Trouble in Paradise

I

Nicholas treated me as if I were his sworn enemy. To an outsider, it might seem like he was the one who had taken the stab instead of Claudia.

"Pete and Silas aren't part of this, Nicholas. Let's keep irrelevant people out of it," I said.

Nicholas had mentioned throwing me in jail before, but clung to a flicker of optimism. I believed I'd be safe if I could uncover evidence proving my innocence Now, it seemed his words held weight. He showed no limits in his behavior when it came to Claudia. I didn't realize how callous he could be toward me. Nicholas pushed me like this for one of two reasons-either to retaliate for Claudia or to make me plead. But I couldn't bring myself to do either.

"Irrelevant? You must have been quite satisfied seeing Legal Ace go after me, huh?" His gaze darkened as it rested on me.

I glanced up at him with a smile. "Is my satisfaction that obvious, Nicholas? I'm eagerly counting down the days until I uncover the truth. I'll prove you wrong!"

I'd never been this bold and assertive around him. The old me had always been gentle and compliant. Perhaps he had almost forgotten who I really was.

Before our marriage, both our families were exploring a potential marriage alliance. I took a bold step and confessed my feelings to him openly and sincerely. I admitted I had admired him for years.

Nicholas was taken aback by the intensity of my emotions and seemed skeptical of my sincerity. He viewed my confession as a flirtatious gesture, especially since after we got married, I didn't shy away from flirting to spend more time with him in bed.

I slowly refined my rough edges to please him and his parents. Perhaps he had forgotten this confident and open side of me in quite a while.

Little by little, I would reveal the true woman I was, and eventually, he would understand a woman like me would never be his again.

The most satisfying revenge against a scoundrel was to grow into a better version of myself.

My defiance challenged Nicholas' authority. His voice grew calmer, but I knew it was merely the quiet before his storm.

He said, "No matter how much you rave here, it won't change the fact that Claudia had to get 20 stitches because of you. Ariana, refusing to repent will come with a cost."

He eyed me as though I were someone trapped, with no say in my fate. "If you've got the time to seek help here, you'd be better off heading home and asking Claudia for forgiveness. Ariana, go apologize to Claudia!"

I raised an eyebrow, seeing where he was going with this. So, he was hoping I would apologize to Claudia.

Neither of her parents called me to berate me, but Nicholas, being the protective brother, couldn't stand aside and rushed to defend her honor.

Yet, hearing such of his words so often had dulled my sensitivity, and I no longer felt fear. Instead, a quiet sadness lingered.

"Nicholas, why have you never placed your trust in me even once?"

I was genuinely puzzled and sincerely hoped he could help me understand. I looked into his eyes against the backlight and glimpsed something fleeting, but it slipped from my grasp.

"You shouldn't have done it in the first place if you don't want the world to find out. I don't believe in too many coincidences in this world. Just know that even if you're hooking up with Silas, he won't be your salvation." All I could manage was a wry smile. Nicholas had already unfairly accused me.Content rights by NôvelDr//ama.Org.

"So, who should I hook up with to save myself? Pete?" I deliberately provoked him, eager to see his calm demeanor falter.

To my disappointment, he didn't react as expected. "Sure. Go ahead. See if he's brave enough to take that chance with you." "Well then, let's test it out." I pushed Nicholas aside and returned to our table.

Silas had risen. "I was about to come looking for you."