Trouble in Paradise (Arianna and Nicholas) novel Chapter 474

The car moved smoothly along the road, and neither Nicholas nor I had any intention of speaking.

It wasn't until the car came to a stop at a red light that the cold expression on Nicholas's face softened slightly. A little girl broke free from her mother's hand and skipped across the street.

"Is your child well-behaved?" he suddenly asked.

Your child... Nicholas used the word "your child". My child had nothing to do with him.

My child had inherited depression because of him. Yet, here he was, casually asking me if my child was well-behaved.

Tabitha was very obedient, so much so that she rarely spoke. If Nicholas ever found out about Tabitha's condition, would he still ask me so indifferently whether she was obedient?

I clenched my fists, digging my nails into my palms just to hold back my frustration. I answered calmly, "Mr. Hawk, you'll have your own child someday. There's no need to worry about anyone else's."

I didn't want to discuss Tabitha with him, so I avoided the topic. My words clearly irritated him, his breathing growing heavier.

It had been a while since we last met, and apparently, even his interest in my well-being was a mistake.

"True, you've had a man by your side for three years. It shouldn't be my responsibility to care about the child," Nicholas said before letting out an insincere laugh.

"Mr. Hawk, you didn't spend those years lonely either. Claudia is now officially Ms. Hawk, making it even more right for the two of you to live under the same roof.

"You've got someone by your side now, so it seems like you enjoy this kind of arrangement. Why bother mocking me?"

"Arrangement…" Nicholas muttered, driving while mulling over my choice of words.

The life he had once imagined—having a wife and a sister—had become nothing more than an "arrangement" in my eyes.

He didn't blame me for being upset. He had been too oblivious in the past. But when I refused to give him any chance to explain and left without hesitation, what right did I have to criticize him?

I had no patience left for Nicholas's sarcastic jabs. Even pretending to be polite felt pointless now. "If you have something to say, just say it. What exactly do you want, Mr. Hawk?"

If I stayed with Nicholas any longer, I was truly going to lose my mind.

"Nothing. Just breakfast," he replied in a low voice.

As his words fell, the car came to a stop. I looked out the window, expecting a fancy restaurant. Instead, we had arrived at a place I never wanted to set foot in again.

Before I could react, Nicholas had already opened the door and yanked me out of the car.

It was Coral Villa—the place I hadn't stepped foot in for three years, my marital home that Nicholas had given to another woman.

I tried to shake his hand off, but he wouldn't let me go. His grip was firm, and his fingers intertwined with mine. He dragged me toward the entrance step by step. From behind a large tree nearby, a pair of eyes watched our every move…