Trouble in Paradise (Arianna and Nicholas) novel Chapter 318

Nicholas had just settled down in bed not long ago, so I thought he had fallen into a deep slumber. I didn't bother to avoid him while I was on the phone with Yasmine.

To my surprise, he was only pretending to be asleep. He heard every word of our conversation clearly.

He suddenly reached out to my waist once I hung up. After a brief stab of pain, I found myself lying in his embrace. He wasn't fully awake. His eyes were still closed, and he seemed languorously sprawled on the bed.

An indescribable dull pain suddenly gripped my heart. Everything felt so familiar—the house, the bedroom, the man next to me, his gestures.

Even the way he instinctively slipped his hand under the hem of my nightgown was the same as always. The warmth of his palm was so scorching that it nearly scalded my abdomen.

His warm breath brushed against my neck as he rasped, "I can help you with the company, but don't let me hear you ever mention Pete again."

I stiffened. Holding his hand, I pulled myself away from his embrace.

His offer, made so easily, made me feel like it was just a charitable cause for him. Using his abundant power and influence that were insignificant to him, he bestowed favors upon me.

"I don't need it, Nicholas."

Meeting Douglas again felt like a work of fate.

When I sold the shares back then, Nicholas had helped me sell them at a price higher than the market value. If I quietly found a chance to buy them back now, Douglas would probably be capable of managing it without any issues.

After all, my mother also knew nothing when she took over Jones Corporation. I was very confident in Douglas's abilities.