Trouble in Paradise (Arianna and Nicholas) novel Chapter 567

Yasmine was still rambling and trying to persuade me, but I couldn't focus on a word she was saying. All I could think about was how to handle the mess between Nicholas and me.

If he didn't know about Tabitha, I could simply take her and leave again.

But now? It wasn't just about whether Nicholas would let Tabitha go. It was whether Tabitha could bear to leave him.

Radiant City was huge. If I really wanted to hide, I could find a way. But what if Tabitha cried and asked for her dad? Sooner or later, we'd meet again.

Tabitha was growing up fast. One day, she'd understand the truth about us. And when that day came, how would I explain to her? How could I tell her that her parents separated in a way that was far from graceful?

My thoughts were a tangled mess, my head pounding like it was about to explode. Meanwhile, Yasmine was still talking.

"Ari, are you even listening to me? We can table this discussion about your career for now. If you change your mind, you can always come back."

I nodded. "I'll probably still leave the country. I should've gone earlier, but work delayed me. Once things are sorted, I'll go."

"What? You're leaving again? To find Pete?"

Hearing Pete's name again left me momentarily dazed. It had been so long since I'd thought about him. I wondered how he was doing now.

He had offered me a choice back then, asking me to consider Nicholas' perspective. But all those emotions and memories amounted to little. Resistance outweighed everything else.

In the end, I neither rekindled old feelings nor found the chance to start anew. It turned out that making decisions without clarity only led to failure. And now, trying to cut ties seemed impossible.