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.

After much consideration, Ariana felt a twinge of sympathy for Holden, despite his earlier transgression against her.

She understood that his miserable experience and lack of socialization had left him feeling self-abased and depressed, leading to his current demeanor.

As she continued to chat with Holden, she made a conscious effort to be more understanding and forgiving.

She sent him a playful emoji and expressed her gratitude for his return of her mother's necklace.

Holden promptly replied, "I only returned it to its rightful owner. No need to thank me."

But Ariana felt guilty for accepting the gift without compensation, so she asked, "I can't just take this for free. What was the cost? I'll transfer the payment to you."

Holden replied, “There is no need; consider it a way of apologizing for my misbehavior toward you."

But Ariana remained adamant.

“That was the past, I have forgiven you. But I would like to pay for my mother's necklace."

This time, there was a long silence from Holden's side.

After waiting for a while with no response, Ariana decided to take a break and tend to her hair.

Upon her return, she was taken aback by a bill that Holden had sent her way.

The price was staggering and Ariana couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness as she realized her balance was not enough to cover the cost.

Why was she so poor? Ariana cried in her heart.

But she still went ahead and transferred what she could to Holden.