Chapter 261
As the call continued, the other person chuckled and shared a personal sentiment.
“Whenever I’m feeling alone, I want to watch fireworks.
My mother would always distract me with them as a child.
It’s a shame you couldn’t experience it firsthand.
The sight is far more awe-inspiring than what any video can capture.
”
Ariana hesitated for a moment, and then spoke up in a voice that betrayed her unease.
“I have a confession to make,” she said, her eyes downcast.
“I lied to you earlier.
”
“What’s wrong?”
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Ariana’s lips felt dry as she summoned the courage to speak.
“I can see Mount Bridge from where I live,” she said, her tone apologetic.
“I saw the fireworks up close and personal just now.
”
There was a brief hush on the other end of the line, and Ariana’s heart raced in apprehension.
Had her lie caused anger? Her anxiety rose as she waited for a response.
Yet, she could hear only the soft sound of Holden’s breathing on the other end.
“Why are you not speaking?” she asked, sensing the growing gap between them because of her lie.
Finally, the man’s voice came through, “I’m just contemplating.
”
“What are you thinking about?” Ariana inquired.
“(‘m thinking of ways to bridge the distance between us since you seem to be so wary of me,” he replied.
As Holden spoke with a helpless tone mixed with a few sighs, Ariana felt the situation spiraling out of control.
The ambiguity and intimacy of their conversation made her want to escape, even though Holden didn’t say anything explicitly wrong.
Feeling uncomfortable, Ariana grasped at an excuse and said, “It’s late; maybe we should talk about this another day if you have something on your mind.
I’m going to bed now.
”
And with that, she hung up the phone.
The man sitting alone on the Ferris wheel was lost in thoughts, and the sound of the beeping phone jolted him out of his trance.
Though he appeared helpless, his eyes betrayed the immense love he had for the woman on the other end of the line.
As for Ariana, she didn’t give much thought to how Holden would perceive her actions.
Dismissing it, she stuffed her phone beneath her pillow and shut her eyes, ready to surrender herself to slumber.
She had grown disinterested in the prospect of receiving calls or messages.
The overwhelming rush of emotions brought on by the fireworks had quietened her restless mind, leaving her with a sense of peaceful emptiness.
As soon as she lay down, sleep washed over her, carrying her into the land of dreams.
The following day dawned with Ariana in high spirits.
As she stepped out of her apartment, she came face to face with her landlady, whom she had only seen once before.
The rotund, middle-aged woman was overseeing the relocation of furniture, barking orders at the workers in a voice that boomed like thunder.
Her curly hair was stylishly coiffed and she sported an emerald brooch around her neck that glittered in the sunlight.
A closer look at her hands revealed a set of ten fingers, half of which bore sparkling golden rings that shone bright enough to blind a passerby.
Her laughter was so robust that it could have shaken the foundations of the building.