Trouble in Paradise

To Nicholas, Coral Villa wasn't significant at all. It was just a house, and he could give it to whoever he wanted.

Fearing I might refuse, he fastened my seatbelt. He held my shoulders, trapping me in his embrace.

I met his gaze and said calmly, "Sure."

His gaze darkened. At the same time, his palms felt like they had grown barbs, digging into my flesh with increasing pressure.

I held his gaze unyieldingly. Though I had complied, he seemed angrier. After a long while, Nicholas finally released his grip, but the pain he left didn't fade right away.

"So now that you have a penthouse, you don't care about the old villa anymore?" he demanded, pummeling me hard with his frustrated voice.

It felt as if his words had physically stabbed me.

His breathing grew labored as he continued, "You saw the blueprints when we renovated Coral Villa. And when we bought the furniture, Beth even brought you the list to approve each item. You chose all the little decorations in the house."Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

As he slammed his fist on the steering wheel, a blaring horn cut through his angry voice. "And you just abandoned it like that."

I looked away and gazed out of the window. "Coral Villa was our marital home, but it was also your pre-marital property. You have the right to give it to Claudia. Whether I want it or not doesn't matter."

I reached out and grabbed Nicholas's hand. The moment I touched him, he froze.

His fingers were long and slender, which my old self used to be enthralled by. I lacked the opportunity to fondle his fingers openly back then, but I didn't really care much about that today. Interlacing my fingers with his, I smiled at him.

While he seemed momentarily distracted, I began, "Besides, we're divorced now. It doesn't matter where I live. I know my place."

My words might not have been pleasant, but they were the truth.

Nicholas seemed eager to argue, but I started to pull my hand away once he frowned. He instinctively tightened his grip on me and fell silent. This was the first time in a long while that I had relented to him.

Though he seemed upset, he kept holding my hand throughout the drive. We ended up in a high-end neighborhood, and it looked much more upscale than my own small apartment. The underground parking garage had an elevator that went directly to our unit. The penthouse housed an enormous fish tank, which was filled with delicate tropical fish. The way they swam was a truly picturesque sight.

"From now on, it'll just be the two of us here," he said.

Nicholas wanted to share me around, but I wasn't interested.

Plopping myself down in front of the fish tank, I pressed my face against the glass and said, "I love these fish. I'll watch them for a while, and you should go get some rest. I'll treat you to dinner tonight."

His distorted face appeared on the other side of the tank.

It might have been my imagination, but it seemed like he flashed a smile at me. His gaze turned gentle as he said, "I didn't know you were into fish. I should've bought them for you sooner." "Yeah," I replied absently. "It's not too late now."

Perhaps because I was nice to him, he kept lingering around me and sort of became a hindrance in my fish viewing.

I glanced at the time and pulled out my phone, pretending to make a reservation. I told him I wanted to surprise him and asked him not to follow me. Finally, I had a moment of peace. Just then, I received a message from Silas.

"I've arranged a meeting with Harry at Vinzo Bites. Come quickly!"