“Looking for Theodore?" she inquired with a knowing smile.

Ariana nodded in confirmation.

“He stepped out, but he should be back soon. Why not take a moment to rest? I'll prepare a breakfast for you."

Used to Theodore's early departures, Ariana didn't question it further.

After a hearty breakfast, she felt rejuvenated and decided to spend some time tending to the garden flowers before catching up on the latest news online.

The furor over the plagiarism accusations against The Missing Body had significantly cooled down, and the tide of public opinion was slowly turning favorable. Heartened by this news, Ariana proceeded to peruse other articles.

However, as the hours rolled by, she began to feel a hint of restlessness creeping in and decided to retreat to her room to play with her beloved collection of dolls and action figures. Ariana relocated a few dolls, including the sizable one she had brought back the previous night, to her study.

While meticulously adjusting their placements, she accidentally triggered a hidden switch. Much to her surprise, a door that had been cleverly camouflaged within the room's design noiselessly swung open.

Ariana was astonished. She hadn't anticipated to find a hidden room within the grandeur of the Anderson family mansion, despite having resided there for quite some time.

A surge of trepidation and intrigue overtook her as she ventured a peek inside. The doorway opened to a room adorned with two portraits on the opposite wall, one of Aimee and the other of Marley.

A crucifix was centrally placed, flanked by an array of ornate boxes, each embellished with a variety of gemstones. In the corners, stacks of art paper caught her attention.

Ariana approached the boxes and sketches, attempting to decipher their significance.

The sketches portrayed different phases of Aimee and Marley's Lives, each dated and arranged chronologically.

It commenced with Aimee solo, but as time flowed, infant Marley emerged, nestled in Aimee's embrace.

Yet, Aimee's expression remained eerily vacant, reminiscent of a ghostly specter.

Proceeding along the timeline, the drawings depicted Aimee confined within the flower house, her back to the window.

The meticulous strokes and artistic finesse suggested to Ariana that these images were Likely Theodore's creation.

As she surveyed the room, a blue teddy bear atop a nearby box entered her peripheral vision.

Intrigued, she delicately picked it up, questioning the presence of such a toy in this place. Suddenly, Theodore's voice echoed from the doorway.

Startled, Ariana swiftly set the teddy bear back down, blurting out an explanation in her startled state.