Her heart and yearning found solace at last; she was no longer alone.

Eventually, in Holden's embrace, she regained composure.

Gazing up at him with reddened, swollen eyes, she whispered, “It's not too late. I knew you'd rescue me."

Holden embraced her more firmly, tenderly caressing her head before assisting her to a nearby chair. Kneeling beside her, he scrutinized the scars on her body-recent injuries from combat, old wounds from the previous incident, and marks from rigorous training.

The sight of her scars and the memories they evoked fueled a fierce determination within him, his eyes ablaze with resolve.

Ariana, remaining cautious, surveyed her surroundings before inquiring, “How did you and Adrian infiltrate this place? It's too risky. Also, Bennett's aware of the calls I placed to you earlier."

As she talked, she recounted the recent events and Bennett's behavior over the past few days.

Recalling Bennett's comment about phone disruptions, she inquired, "Bennett mentioned interference with outgoing calls. How did you two locate me despite that?"

As Ariana recounted the events of the past few days, Holden's anger grew. He yearned to confront Bennett right there and then.

Noticing Holden's agitation, Ariana paused, gently stroked his cheek, and said, “Holden, it's okay. It's all behind us now, right? You've come to me."

Holden held her hand, kissed it tenderly, and said, "I found you too late. You've suffered unnecessarily. We did receive your calls, but they were traced back to Yland."

Ariana, surprised, asked, "Then how did you find this place?"

“We were already integrating into this area when we got your calls. The fake IP address didn't fool us," Holden explained. "On the day you got into the car accident, someone reported my company. They had hidden weapons in our shipments to Eleymond, and Zayden was also active. I suspected Zayden was linked to the arms dealers, and following that lead brought us to the Olson family."

Looking at Ariana's swollen forehead, Holden's eyes showed a mix of guilt and worry. He sighed, saying, “The Olson family has a bad reputation for dealing in the black market, especially human trafficking. That's what brought us to you."

He gently touched Ariana's forehead, his voice soft. "I'm sorry; I came here late."

Ariana shook her head, giving him a small smile. "You shouldn't blame yourself. I'm just glad you found me."

Holden glanced at her forehead, his face a blend of regret and shame.

“The guy you fought today, that was my doing."

Upon hearing this, Ariana froze.

Holden quickly explained, "I couldn't get in there, so I had to move you here. I switched his tag, telling him to go easy on you, but he didn't... I messed up."