Chapter 0585
A chill ran through me as the wind brushed against my skin. I turned to look at Nicholas. His eyes were closed, and he was sleeping soundly.
I felt a little dazed, unsure if it was just my exhaustion playing tricks on me or if the night had genuinely turned cold.
Neal’s voice came through the phone, laced with a smile. “Let me know if you want. Don’t worry about me. I’m not the same person I was three years ago. I have the power to handle this now.”
“Congratulations. But it’s not necessary. It won’t change anything.”
Seeing everyone around me becoming more successful, I couldn’t help but feel happy for them. Neal, Pete, and even Yasmine–although their lives weren’t perfect, they all shone in their respective fields.
Even Nicholas had grown over the past three years.
Nicholas might lower himself in front of me, but I knew the moment he stepped out of Coral Villa, he’d transform back into the untouchable Mr. Hawk of Radiant City.
And me? Three years had gone, but I had returned with nothing.
I chose to give up the career I had worked so hard to build. Whether because of my own past mistakes or the heavy toll of Claudia’s injury, the one responsible for it all still lingered in my life, always presenting himself as the victim.
No matter how much I tried to push him away, he refused to leave, bringing nothing but emptiness.
At some point, Nicholas had released me. I sat up in the darkness and peeled off the fever patch Wendy had prepared. I gently pressed it against his forehead.
“Nicholas, I’ve never regretted meeting you. But the cost has been too high. I can’t breathe anymore.”
I stroked his cheek, tucked the blanket snugly around him, and walked out of the room
alone.
The room fell into complete darkness. Nicholas clenched his fists tightly, not letting go until morning.
The next morning, as I carried Tabitha downstairs for breakfast, the maids were unusually quiet.
I knew it had something to do with Nicholas. Since no one told me, I decided to pretend I
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didn’t know. I went through the usual routine of preparing everything before Tabitha left for school.
As I saw Tabitha and Wendy off in the MPV, I finally asked, “Where’s Nicholas?”
Wendy shook her head. “He left at dawn. Seemed like something urgent came up.
She looked around to make sure no one was paying attention before continuing. “Before you woke up, he made a call and specifically told me not to disturb you, no matter what. Seems like something’s happened at the company.”
I had a bad feeling. Even if his company had gone bankrupt, it wouldn’t affect me. Why would he emphasize not disturbing me?
Suppressing my unease, I waited until the MPV left the villa before calling Pete, who was
overseas.
It was nighttime there, and his voice sounded thick with sleep when he answered. Still, I knew he was a night owl and wouldn’t mind.
“Ari?” I heard the sound of a pen cap being twisted off. Pete straightened up. “Why are you calling so late? What’s wrong? Did Nicholas bully you again?”
I froze for a moment. I had wanted to check in on how Pete was doing and ask if Nicholas had caused any trouble for him, but now it seemed like there was nothing to worry about.
I let out a sigh of relief and said, “Pete, I think you’ve been so busy with work that you’ve forgotten what time it is. It’s daytime here.”
+25 BONUS
Chapter 0586
