Nicholas was a devoted son. The moment I uttered those disrespectful words, he seemed ready to explode. Before he could react, the maid ascended the stairs and knocked on our door.Claudia's altercation on campus had drawn the attention of the Hawks. The principal learned that Nicholas planned to tr
Nicholas' voice was husky, with a hint of danger lurking beneath. I stiffened immediately, my body reacting sharply to his touch. His fingertip trailed down my spine, sending a warmth through me. I couldn't suppress a gasp as he delicately pressed against the small of my back. Then, I heard the fai
"Say that again!" Mom's arm shot up as if ready to strike me, but Nicholas intervened from across the room."Brenda, Ariana and I have had some disagreements lately. I'll talk to her about it.""Oh! Was I interrupting your call? I'll go now. I didn't mean to keep you both." Mom hadn't expected Nicho
I first reinforced Nicholas' psychological defenses, then lowered his expectations to gain agreement. True to form, he agreed in a detached tone."I wouldn't lay a finger on you again even if you begged me to."I smiled triumphantly, though inside, I felt less than pleased. My smile faded and I quie
I should thank these two women. They'd given me a new perspective on my marriage. What I possessed, which was something others admired, wasn't what I truly desired. Despite my efforts to explain, they never trusted me and kept their distance.I gazed at them, realizing that words were futile, and as
Claudia and I didn't budge. Nicholas frowned and said icily, "You two sit at the back."I wondered silently if he truly wanted to reconcile with Claudia. His tone was surprisingly harsh. Since I had accepted his terms the day before, I withheld my anger to ensure I could live separately from him and
I had already run out of patience with today's conversation. The task was already completed, and it was time to bring this pointless dialogue to an end. "Don't worry, I've already spoken with Nicholas about—""Ariana!" Nicholas interrupted sharply."About what?" Claudia asked."We're almost there,"
I wasn't accustomed to handling such a large SUV. It felt unwieldy. Even though not everyone recognized the brand, the luxury of the Hawks' vehicle was unmistakable as it cruised down the road. I floored the pedal, and other cars started to veer aside. My attention was solely on the road ahead."Cl