The man approached the cabinet behind which Ariana was concealed. She observed him yank open the cabinet doors, her nerves on edge.

Just then, a voice called from outside, and the man responded. He stepped back, casting a quick glance at the cabinet, then returned to his desk to retrieve some files before departing with the individual who had called him.

As their footsteps faded, Ariana let out a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from her forehead before cautiously emerging from her hiding spot. She ensured the coast was clear before proceeding with her task.

Quickly locating the landline amidst the pile of files, Ariana dialed again.

Her heart pounded wildly, her fingertips trembling uncontrollably.

She hoped fervently that Holden would pick up soon.

The call quickly connected, and just as Ariana was about to speak, a hand reached out from behind her and snatched the handset away, slamming it down to terminate the call.

Startled, Ariana turned around to see the shift worker who had just returned.

His expression was fierce as he yelled, "You think you can pull a fast one on me, huh? If that call had gone through, I'd be finished!"

Ariana hastily covered her face with her clothes. Thankful for the dim lighting, the man couldn't see her face clearly.

The man was seething. "I knew someone had meddled with the stuff on my desk! Lucky for me, I was suspicious enough to feign departure and catch you in the act. Think you can sneak in here and make a call? No way! You're over now!"

He seized Ariana's wrist, intending to drag her out.

In a panic, Ariana clutched onto a table leg, resisting his pull.

“How dare you defy me? Let's go see Mr. Olson! Let him deal with you personally so that you learn what fear is!" the man exclaimed, dragging Ariana towards the door.

At the mention of facing Bennett, Ariana's anxiety soared.

She couldn't risk Bennett discovering she attempted to make a call.

The worst-case scenario was Bennett killing her, but even if he spared her, he would surely intensify his security, quashing any hope for her to reach out to the outside world.

With a desperate resolve, Ariana released her grip on the table leg, using the momentum to lunge forward and deliver a swift punch to the man's chest. Caught off guard, the man stumbled back a few steps.

The man was caught off guard for a moment. Then, his anger flared at the audacity of Ariana, who had just struck him.

Pulling out his baton, he charged at Ariana, who swiftly sidestepped, adopting a defensive stance.