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Lost in thought and considering how best to convey her concerns to Devin, the unmistakable sound of
Sadie’s voice echoed from the stairway’s summit.
“Quick, get all my things to the car. Be careful with them,” Sadie urgently exclaimed as she dashed
down the grand staircase of the Fredrick manor. Her heels echoed loudly against the polished marble
floors as she hastened toward the front door, her singular focus on arriving at a photoshoot punctually.
Upon bursting through the towering front doors, Sadie’s discerning eye caught sight of an immaculate
almond-colored Bentley parked out front. It possessed a sleek silhouette, adorned with subtle
modifications and decorative stickers, clearly a woman’s car.
Her brow furrowed, and she turned her attention to the portly middle -aged servant laboring under the
weight of her numerous bags. She inquired sharply, “Do we have a guest?”
The servant straightened up, offering a polite response, “A child psychologist has arrived, Miss Pierre.
She was invited to work with Miss Adele.”
Sadie’s scowl deepened. Hadn’t Holden mentioned that the psychologist would be a man? Why had it
suddenly changed to a woman?
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAnnoyance surged within her. Sadie adamantly disliked any woman getting too close to Holden, having
taken meticulous measures to prevent it. ALL staff around him had been replaced with men per her
explicit request, and the remaining female servants had been sternly warned against being alone with
Holden or engaging in casual conversation with him.
Sadie briefly contemplated abandoning the photoshoot to confront this unknown woman, but just then,
her cellphone vibrated urgently. It was undoubtedly her agent, calling because she was already running
late.
Gritting her teeth, Sadie acknowledged that there was no time to delay. Moreover, this advertising
contract had been hard-won. She had pleaded and cajoled Holden tirelessly for months to secure the
endorsement. She couldn’t risk losing it over what was likely an overreaction.
With great reluctance, Sadie glanced back at the front door. No matter who this woman was, she
wouldn’t be a permanent resident here.
Surely, she posed no genuine threat.
“Keep a close watch on that woman,” Sadie sharply whispered to the servant.
“Ensure she doesn’t get too close to Holden, do you understand? There are far too many audacious
temptresses out there these days, seeking to take advantage of prosperous men.”
“Of course, Miss Pierre. I will keep a vigilant eye on her,” the servant assured, nodding quickly.
Somewhat reassured, Sadie finally departed for the photoshoot.
Inside the grand foyer, Ariana breathed a quiet sigh of relief as she watched Sadie’s car disappear
down the long driveway. The palpable tension in the air noticeably dissipated. At that moment, Ariana
heard light footsteps descending the staircase. She turned to witness Adele descending rapidly, paying
no heed to anyone as she made a beeline for the garden doors.
Devin hurried over and gently halted the little girl’s progress, leading her over to Ariana for
introductions.
“Adele, this is your new art teacher.”
Drawing from her limited previous interactions with Adele and the background information provided by
the Fredrick family, Ariana understood that art lessons would serve as a means to assess Adele’s
mental and emotional state.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm
In a conversation over the phone the previous day, she and Devin had concurred that it was best for
Ariana to pose simply as Adele’s teacher rather than a psychologist. While Adele rarely expressed
herself openly, Holden believed she was cognizant enough to discern the difference between these two
roles.
He hesitated to make Adele realize she needed constant psychological evaluation and supervision at
such a tender age, fearing it could alienate her from normal children as she grew older. Thus, he
preferred that all doctors and therapists interact with Adele under different pretenses, at least for the
time being.
Ariana readily embraced this sensitive approach and was content to go along with the charade.
With a warm smile, she crouched down to Adele’s eye level and extended her hand gently in greeting.
“Hello Adele, I’m delighted to meet you. I’ll be teaching you art lessons from now on. Doesn’t that
sound like fun?”
Adele simply stared back with wide, unblinking eyes, her stoic little face revealing no emotion.
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