Chapter 975
Holden stood frozen, his astonishment palpable.
Adele’s response had caught him off guard.
A seasoned warrior on the battlefield of business, he felt a subtle tremor in his hands, a tremor born of excitement.
The urge to embrace Adele was strong, but he restrained himself, not wanting to startle her fragile composure.
Instead, he pulled his daughter close in a delicate embrace.
“Easy now, my dear.
You must be starving after going for so long without something to eat.
Allow Daddy to get you something to eat,” he murmured.
As Holden held Adele close, his words triggered a realization as profound as a deep ocean current.
Cooking, he mused, was an artful tapestry.
With utmost care, he settled Adele on his lap, his eyes locked on her as she obediently took each morsel he offered.
Gradually, her dainty fingers gripped his, guiding the food to her mouth.
Watching Adele eat like that stirred a warmth within Holden that was satisfying.
Patiently, he continued feeding her until the last crumb of the cake had vanished, and her glass stood empty.
As her emotions steadied into a tranquil sea, she leaned against him and slipped into sleep’s gentle embrace.
With a slightly awkward grace, Holden held Adele, Lulling her into a deep sleep.
Exhaustion stealthily crept on the little girl in the wake of all the turmoil.
As he watched his daughter finally surrender to peaceful rest, Holden exhaled a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of a hundred burdens.
Gently, he laid Adele down on her bed, his steps as quiet as a whisper, and exited the room on tiptoe.
Retrieving his phone, Holden sent an image of the skewed cupcake to the woman with the avatar of a blue flower.
Across the digital realm, Ariana’s device beeped, signaling an incoming notification.
Engrossed in revising the project proposal, Ariana’s attention was momentarily diverted as her hand reached for her phone.
Before her was a photograph from the affluent online friend she had been talking to.
Observing the image of the oddly contorted rabbit cake, Ariana couldn’t suppress a soft chuckle.
The ears protruded at peculiar angles, giving the treat a curiously ominous aura.
However, with a desire not to discourage his culinary endeavors, she chose a gracious and encouraging response: “You’ve done quite well there.
”
Her friend seemed self-aware of his novice skills, candidly admitting,
“My first attempt wasn’t a masterpiece.
” Accompanied by an embarrassed emoji, his embarrassment was evident in the digital emoticon.
“First tries are often a tad awkward, requiring a certain acclimation,”
Ariana pointed out honestly.
“To craft something like this on your very first try is already a commendable feat.
”
“Thank you.
My daughter loved it too.
”
As she was poised to type “you’re welcome,” another substantial sum materialized on her screen.
Ariana stared at the notification, rendered momentarily speechless.
It appeared that this individual found solace in lavishing others with gifts of money.
She also wondered whether this propensity stemmed from a penchant for extravagant expenditure or an abundance of affluence that defied practical depletion.