Chapter 31 Missing Child. A gloom fell on Ariana's face as soon as she got this warning. Embarrassed, she pursed her lips and thought of what to say to him. But for some reason, an inexplicable sense of anger was welling up in her heart. Although she couldn't find the right words to say, she was certain that he wouldn't believe her no matter what. He would definitely think she was prying into his business and scheming something. Ariana sealed her lips and got up to pack her stuff. The ride home was utterly silent. It wasn't until the car parked in front of the Anderson family's residence that Theodore broke the silence. "What do you intend to do about Sarah now?". "It's none of your business," Ariana replied coldly, glancing at him for a second. She then picked up Alina and tried to open the door of the car. Those words hit a sore spot for Theodore. His eyes were aflame. He locked the door and uttered, "Did I say you could leave? I'm not done talking!". She had walked out on him twice before. He couldn't let that happen again. The nerve of this woman!. Theodore restrained his anger and said as calmly as he could, "Stubbornness and secrecy will get you nowhere. You can't handle it on your own. Remember I said I could help as long as you—". "And I said no! I don't need your help!". Ariana cut him off. She looked into his deep eyes. "There's one thing I'd. like to make clear now. I'm the one doing you a favor, not the other way around. You gave me this job because you wanted to defeat your half- brother. You should be the one begging me. I can pull the plug on this shit if you provoke me!". "Is that a threat, Ariana?" Theodore's eyes narrowed to slits as his tone became very dangerous. "Er. No, it's not a threat. " Ariana's heart skipped a beat. She was scared, but she tried not to show it. She raised her chin and added, "It's just a reminder. We are partners. I will do my part while you do yours. I can handle it. You just wait and see! Open the door, Horace!" 4. Horace, who was still behind the wheel, flinched and quickly unlocked the door

Ariana snorted and got out of the car with Alina in her arms. "Boss. Do you want to get out?" Horace had his heart in his mouth now. Through the rearview mirror, he looked at Theodore, who was sitting in the back seat in silence. The air in the car warned him of the incoming storm. He couldn't help admiring Ariana for being so bold. He had never witnessed anyone speak to Theodore like that. The air in the car seemed to be stilled until Theodore finally spoke in a commanding tone. "Get the wheelchair. "Yes, boss!" Horace felt a huge surge of relief. He got out of the car to get the wheelchair from the trunk. He looked forward to going home after. taking his boss into the house. Ariana tucked Alina in bed as soon as she got into her bedroom. She then. called one of her friends, Sonia Yates, who happened to be a paparazzo. A displeased female voice came from the other end of the line as soon. as it was connected. "You bad girl, so you finally remembered me tonight? I thought you forgot about me! Which hole did you vanish into? I haven't heard from you for weeks. Ariana tried to calm her down. "I'm sorry, Sonia. A lot of things have happened recently. "Is that so? In that case, tell me what you have been up to. What made you vanish without a trace?" Sonia fumed. Ariana briefly explained her recent situation. She then inquired about the scandal involving Sarah and Lynch. "I knew it! I knew you didn't call to check up on me. You only called because you need my help, huh?" Sonia snorted and started spilling her guts. "The reasonable pressmen know that Lynch set Sarah up. It's obvious that the sex tape was recorded by a hidden camera planted in the room. There's no way Sarah knew that she was being recorded. The main issue now is that her boyfriend put out a statement where he apologized to Lynch. He also said that Sarah cheated on her then- husband with him. His confession has made it impossible for Sarah to defend herself. It's a big setup. Clearing this up will be extremely hard. " Ariana was confused. "Since they have been divorced for more than a year, why is Lynch causing trouble for Sarah now? Can't he just move on?" Sonia scoffed and said in a low voice, "Lynch is a playboy. Actually, calling him a playboy is putting it lightly. He's a dog! Recently, I heard his new bitch is a senior manager of his agent company. She doesn't like Sarah, so she asked him to do something to ruin Sarah's career

" 4. The pieces of the puzzle were finally coming together. This was why Sarah was at the receiving end of the whole drama!. Ariana got angry after this realization. She inquired, “Is there a way to. dig up dirt on him?". After a moment's silence, Sonia answered, "Yeah, I guess so. "Tell me!" Ariana said anxiously. "Well, I have a flash drive. The information on his phone can be stolen easily as long as I can get it connected for a while. But Lynch is a vigilant man. Several paparazzi have been keeping tabs on him, but they still haven't gotten anything incriminating. He's always one step ahead of them and cleans his tracks pretty well. I hate to say this but it's practically impossible to get close to him. Ariana pondered hard and made a decision. "You know what? Just help me get his schedule. I'll find a way to approach him. Later that night, a strange noise from the window woke Ariana up from her deep slumber. It was raining heavily outside. The heavy raindrops were hitting the window hard. The air was so cold. Ariana turned around, intending to check on Alina who was supposed to be asleep beside her. To her utter surprise, the space was empty and cold. Where did Alina go?. The sleep cleared off Ariana's eyes in a split second. She got out of bed. She checked the bathroom and ran out of the bedroom, looking for the child. Ariana looked everywhere, but Alina was nowhere to be found. She finally stopped at the stairs leading to the fourth floor. It was the only floor left to be checked. All the lights were turned off here. Using her phone as a flashlight, Ariana walked to the fourth floor and called Alina's name in a low voice. She walked down the corridor until she arrived a few meters away from. the last room. Helen's words echoed in her head. Ariana wondered who secret was hidden in the room at the end of the. fourth floor. A strange energy pushed Ariana forward. She slowly put her hand on the doorknob and twisted it. The door opened immediately