"Okay, Adam," Dawn said. "What do you think of this painting?"
The random splotches of paint littering the canvas took Adam by surprise. He knew Dawn had been working on the painting for weeks. And even though it wasn't very good, he didn't want to hurt her feelings.
"Well . . . I . . . I have to say that I have never seen anything quite like this painting in my life," Adam said. He took a gulp of air. "What is it?"

Which of the following best explains the use of the ellipses in this passage?
A.
to show someone's confusion
B.
to show missing words
C.
to show pauses in speech
D.
to show deep emotion