When Ariana noticed Holden's message pop up, she suddenly realized she'd messaged the wrong person. She felt embarrassed and rushed to come up with the right response.

She had stayed up revising the partnership proposal, and her tired mind had failed her after a long day of being trapped at a warehouse.

Annoyed, she tried to unsend the message but couldn't.

After some inner struggle, she reluctantly replied, "Haha, my bad! It wasn't meant for you."

Holden raised an eyebrow when he read her response. Was Ariana testing him, or did she genuinely not know his identity?

Not one to wait, he opted to give her a call.

Ariana picked up immediately, but an uneasy silence followed as neither knew how to break it.

Eventually, Holden broke the ice. His voice was tinged with concern.

"Working late again? Don't push yourself too hard."

Feigning ignorance, Ariana saw her chance to express herself.

"I really don't want to work overtime, but this client seems impossible to please! I'm stuck having to keep refining this proposal."

Holden let out an awkward cough.

"I happened to take a look at your proposal, and I know a bit about the energy industry. Let me help you make it better."

Ariana responded with feigned enthusiasm, "That would be fantastic!"

Holden pointed out several issues that needed fixing, and Ariana listened attentively. She found his real-time feedback much more valuable than endless back-and-forth document exchanges.

During the call, Holden walked Ariana through the entire proposal revision.

As Ariana reviewed the greatly improved document, she let out a sigh of relief. Experienced professionals like Holden had a different perspective, and with just a few pointers, her understanding had grown significantly.

She showered him with compliments.

"It's obvious that you're an expert, not just ‘someone who knows a bit!' You must work in this industry, right?" She subtly probed, hoping he would reveal his identity so she could end their contact if she eventually met him and felt let down.

But Holden chose to keep things ambiguous.