb fingers, clattering to the ground. She stumbled as if all her strength had deserted her in an instant.
Concerned, Judy reached out to steady Ariana, asking anxiously, “What’s wrong? Are you alright?”
It took Ariana a while to gather herself enough to say, “The man you saw at the hospital that day. Was he Holden?”
Judy hesitated momentarily before nodding in affirmation.
Tears streamed down Ariana’s cheeks. “Why is it him? Why…” She trailed off into fragmented murmurs. “It’s him all along. I can’t believe it wasn’t just a figment of my imagination…”