Just as I was about to turn Nicholas down, the waiter knocked and brought in the dishes I ordered.I frowned. "Did you bring the wrong dishes? This isn't what I ordered."I was starving and had ordered butter-poached lobster tails, seared scallops, sous vide short ribs, and king crab legs with herb
After finishing lunch, I asked Douglas to take me to Jay Caldwell & Co. I needed to discuss a few things with Yasmine.Nicholas stopped me in front of the car. "Can't you spare me just half an hour?"The wind was stronger today, and my words carried a coldness as I spoke."I think you should make th
In Nicholas's mind, it seemed like I still loved him because I had his child.I could clearly feel that from the moment I revealed that Tabitha was his daughter, he became much softer."We're here," Douglas reminded me in a low voice, snapping me back to the present.Today, I was meeting with Yasmin
The journey from Jay Caldwell & Co. to Coral Villa wasn't long, taking less than half an hour.I kept refreshing the webpage, watching the situation unfold. The trending topics about Claudia and Nelson continued to drop in popularity. Someone was clearly working to bury the story."Tell the PR team
Claudia had left, yet it still felt like someone was standing there. The tension of a silent standoff stirred something deep within me. But under the cover of darkness, whatever I couldn't hide would still remain unseen."Was it you?" Nicholas's voice carried no hint of emotion, and his gaze was unr
"Where's Tabitha? I'm here to take her home," I looked around and asked.Nicholas replied, "I've put her to sleep. Could she stay with me for a few more days?""This early?" Nicholas nodded as he looked at me. His voice was heavy like something was weighing him down."She usually doesn't fall aslee
I stayed silent, feeling dizzy the moment Nicholas held my hand. The words I didn't want to hear, the topics I tried to avoid, slipped so easily from his lips. "Ariana, I truly didn't know you were carrying our child. I thought the baby was gone back in the hospital..."His Adam's apple moved as he
Some things wouldn't change whether spoken aloud or left unsaid. Nicholas didn't understand. He had already explained himself. What more did I want from him?The hope in his eyes dimmed as he said, "You clearly care about me, so why won't you let me get close?"No matter how good-tempered Nicholas w
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