Ariana woke up the next morning, feeling rejuvenated and renewed. The TV show's producers had decided to delay the recording for a day following the traumatic events of their kidnapping and Rollingrock Media's abrupt withdrawal from the competition.

With this unexpected break, Ariana took the chance to send her son, Melon, off to a summer camp she had previously enrolled him in.

As he prepared to leave, Melon gave his mother some careful instructions. He stood with his hands on his hips, imitating a grown-up's authority.

"You must eat properly while I'm away and not skip meals because you're busy," he advised.

“And be careful not to get your wounded arm wet, or it'll hurt a Lot. When I come back, I'll examine you closely and weigh you on the scale to make sure you haven't lost a lot of weight."

Seeing her son take on such a serious demeanor as the little man of the house moved Ariana deeply.

“Right, right, I'll allow you to examine me thoroughly when you get back, my dear," Ariana reassured and squatted down to ruffle Melon's silky hair affectionately. With arms wide open, Melon embraced her tightly and promised, "I'll be well-behaved at summer camp, so you must take good care of yourself, Mommy.”

"I will, my darling." Ariana planted a kiss on his chubby cheek and sent him off to board the waiting camp bus.

She watched as Melon boarded the bus with his little backpack, feeling her heart grow heavier with each step he took away from her.

Melon kept turning to eagerly wave through the bus window until a cheerful. camp counselor directed him to his seat. He pressed his small face against the glass, offering a final goodbye to Ariana.

With a brave smile, Ariana waved back until the bus rumbled down the street and vanished from sight. Only then did she get into her car, determined to check on preparations for the upcoming show rehearsals.

The third episode was scheduled to be filmed live the next day in the evening, with a full rehearsal set for this afternoon. She needed to make sure everything went as planned.

Upon arriving at the studio, she saw it was Tom's turn to rehearse on stage. Ariana observed from below and was confident that Tom wouldn't encounter any issues.

As the lively melody started to play, Tom found himself standing still for what felt like an eternity before finally singing. His timing was off, and he stumbled over the lyrics, far from his usual flawless performances.

Ariana's smile faded into concern, and she stopped the rehearsal and called Tom off the stage.

"What's the issue? Are you alright?" she asked.

Tom shook his head lightly.

“I don't know, but ever since I was hit by that stick yesterday, my ears have been ringing nonstop. I thought a good night's sleep would help, but it hasn't."

Ariana grew even more worried, recalling the force of that hit, and how Tom had skipped a hospital visit and went straight to rehearsals after dealing with the police.

Seeing his pale face, Ariana insisted, "Your health is the top priority. If the discomfort continues, you must go to the hospital.