Nicholas's voice came to an abrupt halt. I saw his body freeze. It was as if he were a glitched NPC in a virtual world, becoming oddly unreal.He stood stiffly for a few seconds. His bloodshot eyes were burning with rage and unspeakable pain as he turned to look at me.Nicholas gritted his teeth and
Nicholas's gaze sharpened after he had just calmed down. I stood still, but my hand secretly tightened around my purse behind my back. It felt like my only source of security under his piercing stare."I really don't remember. Besides, my phone doesn't even work here in the country. Once Douglas hel
"Tabitha, come here! Let Mommy hold you!"I crouched at the door with my arms wide open. Although I knew Tabitha wouldn't run over to me like other kids, I couldn't help but hope—what if she did, just this once?Pete stood up as soon as he saw me. He adjusted his clothes and scooped up the dazed Tab
I raised my arm nervously and sniffed my clothes, glancing at Pete. "What's wrong? Do I smell like something?"Pete leaned in to sniff again, forcing me to back up until I was pressed against the window. Feeling embarrassed and annoyed, I snapped, "Pete! Don't get so close to me!"He straightened up
I didn't struggle when Pete was holding me. My mind replayed everything that had happened over the past two years. From the moment Yasmine asked him to come back to get me, he had been taking risks. At the time, he and Annie were going through a rough patch.Deena was studying abroad, living in a t
I always thought that life could be full of coincidences. If I hadn't needed to reach out to Beth, or if she hadn't asked me to find Nicholas, I would never have witnessed such a scene.Beth said she couldn't get into Coral Villa, and no one answered when she knocked. She mentioned that the villa st
Claudia had been watching my every move out of the corner of her eye. It wasn't until I finally left the villa that she slowly sat up from Nicholas's lap.Jealousy almost drove her mad. Her mind screamed that she wanted to kill me, over and over again.If Nicholas hadn't been drunk tonight, she woul
I stepped out of the room the moment I saw Claudia tugging at Nicholas's clothes. Watching any longer would have been inappropriate.It was late, and everything around was quiet. I gently closed the door behind me, not wanting to disturb them. I hadn't noticed when Beth arrived, but as I looked up,
I didn't want to stay under the same roof as Nicholas, so I took my laptop and went to sit in the courtyard.A while later, Nicholas found me. As he approached, the cool summer breeze swirled around him, carrying it to where he sat beside me."Tabitha finished eating, and her little belly's all roun
Back at Coral Villa, Tabitha had also returned.I carried Tabitha upstairs and started unpacking her things from the suitcase. She was thrilled.Nicholas walked over and squatted beside her. "Tabitha, Daddy and Mommy prepared these for you. Do you want to kiss Daddy and Mommy?"Tabitha stared at him
Nicholas held one of Tabitha's outfits in his hands. It was so small it seemed no larger than a face towel he used to wash his face. He handled them with such care that his overflowing fatherly love seemed to seep into the fabric.I looked into his eyes earnestly and said, "You still have time to be
I pulled Nicholas' hands off my shoulders and turned silently to look out the window.The reflection in the car window showed his pain. I saw him open his mouth, but in the end, he said nothing.When we arrived at Coral Villa, the driver parked in front of the gate.As if eager to please me, Nichola
The drive back was silent and suffocating. Nicholas and I were separated by an invisible barrier, and neither of us dared to say another word to each other.His phone rang, breaking the oppressive quiet. After a few brief responses, he hung up and turned to me. "The police said her injuries are too
The sky had grown dark. A heavy feeling settled in my chest. I wanted to step out and get some air.Nicholas was still seething with anger at Claudia. But he refused to let go of me, holding my hand tightly.In a hoarse voice, I shook my head and said expressionlessly, "I'm not interested in her apo
Nicholas snapped, "Are you done yet?"He grabbed the vase next to him and hurled it at Claudia.The vase, though empty of flowers, still held water. It shattered against the wall with a crash, and shards of glass and water poured over Claudia's head.Claudia barely managed to hold her breath. She co
I fixed my gaze calmly on Claudia. "Alright. Go ahead. I'm listening."Nicholas abruptly shot to his feet, as if a dagger were pressed against his back. He stormed toward Claudia, his anger so palpable he looked ready to strangle her with his bare hands.I quickly pulled him back. "I promise, if any
Upon hearing Nicholas' words, I couldn't deny the twinge of emotion that stirred within me.Was this the misunderstanding Pete had hinted at between Nicholas and me? So Nicholas had actually cut ties with Claudia long ago?A bitter smile tugged at my lips. Had Nicholas not been with Claudia during t