Holden, freshly showered and hearing Ariana's voice, opened the door with only a towel around his waist.

Ariana, soup in hand, stopped dead in her tracks at the sight of him.

Water dripped from Holden's damp hair down to his collarbone, tracing his well-toned muscles before vanishing into the towel.

Blushing, Ariana quickly pulled herself together and offered him the soup. "Have some soup to warm up."

Holden gave her a warm smile, sniffled, and rested his head on her shoulder, playfully complaining, “My head is killing me, but I can't seem to find any medicine. Could you help me look for it?"

Ariana didn't hesitate. She nodded and replied, “Sure, you go rest. I'll look for it."

Holden gave her a mischievous smile, stood aside to let her in, and then closed the door behind her.

Just as the door clicked shut, Jolie, phone in hand, emerged from the corner.

Jolie glanced at a photo on her phone and let out a derisive snort.

"Truly pathetic, choosing someone based on looks alone. She's ignoring the son of the Chadwick family for the owner of a brick factory. Sure, this man is good-looking. But just owning a brick factory? With no wealth and no influence, he's nowhere near Mitchel's league," she muttered.

Ariana had been tricked into entering Holden's room. The moment she stepped in, Holden wrapped her in a tight hug.

He pressed his face into her shoulder, gently kissing and caressing her.

Frozen for a moment, Ariana finally exhaled and gently tried to push him away. "That's enough; I came to help you find your medicine."

Yet, Holden didn't loosen his hold. He nuzzled her again and kissed her forehead, moving down to her neck as he whispered, “I don't need any other medicine. You are my cure. A kiss will suffice."

He then softly kissed her lips.

That was when Ariana realized she had been duped. Irritated, she pinched Holden's cheek. As he leaned forward again, she playfully bit his face, leaving a faint mark.

Just then, Holden's phone rang. Still embracing Ariana, he didn't bother to check who it was and said, "It's probably Melon calling. Can you get it for me? I need to get dressed."

Ariana nodded. Holden released her before he went to dress. Ariana followed the sound and found Holden's phone under a pillow.

The lock screen of Holden's phone displayed a sneakily taken photo of Ariana.

Seeing it, Ariana couldn't help but smile, feeling a warmth spread through her heart.