Trouble in Paradise

That was good. I was sure that the woman in question came from a good family, considering that Harry had approved of her. It would not be a bad thing either if Pete could get along with her. "That's great. It's been so long since I've seen him. Harry, could you help relay my congratulations to Pete?"

I raised my wine glass as I spoke. It was my first drop of alcohol tonight.

Nicholas was also slightly interested in the conversation after hearing that Pete was planning to go abroad and began asking questions in "concern".

I wasn't in the mood to listen to their conversation, so I began to slowly sip on my wine. Before I knew it, I had already drunk more than a few glasses.

The wine was delicious. But just as I was about to take another sip, Nicholas gripped my wine glass, stopping me from drinking.

I didn't even hear what he had said to Harry when he suddenly carried me bridal style. I waved Harry goodbye over his shoulders and told him I'd visit him tomorrow.

Nicholas was a little rough as he stuffed me into his car. I wasn't drunk, but I felt like all of my senses seemed to be extra sensitive.

I used my long hair to cover my hair and laid on Nicholas' back, pretending to be drunk.

Nicholas assumed I was drunk and said softly, "There's no need for you to go out tomorrow."

Taking advantage of the dark, I opened my eyes after hearing his words.

After not hearing a reply from me, Nicholas bent down and combed my hair away, only to find out that I was "deep asleep".

He gently patted my head before carrying me into our house and placing me on our bed. Then, he made some tea for me to drink. He had even helped me wipe my face and changed me into my pajamas.

I thought he would sleep by my side, just like how he did the night before, but that wasn't the case.

As he got up from the bed, he said gently, "Go to sleep."

I had been wondering if I was a talented actress only seconds ago. It was only then did I realized that Nicholas just had not called me out when I had faked being drunk. But then again, there was no need for such pretenses between us. When I opened my eyes to look at him, I realized he had already turned to leave. With that, my tense nerves began to relax as I slowly fell asleep.

...

The next day, I was awoken by a call from Jasmine. She said that she wanted to meet me one last time before she left.

I never thought Nicholas would really send Jasmine away. But at the same time, I did not believe that Jasmine would leave just like that. After all, Claudia was a stark reminder of how soft-hearted Nicholas could be. Nicholas was always lenient and kind to the people he cared about. I no longer expected anything from him, nor will I ever expect anything else. I had enough after being disappointed time after time again.

So, I brushed Jasmine off and ended the call. Then, I messaged Douglas and asked him to check where the Goodwins were staying.

Although the Goodwins weren't considered to be part of high society, they had risen exponentially in status after Lucia had married Marcus.

I was quickly stopped at the gates of the Goodwins residence. Instead of meeting Lucia, I was reprimanded and insulted by her mother, Karen Miller.Content rights by NôvelDr//ama.Org.

I had assumed Lucia's family would be feeling sad after losing their child, but Karen just seemed to be pissed as her words were harsh and nasty.

"How could you curse someone into losing their child just because you've lost yours? How can you seduce your family friend after failing to keep your husband by your "

It wasn't my first time listening to such words. My relationship with Pete had never been a secret. Not to mention, some people had caught glimpses of Pete back when I had a strong presence in social media.

He had always been by my side, so it was unavoidable that there would be some unkind rumors floating around. But I had never paid much mind to them.

I smiled politely. Karen looked at me with disdain before glancing at the items in my hand.

"Did you think you would be able to pay for my grandson's life with those measly things? Even my pet dog is worth more than those things.

"Are you unable to come up with anything valuable because you're divorced now?"

Since she wanted compensation, I'd give it to her. "Mrs. Goodwin, why don't you name a price, and I'll see if I can afford it. If I can't, I'll think of some other way to repay you." "Name a price? Those words must be easy for you to say. If my daughter had given birth to that child, the child would have been the next heir of the Shelman family-" "Mom-"

Before Karen could finish her sentence, a weak voice interrupted her.

I had met Lucia a few years back, but she seemed to have lost a lot of weight after losing her child. She was so skinny that I could barely recognize her.

"Ariana, go home. I just want to see Marcus' attitude regarding the whole situation. If a husband can't even protect his wife, then what's the use of all those materialistic things?"