The buzz from the drinks faded quickly, leaving Holden fully sober.

He entered the password once more with care, only to be greeted again by the frustrating error message.

What was going on?

As Holden stood there, puzzled, a young boy's face appeared at an upstairs window. "You should leave. Mom said she didn't want to see you right now," Melon said.

"Melon, what happened?" Holden inquired.

Melon just shook his head. "I'm not sure. But since she came home from the hospital, she has been staying in her room and won't come out."

Hospital?

The mention of the hospital sent a wave of worry through Holden. He asked gently, “Did she go there to have her bandages changed or something?"

Melon replied, "No, she took Adele there for some tests, I think."

With a sigh that seemed too weary for his young age, he added, “Mom won't open the door. Maybe it's best if you leave."

Then, he vanished from Holden's sight, and the window was closed with a click.

Holden felt a surge of concern. He quickly dialed Shawn's number.

“Did Ariana go to Mercy Hospital today?" he asked.

After a slight pause, Shawn answered truthfully, "Yes, Ms. Edwards and Adele went there today. They ran into Ms. Pierre."

Holden's heart sank. “What happened, Shawn?"

As Shawn recounted the distressing events about Sadie's cruel taunts and the hurtful social media post, Holden's anger grew.

From behind the curtains on the third floor, Ariana secretly watched Holden below as he stood all by himself on the driveway. Her feelings churned deep within, brewing like a storm on the horizon.

Seeing him there, so hesitant to walk away, brought tears to her eyes involuntarily.

She was torn, unsure whether she wished for Holden to stick around or to leave. Her refusal to let him in wasn't out of anger; it was from a place of fear. She was afraid that she might not keep her emotions in check if she came face to face with him.

Just then, her phone buzzed with a message from Holden.