Instinctively, Ariana caught him, and he discreetly slipped a small note into her hand.

Shocked, Ariana looked at him and realized that he looked familiar.

Despite his sunglasses, she recognized him instantly. It was Adrian!

Ariana's eyes widened, and a rush of emotions flooded her.

If Adrian was here, could Holden be here, too?

The thought made her heart race, and her palms began to sweat with nervous anticipation.

Adrian adjusted his sunglasses and acted indifferent. He coughed slightly before nudging Ariana roughly and saying, “What are you staring at? Get moving!"

Ariana quickly caught on to his act. She adopted an aloof expression, shrugged off his hand in irritation, and kept walking.

She clutched the small piece of paper tightly in her hand. When no one was looking, she glanced at it.

The paper simply had the number nine written on it.

Ariana frowned, perplexed by its significance.

Why was there only a number on it? Was it a secret code, or did it indicate something happening at nine o'clock? But she had no way to check the time.

Ariana glanced at Adrian, but she couldn't find a chance to ask him about it.

Despite the uncertainty, Adrian's presence gave her a _ sense of security, making her feel that her chances of handling whatever was ahead were better.

But after feeling a little relieved, a wave of worry rose in her heart.

If Adrian had shown up, Holden was probably here, too.

She wanted Holden to save her, but they were deep in Bennett's territory.

After spending time here, she knew going against Bennett wouldn't be easy. If Holden had come, he was putting his safety at risk.

Being stuck here, the last thing Ariana wanted was for Holden to be in danger. What would happen to their children then?

Ariana's emotions swirled between excitement and anxiety.