After parking the car, Sonia took her into the shopping mall. While they walked in, Sonia explained, “This is the new chain mall under the Fredrick Group. You’ve been away, and they’ve been dominating the market lately, especially since Holden took over.”
As they got inside, Sonia filled Ariana in on the latest gossip and slyly pointed out a poster stand at the mall‘s center.
Ariana glanced at the poster and saw a stunning woman but couldn’t place her. She asked casually, “Who’s that?”
Sonia replied, “That’s Sadie Pierre! She’s become quite the rising star in our country over the past six months. And guess what? She’s Holden’s newly announced fiancée.”
“Fiancée?” Ariana’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.
She hadn’t expected Holden to tie the knot someday.
It had been five Long years since she had any contact with him. Now and then, she stumbled upon reports about him in financial magazines.
But he remained as elusive as ever, avoiding public appearances on TV and in the media.
“Yes. And the Fredrick Group is going all out for her, spending money like it’s nothing,“ Sonia commented.
“Well, she does look very pretty,” Ariana responded with a smile, not putting too much thought into it.
‘s
They both went on with their chat as they strolled towards the elevator, and before they knew it, the elevator door shot open.
The mall was bustling with people during mealtime. Sonia pulled Ariana aside, urging, “Come on, let’s go in quickly. It’s crowded now.”
As they stood near the elevator, another group of people emerged from £830
Ariana raised her head and in a fleeting glance, she caught a glimpse of someone’s side profile.
In an instant, her heart skipped a beat, and she was left momentarily frozen. Without thinking, she called out a name, “Theodore.”
But the person gave no reaction and proceeded with walking straight ahead.
“Theodore…” Ariana muttered to herself and instantly turned around to run after him.
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However, the mall was bustling with people, and just like that, the man vanished from her view.
Amidst the swarm of people, Ariana stood dazed, desperately searching for that all-too-familiar figure.
“Ariana! Ariana!” Sonia squeezed out of the elevator, worry etched across her face, finally jolting Ariana back to the present.
It was at this moment that Ariana realized that her cheeks were unknowingly wet with tears.
“Are you alright? You dashed out of there and it completely freaked me out,” Sonia said with a look of genuine concern on her face.
“I think… I saw Theodore.”
Ariana stood there, frozen, staring in the direction where the man had disappeared.
Sonia’s heart ached seeing her in distress. She handed Ariana some tissues and softly reassured her, “Come on, Ariana. People can’t come back from the dead, and Theodore passed away five years ago.”