Dispirited, Holden found it difficult to fathom the revelations brought forth by the investigation.

Recollections of the photos Melon had shown him earlier, as well as the enthusiastic reactions he had received when attending the summer camp, left Holden questioning the authenticity of the photo Ariana had shown Melon.

His mind was in disarray, yet the Fredrick family's dark web had always been a source of accuracy and reliability, despite Holden's reluctance to accept it.

Once, he had entertained the absurd notion that the person he had fallen in love with five years ago was Ariana and that this Theodore might, in fact, be him.

But now, with this incontrovertible data before him, that notion had become a mere jest.