Trouble in Paradise (Arianna and Nicholas)
Chapter 0378

franare erinditisk foci dabillized, bet it wasn't looking pery optimistic Nicholas had become incredibly buy contardly aning Back and forth between the office and the hospital.

1 was flying all over the country, taking on increasingly complex, long term cases in fact, I was even

We barely saw each other. Whenever I returned home, it seemed like he could sense my presence and would climb into my bed in the middle of the night like ghost, desperately fucking me didn't resist him-there was no point I knew how badly he wanted a child to the point that he was

obsessed with it. This was his father's wish, after all.

went along with him, and he also never said a word. The process was mechanical, devoid of both joy and emotion. We both found it utterly pointless

Once his father passed away, I figured that he'd stop treating me like this. Perhaps by then, he wouldn't even lay a finger on me, who was always disinterested.

But I'd always make a point of taking out a birth control pill in front of him after we had sex. Then, I'd ask Yasmine to schedule even longer business trips for me

Nicholas would stand there, his fists clenched in frustration. He knew there was no way to stop me. It was too easy to secretly take one of those tiny pills

I was fully aware of how harmful emergency contraception was to my body, but I simply didn't care. Even when the smell of the pills made me gag I'd still swallow them in front of him. So many words seemed unspoken whenever we locked gazes, but neither of us said anything, letting

silence fill the space between us instead

This time, Nicholas didn't get out of bed right away after we were done.

"How are we celebrating New Year's?" he asked. "There aren't any decorations up at home this year. It

doesn't look nice."

His gaze lingered on me in a rare moment of affection between us nowadays.

"Il arrange for someone to take care of it," I replied.

in past years, Nicholas usually had a three day holiday for the New Year. I'd always prepare early, hoping he might carve out even half a day to spend with just me.

But he was always too busy, constantly occupied by his parents, his sister, and even guests. He'd always tell me that he'd make time for me the following year.

He was truly something for painting a picture of our future countless times and making promises that the d never keep. And I fell for it all these years Squeezing my hand, he said gently. "Since New Year is just around the cuiner, why don't you stay home for a bit? You can get back to work after the holiday." I contemplated for a while and nodded.

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Chapter 0378

+25 BONUS

After the effort we've put in lately and the news of Jasmine's sentencing hitting the press, the negative impact I'd experienced from Nicholas's previous actions had finally started to diminish. I

could afford to take a break.

He intended to get me to focus more on family, but I knew this year would be no different from the others. He'd barely have any time to spend at home.

I asked the housekeeper to put up a few simple decorative trinkets, just enough to get by. It would be easier to take them down after New Year as well.

When Nicholas saw the minimal effort, he frowned. Disappointment was always evident on his face whenever he looked at me, but he never said anything. He'd just lock himself away in his study for the entire night.

I let him be. Even when we shared the same bed, it felt like we were worlds apart.

By mid-December, the Hawk family had been anticipating the New Year. Even Frances and Claudia seemed more at ease when they saw me.

It was believed that if one survived

the New Year, the coming year would be free from trouble. If Daniel could make it through December, he'd have the strength to continue into the next year. Narugi.com

Thankfully, his spirits seemed high, and the doctors also said he was improving.

The dark cloud hanging over the Hawk family for the past three months had finally started to lift, and even Nicholas had begun to smile a little more.

It was then that I received a wedding invitation. Pete was getting married on December 29th.