Almost immediately, a new video call request appeared on her screen.

When Ariana accepted the call, she felt a bit awkward.

It was her first time interacting with an online friend via video, and she wasn't sure what to say initially.

Even though the camera on the other side only showed the view from the rear lens, Ariana still felt self-conscious. After a brief moment of silence, she started explaining the recipe step-by-step.

The other person remained quiet, simply following her instructions.

Ariana noticed that the camera angle shifted occasionally, and she found herself momentarily distracted by the man's attractive hand.

But the camera quickly returned its focus to the ingredients.

Caught in this momentary distraction, she was startled when a voice from the other end of the call suddenly asked, "What's next?"

Ariana was momentarily frozen.

The man's voice was deep. Oddly, it was accompanied by a background noise, almost like static or some form of electrical interference.

The resemblance was striking.

Ariana stood still, taken aback by the uncanny similarity. For a moment, she was at a loss for words.

The voice was so reminiscent of Theodore's that she almost believed he was the one speaking on the other end of the Line.

“Are you still there? Is the call breaking up due to poor internet?"

The voice sounded slightly confused.

It was only then that Ariana shook off her reverie, scolding herself for letting her imagination run wild, just as Sonia had warned her.

She softly patted her face, reminding herself that many people have similar voices. On closer listening, she detected a slight nasal quality in the voice on the other end that made it sound even gentler.

A fleeting emotion tugged at Ariana's senses. She mentally scoffed at herself for even sparing a thought for Theodore, who had always been so aloof in his speech.

Pulling herself together, Ariana continued to provide cooking instructions.

The man on the other end was laconic, offering only brief acknowledgments here and there.