He couldn’t stop smiling. “I got this for Mom with my secret savings. I’m treating everyone today.”
The crew’s laughter filled the air, all thanks to Melon’s infectious charm.
They surrounded him, offering thanks.
Melon puffed up a bit and said, “Glad you like it! Just promise to look after Mommy when I’m not around, okay?”
“You got it, Mr. Melon!” someone shouted.
Angela’s Library
Melon’s cheeks turned a shade pinker. “Just Melon is fine. No ‘Mr.’ in front.”
The chuckles grew louder, everyone was clearly smitten by the little boy.
Ariana’s eyes misted up. Her heart swelled with love for her little ray of sunshine, her very own bundle of joy.
Standing, she took some pictures with the tea carts.
She wanted the world to see her son’s sweet gesture.
Once she had the perfect shot, she uploaded it online with the caption: “The most heartfelt surprise.”
Over at BRD, in a room buzzing with tech gear, Holden was dealing with something. At this moment, he received a message
from the tech team.
“Mr. Fredrick, regarding the photo you gave us, it’s edited. It’s not the original photo.”
Holden’s face took on a stormy look with the revelation. Sadie was up to something, and he was now certain she had been
keeping secrets.
Rubbing his temples, memories played back like a movie reel. He thought about Sadie’s odd behaviors: her animated excitement
around Ariana, her strange reactions to certain topics, and even Adele’s distress in her company .
Holden frowned. Why did Adele cry every time she was around Sadie? And why did Adele like Ariana so much?
Besides, Sadie’s weird reaction to questions about their shared past was also suspicious.
Then there was that wedding dress. It was customized by him, but it didn’t match Sadie’s size.
All these small, ignored details now formed a puzzle in his mind. It was clear that Sadie was hiding a big part of the story.
Deep in thought, he asked the tech guy, “Can you get this photo back to its original look?”
The guy quickly replied, “We can, but it might take some time.” 5
“Do it,” Holden responded.
He had a gut feeling Sadie was hiding something big, something from their shared history.
The image of Adele’s distraught face flitted through his mind, making his heart clench.