Hearing this, Ariana hastened to explain, "There's truly nothing going on between Mitchel and me. He's been a huge support. I couldn't just ignore him. If it weren't for his quick action to operate on me five years ago, I might have lost Melon or even my life. And Melon hasn't been well. All these years, Mitchel has been coordinating with the hospital, working on medication to stabilize Melon. He's been a pillar for me for a long time."

Ariana kept speaking. She didn't realize that she had praised Mitchel too much.

Initially, Holden felt a wave of gratitude towards Mitchel for his timely intervention five years ago. Yet, as Ariana continued to elaborate on the role Mitchel had played in her life, Holden's emotions took a sharp turn into the realm of jealousy. He was envious that Mitchel had been the one by Ariana's side these years.

As Ariana continued to praise Mitchel, Holden reached a breaking point. Overwhelmed by a mixture of feelings, he leaned forward and captured Ariana's lips in a kiss.

Ariana, caught off guard, attempted to push him away without success.