Hearing a voice she recognized, Ariana’s screams faded to silence.
She opened an eye tentatively.
The lights were on. She sharpened her focus and recognized Judy standing there.
Bewildered, Ariana took a moment before reacting.
Her gaze landed on the stairs, and there stood an older man. It was Rodney.
So, no monsters or ghosts.
Gathering herself, Ariana stood, still clutching Melon, and greeted them.
Melon, his eyes still glistening with fresh tears, seemed lost. He simply echoed Ariana’s greeting, looking rather pitiful.
Judy’s eyes landed on Melon, and her heart melted. The child, all rosy cheeks and innocence, was clearly related to Theodore.
Unable to resist, Judy asked, “Can I hold him?”
“Sure thing.” With a smile, Ariana passed Melon to Judy. Holding Melon close, Judy gently dried his tears, murmuring comforting
words.
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Rodney’s throaty cough stole everyone’s attention. With a pointed look at Judy, he asked, “Do the two of you have a history?”
Judy replied, “Yeah, Miss Edwards used to be my boss before.”
Rodney responded with a simple nod and didn’t press further.
He was aware Judy once worked for the Anderson family and had caught wind of the drama they faced five years back.
The Anderson family had hit rock bottom, and Rodney wasn’t keen on drudging up those heavy memories.
Furthermore, chatter about the Anderson family was now rare in Eleymond.
Rodney motioned for Ariana to sit. They started chatting.
It turned out this vast estate was Rodney’s. With the years stacking up and with his family often out and about, he found fun in
adding some zest to his mansion. So, he lent it to the show’s crew, watching them from the third floor.
It was quite a coincidence that Ariana and her son were the ones staying at this villa.