Horace shrugged, understanding immediately what Theodore was insinuating. He picked up his phone and placed a call. After a moment, he had an answer.

“Tietram Media says there's no cooperation for now," Horace hesitated before adding, "and Joziah's on annual leave abroad."

Theodore let out a chuckle, but Horace sensed something was off and wanted to speak up. Theodore, however, cut him off with a raised hand, clearly impatient.

Horace, normally a talkative man, remained silent to avoid any chance of provoking Theodore. He sealed his lips and made sure to breathe as quietly as possible, fearing that any noise might set off Theodore's temper.

Theodore's face twisted in anger as he pulled out his phone and accessed a hidden interface. With a satellite map displayed, he saw a red dot moving in a familiar direction.

Ariana sat in the taxi, her head leaning against the window, consumed by guilt for deceiving Theodore.

She hadn't intended to go along with Helen's plan initially, but Helen's words had taken hold of her mind, casting a spell she couldn't shake off.

Questions that had previously been ignored resurfaced one after another.

Who was Helen? How did she have such unwavering confidence in Theodore? And why did Theodore, a seemingly cold-hearted person, show such tolerance towards a woman with no blood ties? What was their shared past?

Most importantly, why did Theodore harbor such deep aversion towards children? If he could accept other people's children, why couldn't he accept his own?

These underlying issues, though dormant for now, would inevitably lead to conflict in the future.

With the answers seemingly within reach, Ariana couldn't help but want to find out.

The night was shrouded in darkness as the taxi left the bustling city and arrived at the prestigious villa community in Eleymond.

Soon, the familiar house came into view, causing Ariana's worries to intensify.

This place held memories of the two months following her marriage into the Anderson family. It wasn't extraordinary, yet it felt like an entire lifetime. It was here that she had met the person she had fallen in love with. She had once believed her life would be stable, but now it felt enveloped in uncertainty once more.

Ariana felt sorry for deceiving Theodore. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, but a relationship with so many unresolved issues couldn't last. The issue of the child was looming, and she needed to find out what lay in his past that he didn't want to talk about.

After paying the fare, she stepped out of the taxi with determination.

The wrought iron gate stood before her, closed and silent. A few lights illuminated the eaves, bringing a sense of calmness.

Ariana punched in the familiar password from memory and opened the small gate beside the iron entrance. Despite the familiar surroundings, the absence of the elderly gardener struck her as peculiar; he usually emerged upon hearing any commotion.

Without dwelling on the thought, she wrapped her coat tighter around her and treaded cautiously towards the door. Just as she took a couple of steps, a sudden figure emerged from the other side of the fountain, jolting Ariana out of her reverie.