Can't even rein in his own desires. Useless!"

Ariana remained silent, her spirits still low, tears unabated. She felt deeply distressed, her spirit crushed.

At that moment, a phone on the nearby table began to ring. Ariana hesitated to answer, so Sonia reached over and picked it up. It was displaying an unfamiliar number.

Putting it on speakerphone, an unexpected sweet, childlike voice came.

"Aria, eat cakes!"

A familiar and soothing voice reached Ariana's ears, unmistakably belonging to Adele, a fact that sent shockwaves through her. Hastily grabbing the phone, Ariana questioned, “Adele, where are you?"

However, all Adele seemed capable of uttering was a single sentence on repeat. “Aria, eat cakes."

Just as Ariana's anxiety hit its peak, a woman's voice interjected, "Hello, are you the kid's mom? Your little one wandered off and is now at the local cake shop. When I asked her for her parents’ number, she gave me your number."

"Thank you so much. Send me the address, and I'm on my way," Ariana replied anxiously, ready to get out of bed in search of Adele.

"Hold up, what's your rush? Sit tight," Sonia interjected with a hint of anger, putting a damper on Ariana's impulsive movement. “Your wounds haven't healed yet."

“But Adele is out there, Sonia. They haven't found her, and I need to go get her," Ariana insisted urgently, determination etched on her face.

“Why is it your responsibility to play detective when Sadie's kid is lost? If she's lost, it's Sadie's job to track her down. Why are you in such a hurry? This is their problem, and besides, you haven't gotten proper rest yet. You're staying here!" Sonia said.

Her frustration grew with each word.

While still contemplating her response, Ariana hesitated momentarily before saying, "But Adele is just a kid. She doesn't grasp the ins and outs. Even if adults make errors, we shouldn't toss the blame on the little ones. She's innocent. And let's be real. Adele's already got the short end of the stick with Sadie as a mom, hasn't she?"

Sonia's expression softened at the recollection of Sadie's maltreatment towards Adele.

"Sonia, please let me go! It's risky for Adele to be out there alone, and she called me. I can't just turn a blind eye," Ariana pleaded, tugging at Sonia's sleeve.

Sonia let out a sigh, mulling over the innocent voice on the phone and Ariana's heartfelt plea. Finally, she relented, saying, “Have the nurse pull out your needle, and I'll get the car."

They quickly arrived at the cake shop's location. While heading there, Ariana texted Holden the address and asked him to come get Adele.

Arriving at the cake shop, Sonia parked the car. Ariana, still anxious, decided to venture inside alone.

She saw Adele sitting quietly by the window as soon as she walked in.