Trouble in Paradise (Arianna and Nicholas) novel Chapter 574

I didn't sleep well at all. It felt like there was constant noise outside. In the pitch-dark room, I forced my eyes open and realized I wasn't imagining things. It really was noisy out there.

Tabitha wasn't sleeping well either, and frustration bubbled up inside me.

Were the maids Nicholas hired so inconsiderate? Couldn't they even keep the house quiet at night? Was this the environment Tabitha had to live in these past days?

The thought alone made my anger spike further. Nicholas was responsible for this. And then there was that fleeting glimpse of him in the rain earlier. Just the memory of it irritated me further.

I sat up, intending to go out and tell them to quiet down. But the moment I moved, a wave of dizziness hit me. My limbs felt weak, and my earlier resolve to confront them fizzled out.

I could feel I wasn't in any state to put up a fight.

When I opened the door, I nearly jumped out of my skin.

Outside, six or seven maids were huddled together, whispering urgently. My sudden appearance startled them into silence, their faces shifting to awkward guilt.

I stepped out and closed the door quietly behind me to avoid waking Tabitha. Lowering my voice, I asked sharply, "What are you all doing here? Do you think this is a place to stand around gossiping? Don't you know Tabitha and I are trying to sleep?"

They exchanged uneasy glances before someone nudged an older maid forward. She hesitated before speaking. "Mrs. Hawk…"

Before she could continue, I cut her off. "I'm not Mrs. Hawk anymore. Nicholas and I divorced long ago. If I hear anyone calling me that again, you'll be dismissed on the spot."

The memory of him threatening me with Tabitha flashed in my mind, making my teeth clench in fury. How could I even think of persuading him?

If he truly wanted punishment, standing in the rain was hardly enough.

"He fainted but woke up again? Then he's not sick enough yet. You shouldn't have come to me. Let him go back out into the rain, and when he passes out again, drag him back inside. Repeat that a few times. Let's see if he still has the energy to keep this up."

Nicholas stood at the far end of the hallway, his body frozen as if all the blood in his veins had turned to ice. He braced himself against the wall, his voice raw and hoarse.

"Do you hate me that much?"