And with that memory, a new revelation struck her.

It was Holden.

The cadence of Holden's voice echoed Theodore's, and there was a resemblance between their features, a similarity Melon had once remarked upon. A fanciful notion danced at the edges of Ariana's thoughts.

Could Holden be Theodore?

Almost as swiftly as the thought surfaced, Ariana dismissed it, a wry twist touching her lips, dismissing the idea as preposterous. How could such a connection exist? Theodore, the heir of the esteemed Anderson family, tethered to the Fredrick lineage? It defied reason.