Without waiting, he called her, only to be cut off after a couple of rings.

A mix of emotions surged within him: confusion, pain, and anger. Not one to give up, he dialed again, only to be met with the same unwavering denial. Taking a deep breath, he made one last attempt.

This time, after what felt Like an eternity, Ariana picked up.

At first, Holden was furious, but he bit back his anger.

As the call connected, however, he was suddenly speechless. The torrent of questions he had racing in his mind, inquiries about whether she intended to distance herself from him, died in his throat.

A heavy silence fell over. Unspoken words hung in the air.

After a while, just as Holden gathered himself to speak, he heard a barely audible sob from the other end.

In an instant, the sound extinguished the burning anger in Holden's heart, leaving an ache in its wake.

"What happened? Why is it so sudden?" Holden's tone softened as he gently inquired.

He couldn't bring himself to believe the explanation Ariana had given him. Had she genuinely experienced a change of heart, she would not have bothered concealing the identity of Melon's father before.

Something he was unaware of must have happened.

Ariana took a breath to steady her emotions and spoke. “It's nothing.

I just feel that continuing like this isn't the solution."

A moment of vulnerability slipped through as she choked up, yet she mustered a smile and continued, "No one can live in the past forever, right? It's been such a long time already. I think it's time that I move on as well. I have to start rebuilding my life. It's better to tell Melon the truth sooner rather than later. It's a good thing for both Melon and me, a way to turn a new leaf and start anew.”

Holden listened in silence as she spoke. For some reason, the weight of each sentence pressed on his heart like a heavy boulder, so much so that he felt it difficult to breathe.

Attempting to lighten the mood, Ariana added, "On the bright side, I'm not going to be pestering you anymore. Isn't that great? Besides, now that I'm starting fresh, maybe I'll fall in love again and start a new life on my own. I also wish you well and hope you find happiness soon."

The realization struck Holden that she sought to sever ties completely. His heart felt like it was being squeezed, and a deafening scream echoed from deep within him. He wanted to reject the idea of drawing a clear boundary with her. He wanted to tell her that he didn't want their paths to diverge completely.

Though it wrenched his heart, Holden understood that he couldn't have a say in the matter. Sadie stood as an insurmountable barrier between them.

A profound sense of powerlessness washed over Holden as he sat on the sofa with the phone to his ear. His mouth opened, a feeble attempt to voice a rebuttal or plea, but ultimately, no words found their way out. All he managed was a faint “okay" as a response before swiftly changing the subject.

Ariana continued to chat with him for a while before hanging up.