Trouble in Paradise (Arianna and Nicholas) novel Chapter 492

I was all too aware of Nicholas's feelings for me, yet he pretended otherwise. If someone didn't know better, they might actually think he cared.

His eyes held an unshakeable obsession, and I couldn't help but scoff at him.

"Nicholas, you can't stand to see me happy. There's a saying I didn't understand before, but now I do. Do you want to know what it is?"

Maybe he was acting too convincingly. In the next moment, I could almost hear something cracking.

Nicholas pulled back his arms, which were trembling behind his back. He took a deep breath and coldly replied, "I'm not interested in your thoughts."

I chuckled softly and reached out to touch the hair at his temple. My fingers grazed his cheek, and I could feel the stubble beneath them.

He quickly grabbed my hand, lifting it until it slammed against the car window. The sound was so loud that both of us froze.

For a full five seconds, pain shot through my hand, creeping along the nerves until it spread throughout my body.

It hurt! But maybe it wasn't as bad as it seemed. Yet, for a moment, it felt as if my hand had gone numb. Otherwise, how could I not withdraw it when Nicholas was gently blowing on it?

"Who told you to move?" Nicholas grumbled, rubbing my hand with a fierce look in his eyes.

His expression and actions felt utterly contradictory as if they shouldn't coexist in the same person, but I didn't care.

I used my other hand to gently lift his chin, staring intently at him. I told him, "That saying is, 'I now understand that many encounters in life are unnecessary'."

Our hands intertwined, and it was hard to tell whose was trembling. We both knew we were supposed to be insignificant in each other's lives, yet we had an impact that ran deep.

Eventually, Nicholas let go.

Neither of us spoke. Overwhelmed by the sudden wave of emotion, we settled into silence.

The car stopped at a restaurant I knew. It was located in a well-known business hotel. The dishes looked fancy but were hardly filling, and the drinks were outrageously priced. It was a popular spot for project meetings.