Ariana had been waiting for a while with her phone in hand, thinking Dr. Larson was just temporarily caught up with something. She set her phone down and tried to wait patiently, excitement about discovering the truth soon bubbling up inside her.

She was so caught up in her anticipation that she couldn't focus on anything else, staying close to her phone, eager for Dr. Larson's response.

Shortly after, Holden returned.

As he walked into the room, he noticed Ariana staring intensely at her phone and chuckled. “What's going on? Why are you glued to your phone?"

It was only then that Ariana realized Holden had come back. She leaped up joyfully and hugged him. Looking into his eyes with a sparkle in hers, she exclaimed, "Dr. Larson agreed to show me Sadie's file!"

“Really? Why the sudden change of heart?" Holden asked, smiling as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Well, he said there are two conditions I need to agree to. If I say yes, he'll let me see it," Ariana replied with a smile.

"What kind of conditions?" Holden's expression turned cautious.

Ariana glanced at her phone and responded, "I asked him about that, but he hasn't replied to me yet."

Just then, Ariana's phone buzzed, displaying a new message from Dr. Larson.

Ariana quickly moved away from Holden to grab her phone, while Holden leaned forward, curious about the message from the doctor.

Ariana pressed play on the voice message, and a male voice declared, "I've got two conditions. First, spill why you're so stuck on Sadie's records. I want the truth, no lies."

Ariana thought about it and decided she had no issue with revealing the truth. The voice continued after a brief pause. "My second condition is that you let me operate on you. Your facial structure is already excellent, but I can enhance it even further. Once I'm done, people worldwide will want to emulate your look, making you my finest work."

The message ended, leaving Ariana and Holden in shock. The room fell silent.

During this silence, Ariana pondered over countless outcomes.

She knew the doctor was highly skilled and unlikely to make any errors. Although his request seemed a bit extreme, it appeared harmless to her health, and it would enable her to access Sadie's past plastic surgery records.

She wondered if it would be safe to agree to his terms...

But Ariana had never considered getting plastic surgery, so she felt a bit uneasy. She was content with her appearance as it was, and the idea of knives cutting into her face was too frightening for her.

As she hesitated, Holden took her phone and typed a response.

“No, I cannot accept your second condition. Thank you."