“I manage a small business and dabble in various areas, learning along the way.”

Ariana, though unimpressed with his lack of detail, continued to flatter him, "You must be incredibly bright. It can't be just a small business. With your sharp mind, you must have expanded the company significantly by now!"

Holden was amused by her compliments.

"Success in business requires more than just intelligence."

Their conversation flowed casually, and neither of them wanted to end iS Ariana gradually succumbed to exhaustion. The day took a toll on her.

Listening to Holden's voice brought her comfort, reminiscent of being close to Theodore. Her eyelids grew heavy, and she unconsciously drifted into sleep.

Holden, listening to her gentle breathing, felt an unusual sense of warmth and a feeling of contentment washed over him.

He brought out the engraved pendant she had left on the cruise and stared at the two sets of initials. One set belonged to her. Who could the other belong to?

A sudden realization hit him. It was likely for her late husband, Theodore.

As he recalled how she had repeatedly mistaken him for Theodore, Holden's expression turned sour with resentment, almost a hint of jealousy towards this man.

But then he paused and scolded himself for feeling jealous of a man who was no longer alive. Still, his curiosity lingered. An idea crossed his mind, and he reached into a drawer, retrieving a bracelet he had stumbled upon years ago at the hospital.

Comparing the pendant and the bracelet, he was taken aback to discover that the engraved initials on them were exactly the same.

Holden held both objects in his palm, still somewhat amazed at how strangely they matched.

Many years ago, acting upon Devin's advice, Holden had left the bracelet at the lost and found desk in the hospital, hoping its owner would reclaim it. Surprisingly, even after his own discharge three months later, the bracelet hadn't been claimed.

Just as Holden was about to leave the hospital, he saw a nurse about to discard the bracelet into the trash, alongside other unclaimed items that had been laying around for over three months.

Driven by an inexplicable urge, Holden saved the bracelet from its imminent disposal. He discreetly tucked it away and had kept it safe all these years.

As Holden looked at the two objects resting in his hand, he recalled that Ariana's husband had tragically lost his life in a car accident five years earlier.

Though reluctant to accept such a coincidence, Holden couldn't help but wonder if Ariana's late husband had been involved in the very same fateful incident.

After contemplating for a while, Holden carefully stowed away the bracelet, planning to broach the subject with Ariana at the appropriate time.

If his conjecture were correct, it seemed likely that this special bracelet had once belonged to her late husband. If that were the case, then Holden felt he should return it to its rightful owner.