It was apparent that Helen knew him well, and Ariana fell silent. All of a sudden, she didn't want to say anything. She turned on her heel and left the kitchen.

“Ariana.”

Theodore's voice was unusually earnest as he called out to her, but Ariana didn't turn back and made a quick dash upstairs.

Frowning, Theodore watched her retreat, his heart heavy with concern.

Helen, who had been observing the scene from the sidelines, couldn't help but smirk to herself. She put on a pitiful facade as Theodore turned to her.

"Maybe Ariana dislikes me; that's why she's so against me."

After a moment of contemplative silence, Theodore spoke gravely.

"Since my wife doesn't like you, it's best that you don't show up in front of her anymore."

“Theodore...” Helen gasped, her disbelief evident. She was at a loss for words.

Theodore refused to acknowledge Helen's existence any longer and left.

Helen's hands shook with anger, but she could not muster the courage to speak out.

The next day, after packing up her stuff, Ariana paced around her room. She was dreading the thought of confronting Theodore about her departure, and she was trying to figure out a way to slip away unnoticed.

She couldn't bear the idea of angering him, or worse, being stopped from leaving.

Ariana spent a long time nervously peeking out the window, searching for a sign of Theodore's departure, but his car was still there.

In the garden, Judy was supervising the landscaping team, giving them directions ‘on how to move some of the plants around. When she caught sight of Ariana standing by the window, she assumed that Ariana was looking for Theodore.

"Ma'am, are you looking for Mr. Anderson?" she asked.

Ariana was startled by the sudden interruption, and her mind was still preoccupied with thoughts of how to escape undetected. She hesitated for a moment before answering, feeling a pang of guilt for keeping her plans hidden from everyone.

Judy, who was busy in the garden, had no idea about Ariana's plan to escape from the mansion. Thinking that Ariana was looking for Theodore, she kindly informed her of his whereabouts.

"Mr. Anderson took Miss Clarke to the hospital for a regular check-up early in the morning and won't be back until the evening. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call him."

"Got it." Ariana breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for the unexpected luck that Theodore was not around. She then smiled awkwardly and closed the window.