He had noticed Ariana's recent absent-mindedness and now, hearing the mysterious voice, suspicion loomed Like a shadow in his mind.

Despite his trust in Ariana, a wave of anxiety urged him to barge in and confront the perceived betrayal.

Just as he was about to push open the slightly ajar door, Ariana's distressed wail halted him in his tracks.

“Why is this so difficult?"

Difficult?

Theodore wondered what her words meant, his curiosity piqued.

He gently pushed the door open a tad more, revealing the source of the voice; an instructional knitting tutorial playing on a tablet. There sat Ariana, engrossed in her pursuit, unaware of Theodore's presence, holding the yarn helplessly.

Understanding what was happening, Theodore's heart softened, as could be seen in his expression. Silently, he watched her for a moment before quietly leaving.

Meanwhile, Ariana continued her battle with the yarn, utterly oblivious to her secret knitting plans having been uncovered.

Finally, the day of Theodore's birthday arrived, a day Ariana tried to play off as any ordinary day.

She masked the significance with practiced ease.

As the morning sun painted the world in hues of gold, she feigned casualness, mentioning to Theodore, "Sonia wants to go shopping with me today. I won't be back for dinner."

Theodore, cool and collected, assented, “Alright, I also have some matters to attend to in the neighboring city. I probably won't return until late."

However, when he mentioned not being back for dinner, Ariana's heart skipped a beat, and she blurted out, "No, you have to be around for dinner tonight!"

Realizing her slip-up, she swiftly added, “Otherwise... otherwise the food in the refrigerator will spoil, and we wouldn't want to waste it."

A subtle smile played at Theodore's lips as he chose not to tease Ariana further, merely replying, “Then I'll make sure to be back for dinner."

Relieved that her ploy seemed to work, Ariana breathed a sigh of relief, believing her plan was on track.

Initially, she had hoped Theodore would stay home, which was why she pretended to leave. However, with Theodore now planning to leave, things got way easier for her.

To maintain the ruse, Ariana changed into her going-out clothes but instead headed to a nearby park, waiting for Theodore's car to depart before stealthily returning to the house.

In the car, Theodore sat comfortably in the backseat while Horace, positioned in the front, occasionally stole glances in the rearview mirror. He said, “Boss, Mrs. Anderson has gone back."