Not only did I want to slap Claudia, but I wanted to do it in front of everyone."Claudia, back when you were in school and I visited you, you had someone slap me across the face. That first slap was payback. This one now? It's the interest."The moment I finished speaking, I delivered another slap
At work, I found myself distracted. Douglas had spoken to me several times, but I hadn't heard a word. Even though I was confident in my confrontation with Claudia, I had to admit that her words had affected me.Who was Nicholas really doing all this for? Claudia claimed it was for her—that he stood
I wasn't sure if Nicholas had ever studied parenting, but he was doing a great job.He gently patted Tabitha's back, waiting for her to fall completely asleep in her crib before setting the storybook down. Then, he quietly slipped out of the room.I followed him downstairs and saw him off at the doo
The next day, Douglas and I attended a dinner party. It wasn't for anything specific—just a chance to meet people and network.It had been ages since I drank this formally. With me being a new face to most, curiosity brought a steady stream of people holding up their glasses to me.Tonight, I didn't
The next day, I woke up alone in bed. Before I could even piece together my missing memories from last night, I felt an overwhelming urge to fall back asleep immediately.My head throbbed, but I still remembered today's schedule. Douglas and I were supposed to meet with the person in charge of the s
Resigned, I shut my eyes as a deafening noise erupted from the balcony. The sound of shattering glass followed immediately, sharp and grating.Nicholas appeared in my line of sight, his gaze dark and menacing. Glass shards fell from his clothes as he strode forward. He shook his jacket irritatedly b
As the towel brushed against my neck, it no longer felt as cool as before. Maybe it had absorbed my body heat, or perhaps Nicholas' hands were even hotter than my feverish skin. His Adam's apple bobbed visibly, the sound of him swallowing echoing in the quiet room. When he spoke again, his voice wa
I pretended not to hear Nicholas' words, turning my back to him and closing my eyes. Yes, I had no conscience. If I were too sentimental, his care would only drag me back to the past. It would reopen old wounds and spark pointless debates about who was right and who was wrong. But without a consci
Nicholas' entire body trembled violently, his mouth opening and closing for a long time without being able to utter a single word."My father… wasn't it because of my mother…""It was your mother who ordered it, and Claudia carried it out!"Nicholas still couldn't comprehend, his voice hollow and di
Nicholas started trembling uncontrollably, anger surging through him almost instantly, consuming every fiber of his being.Although he was aware that there were still some unresolved misunderstandings between him and me, she had already said she didn't mind. He had thought it wasn't something import
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