Three years later, on a stormy night, the Coral Villa was shrouded in darkness, with only a faint light illuminating the living room.
Nicholas sat in a recliner by the window. He narrowed his eyes as he scrolled through today's trending videos on his phone.
In the first year, Pete had set a trap that left Annie's company with debts amounting to hundreds of billions while filing for divorce.
In the second year, I sued for breach of contract and won. The once-dominant figure in the fashion industry changed its name overnight.
By the third year, I dominated the courtroom, ensuring Annie received not a single penny of their assets, enabling Pete to divorce without any loss.
In just three years, Pete's name had become inseparably tied to mine. Meanwhile, Nicholas was known only for the viral video of him crying at the airport, pleading to win back his ex-wife.
To others, Nicholas was a laughingstock, a relic of my past.
In the video, Pete was the first to present me the flowers after the legal proceedings. People remarked that it was a tale of redemption between childhood friends.
Nicholas silently raised his gaze, his dark eyes locking onto a petite figure outside the window. His "childhood friend" was kneeling in the rain, drenched by the downpour.
In the darkness, Beth limped slightly and approached with a towel.
She bowed with a humble posture and said softly, "Mr. Hawk, Ms. Claudia has been kneeling for two hours. It's cold at night. With the rain, she might not be able to endure it."
Nicholas turned off his phone screen. He took the towel from Beth and silently wiped his hands before tossing the towel to the floor.
"Tell her to come in."
Beth opened the door, and Claudia crawled toward the entrance but was blocked by her.
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The readers' comments on the novel: Trouble in Paradise (Arianna and Nicholas)
Unrealistic story. Siblings in love?...