Holden grabbed Sarah by the shoulder. “Let’s go.”
Sarah had underestimated the level of security at this hotel. It was the only five-star hotel in the area, owned by the Smith Family Group. Once the staff found out Holden was staying there last night, they tightened security even more.
Paparazzi and curious onlookers? They weren’t even allowed to park outside, let alone sneak into the lobby to enjoy the air conditioning.
And even if a paparazzo managed to get a shot of Holden, it couldn’t just be released immediately-upper management would have to approve it first.
What Sarah didn’t expect, though, was to run into Elisa as soon as she went downstairs.
Elisa’s filming schedule had wrapped much faster than Sarah’s, and now she was just waiting for the drama to air. After seeing the post last night, she started suspecting that the person staying at the hotel with Sarah was Holden. It had been a long, long time since she’d last seen him.
Sarah’s expression was hard to describe as she looked at Elisa.
The woman’s outfit-top, skirt, shoes-Sarah owned identical ones.
And somehow, Elisa’s makeup made her resemble Sarah so much that Sarah wondered if she’d somehow gained a twin sister overnight. Elisa even looked more like Sarah’s biological sibling than Viola ever did.
Elisa greeted her with a sweet smile. “Hey, Sarah. What a coincidence! Are you staying here alone?”
Just moments earlier, Holden had asked the hotel staff to take Sarah’s suitcase to the parking lot. He’d left slightly ahead of her.
The sight of Elisa immediately put Sarah in a bad mood. Was Elisa here because she couldn’t find Ronald? Had she seen the news and rushed over, thinking she was sneaking around with him?
Sarah crossed her arms. “Drop the act in front of me.”
A flicker of resentment crossed Elisa’s face. She seemed unwilling to accept something. “So you’re here alone?”
“Yeah, just me. No one else.” Sarah raised a brow. “What? Did you think Ronald was here? If you can’t find him, don’t come looking for him with me.”
“I’m not here for him.” Elisa’s tone was sharp. “Sarah, you’ve been chasing after Ronald for so long-everyone knows how much you cared about him. Are you really over him?” She paused, then added slyly, “How about we make a deal? I’ll give Ronald to you, and you give Holden to me.”
In the original storyline, Elisa never showed any interest in Holden. She and Ronald were glued to each other, their relationship unbreakable. Nobody could pry them apart.
The original Sarah had no career of her own and spent all her time revolving around Ronald, scheming against Elisa on a daily basis.
But now, things had changed.
Whatever Sarah did, Elisa would copy her. Sarah returned to acting, pursuing her original career path, and Elisa followed, using Ronald’s influence to book roles. The entire sequence of events had shifted.
According to the original timeline, Sarah and Holden’s marriage should have ended by now.
Holden had already fallen out with Old Mr. Smith, and the Smith family’s every move was now under his control. Even Nicola’s family didn’t dare mess with Holden or try to interfere in his marriage anymore.
In the end, Holden had resolved the whole situation with just two or three hundred million. What started as a marriage of convenience ended exactly the same way-with cold calculations.
Compared to the friends around him, who lost fortunes and peace of mind through messy divorces, Holden’s handling of things was seamless.
What Sarah hadn’t anticipated, though, was Elisa setting her sights on Holden.
“Trading a rock for a diamond?” Sarah said coldly. “Elisa, do you think I’m stupid?”
Elisa smirked. “You couldn’t beat me for Ronald, and now you’re scared I’ll take Holden too. You know deep down you’re no match for me. That’s why you don’t want Holden to see me.”
Sarah shrugged. “Living in your own fantasy world must be nice-saves on therapy bills.”
Elisa’s smug expression vanished, and she glared furiously. “You-!”
Once Sarah got into the car, she slowly buckled her seatbelt.
Holden had been waiting inside for her. She didn’t bother telling him about the run-in with Elisa-she couldn’t really predict how a man’s mind worked.
In the original story, Elisa’s resilient yet pitiful demeanor made her likable, and most men she encountered-besides Ronald-would go out of their way to help her.
Holden and Elisa didn’t have any connection or even a hint of flirtation, but who knew? Maybe he’d fall under her spell out of nowhere.
… Though that seemed unlikely. Holden was leagues ahead of Ronald when it came to intelligence.
Still, just thinking about it made Sarah uneasy-she was already juggling enemies: the male lead, the female lead, and the most powerful man around.
Might as well just drop dead on the spot.
It gnawed at her-the way Elisa mimicked her every move, trying to replace her, as if Sarah could just disappear. Anyone in her shoes would find it ridiculous, right?
In the original storyline, everything Sarah had was stolen from her. Whether she could escape that fate… well, only time would tell.
Holden didn’t stay at home long. He had business to take care of, switched cars, and headed off to the office.
When Sarah returned home, one thing filled her mind-relief.
Butler Ted greeted her warmly, hurrying the housekeeper to prepare some sweet soup. “Lady, you must’ve lost at least five pounds recently.”
It had been a tiring few weeks for Sarah. Her hair color hadn’t even been touched up yet-she planned to fix that soon. But after spending so much time in the car lately, exhaustion hit her hard. She collapsed on the couch and drifted off, half-asleep.
The housekeeper gently woke her and handed her a bowl of sweet soup. Sarah took a couple of sips.
Lucy, the housekeeper, frowned. “Are you feeling unwell?”
Holden didn’t like the house too warm, so they’d turned off the heating weeks ago. But with spring’s unpredictable weather, Sarah felt a slight chill after her nap on the cold couch, leaving her with a headache.
Lucy quickly took the bowl and fetched a thermometer. “You’ve got a mild fever.”
Sarah was no stranger to minor illnesses. She wasn’t too concerned-just planned to head upstairs for more sleep later.
When Holden returned that evening, the house was eerily quiet. It wasn’t the usual vibe when Sarah was around.
Handing his keys to Butler Ted, he asked, “She went out?”
Butler Ted shook his head. “Lady caught a chill and has a slight fever. Everything’s packed and ready for your trip-we can leave anytime.”
Holden traveled frequently, and the helipad in the backyard housed his private jet. He had an overseas business deal lined up, with the flight scheduled for that night.
Butler Ted knew Holden wouldn’t cancel such an important negotiation over something as minor as a fever-she’d feel better after a few pills.
“Pack her up and bring her on the plane.”
Ted blinked. “Uh… what?”
Holden gave his orders like it was second nature, as if telling Butler Ted to pack up a person was no different than packing a doll-just tossing her onto the plane without a second thought.
Without hesitation, Butler Ted had the housekeeper wrap Sarah in a blanket and carry her aboard.
Sarah had taken cold medicine before she fell asleep, so she was out like a light. The housekeeper carefully bundled her in a soft bunny-fur blanket and gently carried her to the plane without disturbing her at all.
She slept soundly at over 5, 000 feet in the air.
Maybe it was her sour mood, or maybe her body just wasn’t as strong as it used to be, but her low fever hadn’t gone down. Her dreams were scattered, blending reality and fantasy.
She saw herself covered in blood, sitting on a rooftop in a white dress. The sensation of falling chilled her to the bone, and with a jolt, she woke up.