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Sarah’s expression remained grave as she explained, “I felt the same way when I saw it; it’s uncanny.
But by the time I realized it, I hastily took this photo.”
“It’s merely an illusion. How could he be Theodore?” Sonia’s emotions ran high, her hand pointing
decisively at the image.
“Theodore is dead. How can he possibly return to life? I witnessed his cremation myself.”
At that time, there were no surviving members of the Anderson family, and Ariana had been in a coma
in the hospital. Sonia had been instrumental in settling matters related to Theodore’s passing. She had
seen his lifeless body, witnessing him being sent into the crematory. So how could he suddenly
reappear here? Were they seeing a ghost?
Sonia, on the edge of shock and agitation, was about to say more when Sarah signaled her to be silent
with a look. It was then that she remembered Ariana was still present and swiftly composed herself,
shifting her gaze towards Ariana.
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Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAriana, however, stared blankly at the photo, trembling all over, struggling to find her voice.
Sonia gently patted her for reassurance and said, “It’s probably just a coincidence. There are plenty of
people who look alike, right?”
Yet, in this moment, Ariana kept her gaze fixed on the photo, muttering, “No, that’s nobody but
Theodore. I’d recognize him anywhere.”
Her eyes were red, and she held Sonia’s sleeve with unwavering determination.
“The two occasions I saw him before weren’t illusions.
They were real. It was him.”
Sonia remained deeply skeptical.
After all, she had borne witness to the heart-wrenching sight of Theodore’s departure into the
unforgiving crematory flames. If this person before her were indeed Theodore, then who had she
glimpsed during the cremation, and why? Furthermore, the hospital had confirmed the identity of the
deceased as Theodore.
Her concern for Ariana weighed heavy on her heart. She couldn’t bear to see her friend lost in a
bewildering haze, haunted by a phantom.
Sonia gazed into Ariana’s eyes and spoke softly.
“If this truly is Theodore, why hasn’t he sought you out? Why hasn’t he plastered the city with missing
person posters? When you suffered in that hospital, fought through foreign lands, and battled
heartbreaks, where was he?”
Ariana’s gaze froze, her mind grappling with the gravity of the question. If this person was Theodore,
why had he never reached out, never come to her?
Slowly regaining her composure, Ariana turned to Sarah and inquired, “Where did you spot him? I’d like
to see for myself, to get a clearer picture.”
Sarah recounted, “It was in the children’s section of this very mall.
I tried to catch up with him, but he’d already slipped into the elevator by the time I arrived. So, I’ve been
waiting here, hoping he’d reemerge.”
Ariana’s eyes drifted to the photo on her phone, her thoughts a tempestuous whirlwind of uncertainty.
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Sonia and Sarah shared a comforting glance, offering reassurances.
“Take your time. It’s likely just a striking resemblance. Try not to let your thoughts consume you.”
Despite their comforting words, both women knew the implausibility of Ariana not delving into this
mystery. For five long years, she had been tormented by the memory of Theodore, the agony of that
unrelenting yearning etched into her very soul. At times, she held onto the absurd hope that Theodore
might still be alive, teetering on the edge of sanity.
They whiled away nearly an hour in the bustling coffee shop, the ebb and flow of patrons providing a
steady backdrop to their anxious anticipation. But despite the sea of faces, none bore the resemblance
they sought.
Then, as if summoned by fate, Ariana’s gaze fixated on two figures emerging from the elevator’s
metallic embrace: Shawn and Adele.
Sonia, too, caught sight of Adele and spoke in a tone both casual and contemplative.
“It seems we’ve been crossing paths with Holden’s daughter quite frequently of late. Today, we chance
upon them here.
Quite the coincidence.”
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