The next day, I went to the address Pete sent me. It felt like the excitement of opening a mystery box. He had been very secretive about the details and hadn't even mentioned the style of the place, but I guessed it would be minimalistic, like most apartments.As the housekeeper led me inside, the
My mind went completely blank. I clutched my phone tightly, but I had no idea who to call. The airport announcement snapped me back to reality. I quickly found Yasmine's number and dialed it, but all I heard was a cold, automated voice. The phone was turned off.I rarely called Yasmine's parents. I
On the plane, I was restless. After an hour, the plane finally landed. I immediately called Pete the moment I could turn my phone on. No matter what the situation was, if we wanted to get Yasmine bailed out quickly, with my current abilities... Things would be a lot easier if Pete were around. I h
As the elevator climbed higher, an uneasy feeling gnawed at me. This scene felt oddly familiar as if I had experienced it before. Every time I was in a hospital, something bad seemed to happen.The hallway outside the ward smelt like a faint floral scent instead of the usual strong smell of disinfec
"Go ahead! Smash it! Keep going! Whatever you do to me, I'll pay it back double to Yasmine!" Jasmine stretched her neck forward, gritting her teeth as she screamed in rage. "Ariana, you're the one who started this! Everything happening now is your karma!"I couldn't understand what Jasmine meant. C
Nicholas's tall figure cast a shadow over the hallway, dimming the overhead lights and fueling the anger in my heart.Of course. If Nicholas wasn't backing Jasmine up, how could she have the means to locate them and devise such a manipulative scheme?It didn't matter who was the mastermind behind th
Jasmine's eyes widened in disbelief. "Nick, what did you say?""I don't have the habit of repeating myself. You heard me." Nicholas sighed, but his tone was firm.It took Jasmine almost three minutes to process the reality, but she still couldn't accept it."Nick, are you saying that after using me,
Nicholas knew that chasing after me would be futile. All he would catch was destined to be nothing but emptiness.At first, he merely thought this city's temperature felt colder than in Radiant City. But now, he understood that this damp chill that seeped into his chest and lungs, making him shiver,
The auction hall's large screen flickered, casting an unsettling light and filling the room with a sense of dread. The once-curious crowd now stared wide-eyed, frightened by Claudia's eerie smile and the sinister laughter echoing from the speakers.Nicholas spread his coat wide and wrapped me tightl
Nelson stumbled to the front of the stage, grabbed the microphone from the host, and shouted loudly, "Today's auction is canceled! Canceled!"Nicholas stood up calmly and said, "Since there was a bid, and my bid complies with the rules, this land is already mine! There's no justification for canceli
The auctioneer initially thought starting the bid at zero would ignite a frenzy in the auction room, given that this was a plot of land worth over 100 million dollars.But the moment he announced the starting price, the entire venue fell into an eerie silence.With Nicholas present, no one dared to
On our way back, Leo was still standing beside Yasmine. When he saw us approaching, he surprisingly nodded at both me and Nicholas—a rare acknowledgment.I frowned and glared at him. He had upset Yasmine again! I had expected Nicholas to ignore him entirely, but to my surprise, he nodded back sligh
Dressed in a black coat, the hem of Nicholas' garment billowed as he took a long stride forward.He walked toward me, his dark eyes seeming to hold an infinite power. At the moment our gazes met, a sense of calm washed over me.Only Nicholas made me truly think of this word. He was my calm, but he w
"Yasmine, check the brooch. Claudia will probably reveal my photos in the second half," I said.Yasmine had worn a sunflower brooch on her outfit today, equipped with a portable recording device to capture the events at the scene.She nodded with a serious expression. "Don't worry. It's all set."Sh
An auction naturally features more than one item. At first, there were some insignificant small plots of land with very low starting prices, serving as a warm-up. The attendees showed little interest, though some took the opportunity to bid on the cheap properties.Before the main event began, Beth
I lingered in the guest room until the time I had agreed upon with Yasmine before finally leaving the room.Originally, I had intended to avoid Nicholas for a while, but to my surprise, he was already gone from the Coral Villa.After bidding farewell to Tabitha and Cory, I drove to the firm to pick
At dawn, Nicholas and I finally drifted off to sleep, but suddenly, something jolted me awake, erasing all traces of drowsiness.I traced the contours of his features with my eyes, silently repeating his name in my mind. Curling up, I felt a deep ache in both body and soul. The wildness of the nigh