After a moment of contemplation, she gently cupped Holden’s face in her hands and uttered solemnly,

“No, you’re not Holden. You’re my Theodore.”

Holden, caught in this web of confusion, couldn’t help but let out a resigned sigh. He found himself in a

tight spot, compelled to play along. He conceded, “Alright, alright, I’m Theodore.”

At this juncture, Ariana scrutinized him once more and reached out to caress his face, her eyes misty

from alcohol but still shining.

Perplexed, she probed, “If you’re Holden, where’s your mask?”

“What?” Holden was completely at sea, not comprehending the enigmatic reference to a mask.

Ariana embraced him, drawing nearer. Her alcohol-blurred eyes had a watery luminescence to them,

rendering her strangely captivating. She tugged at Holden’s visage, her curiosity unwavering. She

asked, “Where’s your mask? Where have you hidden it?”

Confronted with her persistent curiosity, Holden sighed and grabbed a random piece of paper, poking

eyeholes and playfully donning it. He quipped, “Here, my mask.”

He thought this would appease Ariana, but to his surprise, she pouted and muttered something while

shooting him an accusatory glare.

Holden didn’t quite catch her words, so he removed the paper mask and regarded her patiently, gently

inquiring, “Pardon? What did you say?”

Ariana huffed and turned her head away, grumbling loudly, “You’re Holden. I won’t play your game!”

Holden was taken aback, a sense of disquiet gnawing at him. He nervously asked, his lips tightly

pursed, “Why not?”

“Because Holden is nothing but a wolf in sheep’s clothing!” Ariana asserted with unwavering conviction.

Holden retorted, “Then I’m certainly not Holden.” He made a quick decision and added, “I’m just your

online friend.”

ninja.com

Even though Ariana continued to ignore him, Holden gently tugged at her sleeve and pressed on,

asking, “Why did you block me?”

Ariana turned to fix him with a gaze that could freeze fire and replied, “Because you’re Holden!”

Hearing this, Holden’s heart sank. He had a vague inkling that Ariana could have uncovered something

significant; otherwise, she wouldn’t have abruptly cut ties with him online.

Holden wanted to delve deeper into the matter but decided to begin with a direct question, “How did

you know that?”

“I don’t possess that knowledge,” Ariana mumbled in a drowsy manner, evading a straightforward

response. Despite Holden’s several attempts to extract more information, Ariana remained evasive.

Eventually, she simply ignored him and found a comfortable haven in her seat, drifting off into slumber.

Faced with her somnolent state, Holden had no choice but to secure her in her seat with a seatbelt and

take her home.

Reaching the villa’s entrance, Holden propped Ariana up with one hand and pressed the doorbell with

the other. However, after two futile attempts, he became puzzled. Was Melon not home?

He pressed the doorbell twice more, confirming that there was no response from inside. Turning to

Ariana, he questioned, “Is there no one at home? What’s the door code?”

Ariana mumbled a sequence of numbers. Holden was on the verge of entering the code as per her

instructions when he suddenly froze, realizing that the numbers she gave him corresponded to his

birthdate.

Was it a mere coincidence? Or..

Holden cast a skeptical glance at the drowsy Ariana in his arms and couldn’t help but wonder if she

was playing a cunning prank on him while under the influence.

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