"Where, pray tell, did you acquire this position?"

“Simply put, by bearing Holden's child," Sadie replied through clenched teeth, struggling to maintain her facade.

Zayden regarded her with a wry smile before tossing a document on the table before her.

Sadie opened the document, and a series of printed photographs met her gaze. They were of the fateful day she had doled out punishment to Adele in the lounge of the mall.

Her body instantly ran cold, nerves gnawing at her.

She had no clue how Zayden had gotten these images, what sinister purpose they could serve, or whether Holden was privy to this dark chapter of her past.

Witnessing Sadie's pallor, Zayden couldn't hide his delight.

“One of my people happened to be overseeing that lounge area. Coincidentally, on that day, Holden misplaced something and had my man review the surveillance footage to recover it. Little did they anticipate stumbling upon such a captivating incident. Be thankful that these photographs haven't fallen directly into Holden's hands."

At this point, Sadie could scarcely remain seated, her anxiety palpable. She stared at Zayden, her unease on full display.

“What are you trying to say?"

Zayden smirked and asked with a sinister edge, “Tell me, my dear, is Adele truly your flesh and blood?"

A shiver coursed through Sadie, her response still forming when Zayden went on, “Rumor has it that Ariana was expecting twins back then, but now she's returned with only one child. It piqued my curiosity. Five years ago, Ariana did indeed give birth to twins. Her daughter, however, was frail and had to be placed in an incubator at the hospital. Then, just a few days later, that very hospital was mysteriously engulfed in flames, and her daughter met a tragic end.

Quite the intriguing coincidence, wouldn't you say?"

Zayden recounted the tale in a matter-of-fact tone, never taking his eyes off Sadie's. She was so nervous; it was as though the air had been sucked out of the room.

He continued with a sardonic grin, “I'm awfully curious about your role in their lives five years ago. To my knowledge, you were never in the picture when it came to Holden - or should I say Theodore — at that time."

Sadie's heart, once fortified like a fortress, crumbled in an instant.

She agitatedly tossed the photos aside, her face turning red like a ripe tomato.

“Zayden, what's your endgame here? Spit it out! Do you honestly think I'd swallow your tall tales based on a handful of photographs?"

Zayden, the picture of composure, seemed to revel in Sadie's mounting frustration. She couldn't help but raise her voice, exclaiming, "Five years ago, Holden and I were as inseparable as peanut butter and jelly. Adele is the apple of our eye, and that woman, Ariana, has no place in this picture!"

“Damn, you're as stubborn as a mule!" Zayden looked at her, his indifference to her stubbornness only fanning the flames of Sadie's anger.