"I don't want to hear your nonsense," Ariana declared, seeing him struggle but showing no sympathy. She tightened the rope even more, determined to move him along.

However, Bennett resisted. Looking down, Ariana saw that he had wrapped his arms around the rope, fighting back with all his strength, his wounds reopening and bleeding.

Undeterred, Ariana increased her effort, pulling harder.

The standoff intensified, the two locked in a fierce contest of wills.

Despite his injury, Bennett's strength unexpectedly outmatched Ariana's. Even when she exerted all her power, she failed to overpower him.

Finding his footing, Bennett adjusted his grip on the rope, slowly gaining the upper hand.

As Ariana appeared on the brink of relenting, Bennett prepared to taunt her, but she abruptly released her hold.

Thrown off balance, Bennett could not retract his force in time and fell heavily, his broken bone stabbing deeper into his flesh, the pain almost coaxing a scream from him.

Caught off guard by Ariana's ruthless tactic, he struggled to a sitting position. He then saw Ariana crouch down, her face buried in her knees, a portrait of defeat.

“What's wrong?" Bennett felt uneasy, sensing that something was amiss.

Ariana remained silent, her stillness stretching the silence. Feeling the tension, Bennett asked, "You're not crying, are you?"

There was no response. Bennett awkwardly edged closer to Ariana, straining his ears for any sign of sobbing, yet he heard nothing.

But it was evident that Ariana was deeply disturbed.

Bennett knew that extreme sorrow could be so overwhelming that tears would refuse to come. Could it be that Ariana was engulfed in such grief?

For the first time, Bennett found himself struggling to react before a woman, racking his brain for comforting words, but his mind was blank. He knew that simple platitudes would not suffice for someone like Ariana.

"Alright," he finally said, after a thoughtful pause. "You don't need to be so sad. Perhaps Holden didn't die. He and Adrian had jumped out of the car with me just seconds before the car exploded.”

Bennett hoped his words would elevate Ariana's mood, yet she remained impassive, entrenched in her own thoughts without a hint of change.

Bennett strained his ears but discerned no sound. A sudden concern gripped him-perhaps she had passed out.

With effort, he propped himself up and reached over to gently shake her. At last, she moved and looked up, her eyes brimming with tears, red and swollen. Nonetheless, she resisted the urge to cry, resolved not to show her tears in his presence.

“Wait, are you actually crying? I didn't do anything to you! Why the tears?" Bennett was utterly perplexed, rambling without clarity.