Rift in the perfect picture

Chapter 0476

I was terrified. The hatred in Nicholas’s eyes was unmistakable. It was real. But between the two of us, who owed the other more?

The emotions of sadness and regret surged within me. I realized I hadn’t let go as easily as I thought. Even after three years apart, I never forgot Nicholas, not for a single moment.

Every tear I had shed for Tabitha had his name written on it. If we were talking about resentment, I had no less than he did.

In the dead of night, I often dreamt of Nicholas standing atop a tall building. The fear that one day Tabitha might end up the same way haunted

At this point, I stopped resisting. “I’m 30 now. Do you think I still have some charm in your eyes, Mr. Hawk?

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I teased with a laugh, tracing my finger along his throat. “Why did you bring up the past? Are you still thinking about my body?”

C

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Nicholas took a sharp breath, a hint of embarrassment crossing his face as if I had seen through him.

When his condition relapsed, he hadn’t been physically capable. But as he recovered, his desires only grew stronger.

The photo I had accidentally taken on his phone was now practically worn out from his constant handling.

Whenever he thought about it, no matter the time or place, that photo became his solace. Now that I was right in front of him, it would be a lie to say he didn’t have ulterior thoughts.

He leaned in, brushing his cheek against mine. Then, he whispered in a luring tone, “Leave Pete. I won’t touch the Jones Corporation, and you can have whatever you want. Hmm?”

Nicholas’s breath was hot, making me shiver. His almost childlike way of coaxing me was even more of a

threat.

My fingers trailed down, stopping over his chest, right where his heart was. I squeezed hard. Nicholas trembled, letting out a soft groan, his ears turning red.

I chuckled softly. “Let’s sleep together one last time, then you can leave my life for good, deal?”

As the redness in his ears quickly faded, I breathed a sigh of relief. But he didn’t let go of me right away.

Instead, he carried me into the house and dropped me onto the living room couch before saying coldly, Disgusting.”

He truly despised me. Before heading upstairs, he added, “You haven’t improved at all. Still using the same tricks after all these years. If Pete falls for this, his standards must have stooped so low.”

His calm tone barely concealed his frustration.

Seeing my amused expression, Nicholas grew even more irritated. He stormed off into the bathroom. When he emerged, he had changed into a fresh set of clothes.

While he was gone, I couldn’t help but start observing Coral Villa. Everything was the same, yet somehow

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different, as if something was missing.

The usual mess of little girl’s toys in the living room was all gone. No more colorful plushies or cards, and Claudia’s sweet, cloying perfume no longer lingered in the air.

The furniture and decorations looked just like they used to, but somehow they felt new, with barely any signs of use. It was then that I realized that even the lawn in the courtyard looked unnaturally bright green.

The entire Coral Villa seemed to have been renovated, with no signs of our eight years living there. But there was a new fish tank. The water was crystal clear, and the fish were swimming happily. It meant that someone must have been taking care of it.

I glanced over at Nicholas, who was busy in the kitchen across from me. Could it have been him?

“Did you and Claudia move out?” I asked as I walked over.

Nicholas turned, his dark eyes meeting mine. “Couldn’t she have just moved out on her own?”Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

He added, “She left three years ago. I didn’t bother with a redesign. I had Beth remodel everything according to your old preferences. Everything is brand new, and I’m used to living here now.”