Ariana couldn't help but notice the date on Holden's messages. He had messaged her only on the first two days of her stay at Melcorn.

After that, he hadn't tried to contact her again.

Ariana took a deep breath as she scrolled through the messages. She strengthened her resolve not to reply to Holden's texts.

It was better for both of them this way. No more enmeshment. Each of them could live their lives separated from now on.

Ariana only responded to a few business messages that seemed urgent.

Then, she and Sonia took Melon to have a meal at a restaurant.

Lingering needle marks were still visible on Melon's hands, and Sonia doted on the little boy like a nurturing mother hen. After having lunch, Sonia took Melon shopping at an upscale mall. She let Melon choose what he wanted and bought them for him without flinching. The little boy was so happy.

Melon clung happily to Sonia, showering her with sweet affection.

Once the shopping was over, Sonia dropped Ariana and Melon off at their house. She had become so attached to the little boy that she was somewhat reluctant to part with him. When Sonia finally decided to leave, Melon grabbed her leg with his little hands and begged softly, "Don't go! I'm going to miss you too much if you go."

"I'm going to miss you a lot, too, my dear Melon," Sonia replied, her heart melting at the sight of Melon's eyes.

Letting out a sigh, she took Melon in her arms and placed tender kisses on his chubby cheeks. Then, she turned her head and looked at Ariana pleadingly. "Would you be okay with Melon coming to stay with me for a few days?" she asked.

Hearing that, Melon also turned his head and looked at Ariana pleadingly. Seeing the looks on their faces, Ariana couldn't help but chuckle. She sighed and said at last, "Well, it's alright. It seems like I can never say no to the two of you."

"Yeah!" Melon and Sonia shouted with joy, high-fiving each other happily.

Ariana went to Melon's room and quickly gathered some of the little boy's clothes and medicine. She put them all in a bag and handed the bag to Sonia while giving her instructions. Then came the time to say goodbye. Although reluctant, Ariana had to say a temporary goodbye to her son as Sonia left with Melon.

Once the door was closed, the house seemed dull and empty. Ariana collapsed onto the couch. She had neither the strength nor the motivation to do anything at that moment. All of a sudden, her phone rang. It was Holden calling.

Staring at the caller ID, Ariana felt her heartbeat quicken. She hesitated for a few seconds before answering the call.

The call was connected, but silence echoed from the other end, catching Holden off guard.

He hadn't expected Ariana to pick up. He had dialed impulsively, driven by an overwhelming longing, never anticipating a response. As he snapped out of his daze, he realized Ariana was on the line, leaving him flooded with a jumble of emotions.

But he felt utterly tongue-tied, unable to articulate a word, thus left stranded in silence.

Both ends fell into a quiet lull, Ariana even catching the sound of Holden's steady breathing. Breaking the silence softly, she said, "If there's nothing you want to say to me, I'll hang up."