Trouble in Paradise (Arianna and Nicholas)
Chapter 151

Chapter 0151

My gaze fell on the black carry-on suitcase by his leg. "Didn't your just say you weren't leaving?"

Nicholas, with his long legs, walked over to the bedside and reached. out to stroke my head, but I turned my head to avoid his touch. His hand hung awkwardly in the air for a moment before he withdrew it. "Yes, but I have to go back."

I sighed inwardly, unsure of what I was feeling. He could be incredibly frustrating.

When I was ready to let him go, he played the role of the devoted partner. But just when I let my guard down and believed his words, he told me he was leaving.

"We're only gonna be here a couple more days."

"It's urgent."

"Isn't there any way you can stay?"

"I must go back."

"But you promised to stay with me for a week."

His patience wore thin, and his expression became serious. "I'm going back to deal with your situation. Try to understand the priorities here. I'll take you on another trip next time."

Despite saying so, his expression didn't suggest there would be a next time for us.

"Nicholas, do you believe me when I say I haven't done anything. wrong?"

The same quection came up again My mom was right. Sometimes 1 was too stubborn Wahout a clear answer, I could never feel at ease

But once again, Nicholas didn't answer me directly. He just let cet a faint hum, neither confirming nor denying it.

This obsession felt like a shackle that was holding me in place. Unless he outright rejected me, I couldn't break free from it.

Exhausted, I waved my hand and lay back down, turning my back to him "Safe travels," I said.

I knew he was leaving, but I couldn't stop myself from testing him like a fool. Online, rumors about me claiming that I was divorcing Nicholas because of my inappropriate behavior with other men spread like wildfire. I didn't know who released the information, but their intentions were clear-to put the blame on me and protect the Hawk family.

Photos of me secretly meeting with different men were posted online. There were pictures of me with Pete, Silas, and Neal, and even a photo of me hugging Will outside a restaurant during our reunion last time. The other classmates who were there, including Yasmine, had all been carefully edited out with high-tech methods.

As the divorce case between Cindy and Zachary approached, the public backlash against me reached an all-time high.

"Lawyer having affair with client" and "Married lawyer having scandalous life with multiple men" were some of the headlines. In any case, the media was all over me, accusing me of being.

indiscreet.

Even Cindy's management company reached out, asking me to keep a low profile. They claimed that Cindy's reputation was already in tatters and that I was only making things worse.

Nicholas thought I was unaware of all this and intended to keep it from me, but Alex updated me daily on the latest developments. back home.

I had no idea how Nicholas planned to handle my situation when he returned. I was curious about how he would deal with me if he really believed that I was the type of woman who could be reckless with any man.

I couldn't come up with an answer, but I felt surprisingly calm. Maybe it was because Nicholas and I had clashed so fiercely before that nothing could really disturb me anymore, no matter what unexpected events arose. As long as my court case continued, that was all that mattered.

During the two days that followed, I didn't lock myself away in the room. Instead, I used all my time to explore the entire island.

I blended in with the other tourists, played beach volleyball, and drank the overpriced but not-so-great sweet drinks sold at the resort.

I even met a charming lawyer from abroad. We hit it off and exchanged numbers. We agreed that if either of us ever visited the other's country, we'd treat each other to a meal.

Traveling alone was surprisingly enjoyable.

On the seventh day, the person Nicholas sent arrived to bring me back home. I was already prepared, ready to step into the battlefield.