Ariana cradled little Melon in her arms, slowly calming her tears as Melon’s simple act of kindness eased her sadness.
Holden returned to his house, feeling downcast. He let out a deep breath, loosened his tie, and threw it without care onto the couch close by.
Noticing his sad state, Devin quietly approached with a bowl of hot soup. Just when he was about to walk away, Holden broke the silence.
“Let’s have a chat.”
Devin felt a sigh bubble up inside him, knowing all too well the topic Holden was about to bring up.
Five years had trickled by, and the day they had all anticipated had finally arrived.
Devin walked back to Holden’s side, facing Holden. “What do you want to talk about?” he said.
Holden looked straight into Devin’s eyes. “I’m Theodore, right?” he asked.
Devin lapsed into a prolonged silence, eventually nodding with great difficulty. Inwardly sighing, he acknowledged his inability to adhere to Aldus’ instructions. After a moment of hesitation, he spoke. “Yes, sir. Before you returned to the Fredrick family, you indeed assumed another identity as Theodore Anderson.”
Upon uttering those words, silence fell.
It was a while before Holden dared to broach the subject. “Do you know about my relationship with Ariana?” he asked.
Devin sighed, offering an honest response. “Five years ago, you and Miss Edwards were deeply in love. At that time, both of you resided in the Anderson family household. You spent several years there, and later, Darian arranged a marriage for you, which happened to be with Miss Edwards. You two got married smoothly.”
Deliberately avoiding the mention of Aimee, Devin skirted around the topic.
During Aldus’ lifetime, the narrative painted Aimee’s death as a result of natural causes, with her divorce from Darian being amicable.
The downfall of the Anderson Group was attributed to poor management, and none of the grim details surrounding Theodore’s childhood suffering or any reference to Marley were ever mentioned.
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Devin harbored hopes that these painful memories would remain buried in the past. He didn’t want Holden to dredge up the despairing experiences from that time.
Recalling events from five years prior, Devin’s knowledge was limited due to his role within the Fredrick family.
Holden listened quietly, and one fact became clear from Devin’s account and Judy’s earlier words: he and Ariana had shared a profound love for each other.
If that were the scenario, where did Sadie fit into this picture?
And where had she suddenly emerged from?
Holden opted to inquire directly, “What about Sadie? What was her connection to us five years ago?”
This question puzzled Devin. He shook his head and responded, “I don’t know. When Miss Edwards wedded you, both of you resided in Eleymond, while I remained in Mistlyn. I seldom delved into affairs on your end, and I refrained from meddling in your personal matters. All I knew was that Miss Edwards stood by your side; Sadie’s name never crossed our paths.”
Devin paused briefly before adding, “But perhaps I’ve simply overlooked it.”
Holden furrowed his brow. He held firm conviction in himself, firmly believing that if he had harbored affection for Ariana five years ago, there wouldn’t have been space for anyone else in his heart.