Moving on adrenaline, Ariana attempted to retrieve her phone from her pocket. But it took her a while because her hands were slicked with blood and shaking violently. But then, she discovered her phone was turned off, likely due to the lack of charge from her earlier excursion.

With a defeated sigh, she could do nothing but huddle against the cracking wall and wait for rescue. She could feel her strength wane, and her consciousness began to fade, her body gradually turning cold.

Ariana had the dreadful inkling creep into her mind that she might not make it out alive. Her only wish was that Remy made it out with Melon safe and sound. If this was truly the last time she could have seen him, she hoped there would be someone to take care of Melon.

Minutes dragged on like years as Ariana lay there, unaware of how much time had passed. Darkness grasped at the edges of her vision as she lost feeling in her cold limbs.

Amid her weakened stupor, she suddenly felt a pair of warm hands lifting her. Ariana responded instinctively, faintly turning her head and trying to make out who it was in her blurred vision. She caught the faint outline of a man that seemed to resemble Theodore.

Her heart skipped a beat. And in that fleeting moment, her eyes welled with tears as she whispered, “Theodore, have you finally come to rescue me?"

Holden found himself momentarily taken aback, realizing that in her delirium, Ariana had mistaken him for her deceased husband.

However, Ariana had lost consciousness by this point, her body covered in blood. A deep crimson hue filled Holden's eyes, and in that instant, he experienced an unprecedented fear. He hadn't even noticed that his own hands were trembling.

“Ariana? Ariana!" Holden's voice, tinged with both fear and distress, pierced the air.

In a swift motion, Holden cradled Ariana, rushing her into the waiting car, heading towards the hospital at breakneck speed.

Upon their arrival at Mercy Hospital, Holden, still gripped by panic, dashed inside. Holding Ariana close, he called desperately, "Doctor!

Doctor!"

Medical personnel swiftly rallied, their faces blanching at the sight of Ariana, a tapestry of red. They took her to the emergency room immediately.

Holden stood rooted in place, his hands stained with Ariana's blood, his entire frame quivering, the chasm of fear unlike any he had ever known before.

It was at this moment that he understood the depth of his feelings for Ariana.

The passage of time became a nebulous concept as he waited outside the emergency room, the minutes slipping through his grasp. It wasn't until the doctor emerged that he snapped back to the present.

“The patient is not in critical condition. No vital organs were harmed. Are you her husband? You should pay closer attention to her usual..."

The doctor's words brought a wash of relief to Holden. He hesitated momentarily before accepting the role, a silent acknowledgment of their connection. He absorbed the doctor's instructions with unwavering focus, diligently noting them on his phone.

Once the doctor departed, Ariana was transferred to a ward, her consciousness yet to return.

Holden gazed at her, his mind dwelling on the words she had uttered just before succumbing to unconsciousness.