"I'll give it a shot when time allows," Sadie replied. Her palms grew sweaty, and a sense of restlessness gnawed at her like a persistent itch. She added, “But after all these years, the sands of time could have swallowed our digital footprints whole."

Holden, nodding in reluctant agreement, couldn't deny the passage of time. He watched as Sadie's face betrayed her anxiety. When she thought the storm had passed, Holden's words came forth.

“By the way, can you recall the gifts I gave you half a decade ago? We could adorn our marital home with some of those cherished relics."

"I'll see what I can muster," Sadie answered nonchalantly, though her mind resembled a jigsaw puzzle in disarray, the pieces eluding her grasp like needles on shifting sands.

A glimmer of relief could be seen on Sadie's face when a servant came in.

"Miss Pierre, your car awaits. We should embark right away.”

Sadie rose hastily.

"I need to be at the set later. Excuse me."

She walked off, leaving Holden nodding, his face as cold as ice.

Once, Holden had seldom delved into such matters, letting the past be.

His focus had eternally been on Adele, his biological daughter.

Yet, Sadie's guilty face had planted seeds of suspicion in him.

Holden's thoughts circled back to what he had discovered at the apartment earlier. Each passing moment deepened his skepticism.

At the same time, Adele, having emptied her plate, wanted to leave, but Holden's swift hold halted her. He then tenderly wiped her mouth.

Wiping his mouth as well, he said, "Adele, Daddy bought you a gift!"

His hand went into his pocket, only to discover the box with the crystal hairpin missing.

After a moment's pondering, he surmised he had left it in the lounge, so he had someone look for it.

Meanwhile, Ariana, locked in a dispute with the property manager, employed every resource.

"I have fulfilled your prerequisites, with my credentials validated. Why, then, can't I access the surveillance footage?"

"I've already stated that we cannot access the surveillance footage. Please leave if you do not have any pressing issues," the property manager replied steadfastly. Their resolve mirrored a stone wall impervious to Ariana's entreaties.