Ariana maintained her charade until Melon began to cry. When she opened her eyes, she realized Melon was fake crying.

Witnessing this, Ariana felt resigned and inquired, “Who taught you to do that?"

"Daddy!" Melon promptly replied. "Daddy said it would make you speak to me."

Ariana let out a sigh. She playfully pinched Melon's cheek, saying, "Don't pay attention to your dad's whimsical notions."

"Alright, I'll only follow Mommy's advice from now on," Melon responded promptly. "Are you still angry with me?"

Ariana's anger had mostly cooled off on the way home, but the fear still lingered, making her feel a bit on edge. She pretended she was still mad.

Melon noticed her quiet, stern look and hopped onto the couch, snuggling up to her. "Mommy, check this out. I'm going to do a magic trick for you," he said.

He pulled out a coin and, with a quick flick, turned it into a flower, just like Holden had shown him. Then, he handed the flower to Ariana, grinning. “Here, Mommy. This is for you."

Ariana's expression softened as she looked at the flower. "Did Daddy also teach you this?" she asked.

Melon nodded. “Yep, Daddy said you'd stop being mad if I did this."

Ariana took the flower, pulling Melon into her lap and kissing his forehead. She put on a stern face. "How could you be so naughty? Didn't we talk about this last time?"

Melon looked down. "I know, but I had to protect Adele. I go wherever she goes."

He hesitated, then added, “But Daddy told me that I'm still a kid, and I should ask grown-ups for help when I need it."

Ariana tousled Melon's hair and said, "Exactly. You need to Listen to Mommy and Daddy. Don't let anyone take you or Adele away, and if you run into trouble, ask a teacher or an adult for help. Got it?"

Melon cuddled into her chest and nodded. “Yes, Mommy. I promise I won't do it again."

Hearing those words, Ariana felt a wave of relief wash over her. She stood up, grabbed Melon's hand, and said, “Come on, let's find your dad downstairs."

But as they descended, they noticed that a plume of black smoke drifted from the kitchen, and it was total chaos in there.

Ariana's heart skipped a beat. She dashed into the kitchen and saw Holden doing something in an anxious state, surrounded by a mess. She quickly went to help, only to discover the pot had been scorched beyond recognition. The kitchen looked like it had been in a food fight, and Holden's face was covered in soot. He looked utterly confused like he had no idea what had gone wrong.

Seeing his baffled expression, Ariana couldn't help but burst out laughing. “What are you doing?" she asked.

“I'm cooking," Holden replied seriously.