Novel Square
Chapter 1042
But the man detected the tremor in her voice, and for a fleeting moment, panic crept into his own tone as he inquired, “What's the deal exactly?”
Ariana gathered herself, wiping away a stray tear from the corner of her eye, and retorted coolly, “Nothing much. Just some work stuff.”
The man attempted to dig deeper, but Ariana didn’t afford him that opportunity. She said, her tone ice-cold, “If it's nothing, I’ve got to go.”
Ariana terminated the call after allowing two seconds for a response.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!
Holden’s countenance darkened in the car as he stared at the phone screen displaying the abruptly ended call. His brow furrowed, and he turned to Shawn with a troubled expression.
“What's happened during my absence these past few days?”
Upon reflecting on the boss’s question, Shawn concluded that Holden was primarily concerned about Adele’s well-being. Thus, he reported truthfully, “Adele is fine, sir. Her ailment hasn’t reared its ugly head recently.”
Holden nodded in acknowledgement and then probed further, “What about Ariana? Is she in a tight spot?” This took Shawn by surprise, as it marked the first time his boss had displayed such keen interest in Adele’s physician. After briefly recalling the day's events, Shawn chose his words carefully.
“Today marked the grand premiere of the company’s entertainment show. Miss Edwards’ team led the charge, and they put on quite a show. However, things got a tad dicey when they clashed with the celebrity judge, Miss Pierre.”
Shawn refrained from discussing Sadie in too much detail, as avoiding sensitive topics involving the boss’s fiancée was best. Instead, he presented a video clip showcasing Sadie’s heated exchange with Tom.
Having reviewed the footage himself, Shawn couldn't help but notice that Sadie was specifically targeting Ariana’s team. While others might not have fully comprehended the situation, he was well aware of the personal animosity Sadie held toward Ariana.
Sadie, again, was Holden’s fiancée. Even if Shawn had an opinion on Sadie’s behavior, he couldn’t express it in front of his boss, so all he could say was, “Miss Edwards’ team is at risk, according to the program’s guidelines. They could get eliminated if they fail to secure a high score in the next round.”
Holden remained quiet and kept his face expressionless. He did nothing except staring at the paused video displaying Ariana’s side face.
After handling some backstage matters, Ariana decided to head home.
She didn’t have anything important to do there, and most importantly, she didn’t want to run into Sadie.
When she arrived home, she saw that the lights inside the villa were on.
She had sent Melon to Sonia’s place before she went to work. Did she send him back already? Feeling confused, Ariana quickened her pace and pushed open the door.
As she peeped inside, she saw a tall man with his back to her.
“Mitchel?” Surprised, she exclaimed, “You're back?”
Both Sonia and Mitchel were close friends of Ariana, and they both knew the passcode to her house. Also, when Ariana was in Melcorn, Mitchel was the one who often helped her take care of her son.