Nicholas laughed suddenly after hearing what I said. His eyes were red, and his voice held a tinge of despair. "Yes, I'm filthy. I let another woman climb on top of me. I wish I could tear off this skin of mine. But Ariana, if you truly don't love me anymore, why would you care if I'm filthy or not
I abruptly lifted my gaze and met Nicholas's dark, almost dreamlike eyes. A mocking smile spread across my face as I stared at him.Tugging at my clothes, I glared at him provocatively. "What else can you do besides threatening women, Nicholas? I'm 30 now. Do you really think threats like these stil
Nicholas's gaze was intense. It seemed like if I didn't make this call, I wouldn't be able to leave. But what did he mean by saying he would take care of Tabitha? Unable to hide my sarcasm, I asked, "So? Are you planning to take responsibility now?"Sweat beaded on his forehead. He closed his eyes
Nicholas's sudden reprimand startled me, and my fingers accidentally hit the answer button. In the next second, Pete's anxious voice came through the phone."Ari, where are you? I saw your car and have been waiting outside. Why haven't you come in?"I bit my lip, afraid to make a sound. I wanted to
In just a few seconds, time seemed to stretch unbearably long. I had no idea what Pete was thinking during that moment.His fists were clenched so tightly that even his shadow trembled. His right foot lifted and dropped multiple times as if he was fighting the urge to approach the car and find out w
Pete must have assumed something happened between Nicholas and me. But even if I tried to explain, I wasn't completely innocent.I didn't know what to say. Facing Pete, I had never been so tormented as I was now."No. That's not what I meant." Pete suddenly looked a little flustered when I stayed si
I grabbed Pete's hand. "No. It's not that I wanted to avoid you. Maybe… Maybe I'm just not used to it yet. How about we try again?"I tilted my face up slightly and closed my eyes. This time, I was sure I wouldn't back away.But Pete didn't kiss me. Instead, he playfully ruffled the hair he had just
Seeing Nicholas appear out of nowhere, my mind went blank.Pete's heart-wrenching expression as he pushed me out of the car was still fresh in my memory. One was suppressing his heartbreak, while the other's voice trembled, barely able to question me. Caught between them, I felt like an invisible h
The ambulance arrived swiftly, its flashing red warning lights casting Yasmine's pale face in an even starker hue.She got into the ambulance with Leo, while Nicholas and I drove together to the hospital.Nicholas sighed regretfully, "I arranged everything as quickly as I could, but I was still a bi
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