Louise's offer to drive Arianna home, "So, Arianna, where do you live? I'll take you home," was met with her visible unease, but it was nothing compared to the shock that rippled across her face when she spotted her mother,
Celien, standing by the gate, waiting with an expectant gaze - Arianna's eyes widened in a mix of surprise and apprehension, her entire demeanor shifting as she seemed to brace herself for something.
As Arianna ran towards her mom with an uncontainable smile, her excitement and joy were palpable, but it was instantly tempered by the sight of her mom's teary eyes, which made her heart skip a beat with concern and curiosity,
her little face scrunching up in worry as she wondered what was wrong, her smile faltering as she searched her mom's face for answers.
As Celien's gaze fell upon the man stepping out of the parked car behind Arianna, a cold dread crept over her, her heart racing with a mix of fear and anxiety, her eyes wide with alarm as she frantically tried to gauge the situation,
her entire body tensing up as if the ground beneath her was indeed shaking, her panic-stricken expression a stark contrast to Arianna's joyful one.
The moment Celien's eyes met Gerald's, a chill ran down her spine, her mind instantly flooding with bitter memories and unresolved tensions, the air thickening with unspoken hostility as she recalled their strained relationship,
one born out of Gerald being her stepfather's biological son and her own status as an outsider in the family, their mutual disdain and resentment hanging palpably between them like a challenge waiting to be met.
Arianna's worried voice pierced through Celien's turmoil, snapping her back to reality, and without a word, Celien swiftly hailed a taxi, leaving Arianna bewildered and concerned by her mom's abrupt action.
As they sped away, Celien's curt instruction to the driver, "Sir, Rowen hospital," sent a shiver down Arianna's spine, her heart racing with a growing sense of dread as the hospital's name sparked a terrible fear within her, her body numbing with a cold, creeping anxiety.
Arianna's desperate questions, "Mom, tell me... why are we going to the hospital? Is Daddy alright?" hung in the air, but Celien's response was a heart-wrenching silence,
her face contorting in anguish as she clutched her chest, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably, the sight of her mom's breakdown answering Arianna's unspoken fears,
and as she watched, Arianna's own tears began to fall, her small body shaking with sobs, her mind reeling with worst-case scenarios, her heart heavy with a sense of impending loss.