He found Melon sleeping in the same posture as Ariana. Smiling, Holden went in and touched Melon's head affectionately, feeling incredibly happy and wishing that he could slow down time.

He then descended the stairs to the kitchen, a determined gleam in his eyes. Rolling up his sleeves, he set to work, preparing breakfast for Melon and Ariana. After that, Holden settled into the Living room with his laptop, ready to delve into his work.

Ariana finally woke up around noon, blinking sleepily as she glanced at the time. With a sleepy gaze, she realized it was nearly midday.

Rolling over, Ariana felt soreness pervading her entire body.

As Ariana gradually woke up, memories of the passionate lovemaking with Holden from the previous night flooded her mind. Instantly, her cheeks turned red.

She reached out to the space beside her. The location where Holden had slept was already cold.

She got up and put on a random shirt she grabbed. Then, she ventured outside without her slippers to find Holden.

Ariana let out a sleepy yawn as she shuffled out of the bedroom.

Still feeling drowsy, she spotted Holden sitting in the living room from a distance. With a groggy voice, she called out, "Holden."

The next moment, she heard a voice from Holden's laptop, saying, “Mr. Fredrick."

Ariana was startled. Was Holden participating in a video conference now?

Upon hearing Ariana's voice, Holden turned his head and spotted her descending the stairs, clad in his shirt and barefoot. Quickly silencing the microphone on his laptop, he approached her and scooped her up into his arms. Frowning slightly, he said, "Why are you walking around without shoes? The floor is cold, and you might catch a cold."

The private work chat group of BRD Group was abuzz with chatter.

Ariana's voice just now had left everyone puzzled.

"Did you hear that? Whose voice was that? It doesn't sound like Miss Pierre's."

"Miss Pierre's voice is different. That was not her voice."

In a flash, several colleagues in the meeting began gossiping about the unidentified voice.

They were all intrigued. It marked the first instance they had a peek into Holden's personal life. Holden typically kept his familial matters discreet, never even allowing glimpses of Sadie's presence during work.

However, this time, the voice unmistakably differed from Sadie's.

Speculation inevitably ensued.