“You're joking, right? This isn't something to joke about," she stammered.

"I wish I were," Sonia replied, her face a portrait of genuine anxiety.

A wave of dread washed over Ariana, seeing Sonia's obvious distress.

Quick to act, Sarah said, “We need to check the security footage right away. Melon can't be far."

"You're absolutely right," Betsy chimed in.

"The front desk should be able to access all the building's cameras. We'll find him."

"Then let's move," urged Sonia, grabbing Ariana's arm to lead her toward the lobby. Sarah and Betsy followed, their strides filled with purpose.

As they collectively sped to find Melon, they burst into the expansive lobby.

Ariana had planned to ask the reception staff about a young boy wandering alone. But then a crowd of people around a man caught her eye. The man was making his way towards the exit.

In that fleeting moment, as he turned his head, a familiar silhouette seized Ariana's attention, pinning her to the spot.

That jawline, that nose. She would recognize them anywhere.

"Theodore!" Her voice involuntarily shouted his name. Ariana lunged after the crowd, but security guards swiftly intervened, blocking her path.

Her eyes reddening, Ariana struggled against their hold, straining to see as the man disappeared into a waiting vehicle.

Finally, her energy spent, she stood still, her gaze fixed on the departing car. After a moment to regain her composure, she asked the guards quietly, “Who was that man?"

Assuming she was just another woman captivated by Holden's allure, the guards offered nothing more than a curt "no comment" before walking away. Many were captivated by him these days and hoped to rise socially through him.

Sonia arrived, her face fraught with worry.

"What just happened?" she asked, taking Ariana's trembling hands into her own.

Holding Sonia's hands with a grip that bordered on painful, Ariana whispered, her voice shaky, "I saw him. I saw Theodore. I know it was him. He's alive!"

"You need to calm down and think rationally," Sonia advised gently, her voice a calming balm.

“You've missed him so much, it's understandable that your mind might play tricks on you, making you see things."