She suddenly felt like she was a fool. She had been waiting for Theodore to leave the house for so long, but it turned out he had left for the hospital with Helen early in the morning.

She had promised herself to not feel sad anymore, but the feeling of disappointment had consumed her. She sat on the sofa, sulking in despair for a long time. She didn't leave until the sound of silence took over the garden.

March's rising temperature had gone unnoticed until Ariana stepped into the taxi, feeling a layer of sweat on her forehead. She was unsure if it was due to the weather or her anxiety.

Finally, she successfully evaded Judy's prying eyes and left the Anderson family's mansion with her belongings. Before heading to her office, she put her luggage in her rented apartment.

Sarah was lounging in the office chair, humming the melody of her latest song.

Upon seeing Ariana, she sat up straight with a hint of guilt.

"Why are you here today? Isn't it your day off?"

Ariana tried to keep her voice steady.

"I've moved my luggage out. I came here to pass the time."

Not noticing the guilty look on Sarah's face, Ariana sat in her chair and began checking her overflowing mailbox.

Ever since Sarah had made it big, invitations from advertisement agencies, variety show production teams, and even film and television crews poured in non-stop.

As Ariana sifted through the various scripts that had come in, she couldn't help but wonder if Sarah would be interested in acting.

"Do you want to act in a film? Maybe you can gain something new if you broaden the scope," she suggested.

Sarah skimmed through the scripts that Ariana had picked out for her, but she didn't find them intriguing.

"These scripts won't suit me," she said with a shrug.

"I am just a singer, and I'm not sure if I'm good enough to act. I should leave that job to professionals. Instead, I would prefer to channel my energy toward making an exceptional album. If things go well, | would love to hold a grand concert."

As they sat in the room, Sarah's mind drifted toward the bet between Ariana and Jasper. Trying to shift the conversation to a more lucrative topic, she tentatively suggested, "But since I'm not currently tied down, I can consider accepting some profitable offers for advertisements or variety shows."

Reading Sarah's mind like an open book, Ariana flashed a knowing smile and calmly retorted, "Relax. Instead, channel your energy into perfecting your upcoming album. After all, a few mundane ads and TV programs won't resolve our underlying problems, but will only consume precious time."

Unconvinced, Sarah was unrelenting.

"We need to seize every opportunity to make money. Trust me on this one."