After finishing with the photos, Jennifer sent them to Ariana and beamed as she said, “Check out my Twitter. It’s so great to reconnect with an old friend after coming back.”
Ariana quickly looked up Jennifer on Twitter and saw the photos they had taken together.
Feeling inspired by Jennifer’s post, Ariana picked two of their best shots and posted them on her own Twitter account.
Eventually, Jennifer took a break, grabbed a coffee, and relaxed while scrolling through her phone.
During their break, Ariana gathered the nerve to ask something that had been on her mind. She took a deep breath and said, “Holden is Theodore… You’ve known this for a while, haven’t you?”
The expression on Jennifer’s face instantly froze when she heard Ariana’s question. But she still managed to force a smile. She clutched her coffee cup tightly and Looked away, watching the scenery outside the window guiltily.
She had successfully avoided eye contact with Ariana, but she still sensed Ariana’s intense and inquiring gaze.
After a few seconds, Jennifer admitted defeat. Under Ariana’s persistent gaze, she sighed and nodded. Then, she lowered her head and said, “I’m sorry. I lied to you back then.”
Jennifer had hoped Ariana wouldn’t inquire about the past. But it turned out to be inevitable.
When Ariana saw Jennifer’s guilt-ridden demeanor, she couldn’t help smiling. Jennifer was like a child caught doing something wrong.
Ariana was not angry.
Instead, she said gently, “Can you please tell me the whole story?”
Jennifer had nothing to hide, so she told Ariana the truth. “Theodore didn’t want to involve you in the feud between the Anderson family and the Fredrick family, so he kept it from you.”
After a sigh, she continued, “However, your relationship became better, so he thought of telling you that. But he didn’t know how to say it, and he also didn’t want to stay with you as Theodore. After all, Theodore’s identity only meant revenge in his mind. So, he wanted to be with you as Holden. You know, as a fresh start. However, he didn’t want to abruptly reveal his true identity as Theodore. So, he wanted to do it one step at a time. Unfortunately, he never had the chance to explain his situation properly.”
Jennifer paused and added sincerely, “Actually, he didn’t intend to hide his identity from you. He really wanted to reveal it to you. It was just that he couldn’t find the right time.”
Ariana nodded, indicating she believed Jennifer. Then, she said, “Is it true that he wore a mask because he was disfigured before? You also said when he was a child, he didn’t receive the love and attention he deserved from his parents. He was even abused…”
“Stop! Stop!” Jennifer interrupted Ariana with a flushed face. She felt embarrassed when she realized how ridiculous her lies sounded.
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She quickly said, “I made up those things before. Back then, when I saw that he couldn’t confess his true identity to you, I wanted to help him by making up stories to earn your sympathy. I must have been crazy at that time to concoct such foolish tales. My only intention was to make you pity him. But I never anticipated it would turn out like this. Please, can you forget about it?”
Upon hearing Jennifer’s confession, Ariana finally figured out the entire story. She sighed, realizing that her previous assumptions about Holden had all been based on a misunderstanding.
Ariana took a sip of her coffee and asked, “Do you remember that person named Sadie five years ago? Have you ever seen her around Holden before?”
Jennifer shook her head vigorously. She said, “I never heard of Sadie five years ago. So, when I heard that she arrived at the Fredrick family’s house with an illegitimate daughter and that Holden was the father, I was completely shocked. I never heard of Sadie, and I couldn’t believe Holden could do such a thing.”
She sighed and continued, “But the truth is, I really don’t know what happened. As you know, I’ve been abroad the whole time. After the car accident, Theodore’s identity vanished. Aldus blocked all the information about Holden. Even Adrian..”
Jennifer paused again when she mentioned Adrian’s name. Then, she added, “Those who know about Holden’s past were moved out of Eleymond. Even the bodyguards were replaced. So, I only caught bits and pieces of gossip about him after the car accident. I don’t know what he’s been up to since he lost his memory.”
Ariana knew that Jennifer’s family lived in Allemicano and hadn’t stayed in Eleymond for a long time. After Jennifer and Adrian got married, they had been living abroad.