Pete wanted to continue comforting me, but I stopped him. "Pete, I'm going back home."He stood frozen in shock, his expression frozen. It took him a moment to process before he forced a smile. "Ari, you said you never wanted to go back."Three years ago, he had flown back to bring me home. At the a
I saw Nicholas again at the welcome banquet Douglas had arranged for me.I, who had hurriedly left the country as Mrs. Hawk, was now back. Despite having once been ruthlessly criticized because of him, I had become the center of attention, the person everyone wanted to please.In the early days afte
"Long time no see, Nick!"A strong, yet restrained voice interrupted us, drawing both Nicholas's and my attention. The next second, a large hand wrapped around my waist, pulling me into a warm embrace.A girl gasped. "Isn't this the legendary Mr. Shelman? He's famous both at home and abroad!"I look
Pete looked at me in surprise. He reached out and gently ruffled my hair. Then, he said to Nicholas, "Ari and I have something to attend to, so we'll leave now. Let's catch up another time."He bent down and whispered into my ear, "Tabitha is waiting for you at home."My heart softened thinking of T
The car pulled up, but I couldn't open the door.Pete lowered the window and teased, "What kind of clumsy little fool are you? Put some strength into it!"I struggled with the oversized SUV he had somehow acquired, pulling at the door with all my might but to no avail.It was as though the man who h
Pete was already in his 30s. No matter how happy he felt, he could calm down within seconds.He set me down but didn't immediately let go of me. He leaned down, intending to place a kiss on my forehead."Pete Shelman," I called his name.Upon hearing his name, his movement froze, replaced by deep af
Nicholas's sudden appearance shattered the delicate hint of romance that had formed between Pete and me.Once the moment dissolved in the air, it was impossible to restore. Some topics were no longer suitable for a second discussion.He dropped me off at the Jones residence. He hesitated for a momen
I wanted to ask Nicholas why he was here, but my throat felt dry and sore, almost on the verge of burning.Nicholas didn't seem to be in a hurry to speak either. He lowered his eyes and lit a cigarette.Since his recovery, the black suit and pants had become his signature look. Had Claudia stopped d
The crowd was gripped by terror, some clutching their heads and scattering in panic. Seeing the commotion, the bodyguards fired two shots into the ceiling.Nelson, emboldened, began to struggle fiercely, and Leo started losing control of him.Despite his injuries, Leo gritted his teeth, snatched the
I could hardly believe it—something even Neal couldn't achieve, Nicholas managed effortlessly. The evidence against Nelson was laid bare for everyone to see.I stared coldly at Nelson, already envisioning his inevitable downfall.It turned out that beyond his flesh trade, he had also ventured into t
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