Adele remained silent. She displayed an indifference to the world around her and steadfastly fixed her gaze on Ariana without saying anything.
Judy sensed that something might be wrong with Adele, evoking pity and concern for the young girl.
Choosing to keep her thoughts to herself, she quietly registered her observations about Adele in her heart.
Throughout the day, the group stayed in Ariana’s hospital room. Cevening, Rodney took Melon away while Shawn left with Adele.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAriana ate dinner as usual, and when she was done, she went to bed.
These days, she needed the rest. Despite her need for rest, an eerie feeling persisted as Ariana drifted in and out of sleep. It felt as though someone was by her bedside, silently watching.
ninja Initially groggy, Ariana’s senses sharpened at the faint sound of the door closing. She instantly sat up and exclaimed, “Who is there?” She immediately turned on the light and searched every nook. But she found no trace of anyone.
Ariana first considered that she might be only partially awake and experiencing a hallucination. But, a royal blue cufflink on the nearby chair caught her attention, dispelling that idea.
Ariana could tell that it wasn’t hers and couldn't have been owned by Rodney and the others who had cover earlier.
Puzzled, she picked up the cufflink and examined it closely.
This item... Could it signal Holden's presence? The following night, Ariana continued to feel a lingering se of being watched as she drifted to sleep. When she opened her eyes, there was no one in sight.
This left her frustrated. Why did she keep feeling like this? Could it be a ghost? Despite the uncertainty, she had a nagging feeling that it was Holden.
To confirm this, she called him through her online account.
Holden was hesitant for a while but eventually picked up the call.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmHe sounded quite surprised as he asked, “You're still awake by this time?” Ariana casually fabricated a tale of insomnia and attentively tuned in to the sounds from Holden's side. As expected, the distinct background music of an arcade reached her ears.
She was aware of a 24/7 gaming arcade near the hospital. One could hear the Lively tunes even from just passing by it.
This strengthened her conviction that Holden was the night visitor.
Frustration simmered within Ariana as she pondered Holden's motives and her inability to catch him red-handed.
After a brief conversation, she ended the call, resolute in her determination to catch him.
The next night, Ariana followed her usual bedtroutine and feigned sleep.
As expected, shortly after, she heard footsteps approaching her bed.
Without delay, she opened her eyes and seized the intruder’s hand.
With pride, she triumphantly declared, “Gotcha!