She cautiously opened the message and saw the simple query, “Are you there?"

After a moment's pause, Ariana mustered the courage to type "Yes", and was surprised by the quick response from the other end.

A charming cat emoji appeared on her screen, making her burst into Laughter.

It was hard to imagine the stoic and haughty CEO sending such a playful emoji.

As she chuckled to herself, Ariana couldn't help but think back to Jennifer's words about Holden. The stories of a tough upbringing, lack of friends, and physical scars were far from the playful and lighthearted persona on the screen before her.