Ariana couldn't help but suppress a chuckle at his flustered reaction.

Feigning irritation, she nudged him towards the bathroom.

"You're not as sneaky as you think. Who do you think took the Little figurine from my desk?"

Halted at the bathroom entrance, Theodore ducked his head, his expression sheepish as he mumbled, “I thought you might never forgive me; I wanted to leave a memento.”

Upon hearing this, Ariana Looked at him and asked with a teasing smile, “So, if I don't forgive you, you're never going to seek me out again?"

The idea was inconceivable! Theodore silently protested.

He would never let her go, even if it killed him. Even if Ariana despised him, he would make sure she stayed with him.

But he chose to keep those thoughts to himself for fear of scaring Ariana, only looking at her, his voice tinged with regret, "I apologize for my past mistakes."

His pitiful demeanor softened Ariana's heart, and her anger almost dissipated. She guided him into the bathroom, not directly accepting his apology.

“First, get cleaned up and put on dry clothes. We'll discuss the rest later."

While Theodore showered, Ariana finally had the chance to check her phone.

As she had predicted, the news headlines had erupted. Among the trending topics, a term stuck out prominently: scandals of the wealthy elite! The patriarch of the Anderson family was exposed as a despicable scoundrel!

Ariana's fingers danced across her phone screen, eagerly tapping the captivating headline that had taken the internet by storm.

As she delved into the article, a cascade of shocking revelations unraveled before her eyes.

The despicable deeds of Darian, the husband who had resorted to drugging his own wife and subjecting his son to unspeakable abuse, were laid bare for the world to see.

But that wasn't the end of the sordid tale! The story took an even darker turn, exposing Jasper's involvement in a heinous murder plot, while his mother, Sharon, orchestrated the horrific act of hiring men to gang rape the woman close to Darian.

Pictures of Jasper and Sharon getting arrested were also included.

The internet erupted with a torrent of comments, each one reflecting the collective outrage and incredulity of the readers.

“The web of deceit and depravity that entangles the affluent is truly mind-boggling!" remarked one commenter, his words laden with horror.

“Wasn't Jasper the charming beau of Brielle? Oh, he is doomed in such a short period of time!" went on another person.