Trouble in Paradise

Claudia had been watching my every move out of the corner of her eye. It wasn't until I finally left the villa that she slowly sat up from Nicholas's lap. Jealousy almost drove her mad. Her mind screamed that she wanted to kill me, over and over again.

If Nicholas hadn't been drunk tonight, she would never have gotten this chance. She could never have imagined that even when he couldn't open his eyes, he could still show a deep affection that she had never expected to see. Why? Why did just the thought of me leaving again cause Nicholas, who once choked her and called it her punishment, to crumble so easily?

Nicholas had completely forgotten about their childhood bond. His mind was full of me.

Claudia was losing it. The jealousy was driving her insane. Everything she saw today had pushed her emotions to the brink of breaking. But when she noticed that I had left Coral Villa without fully closing the door, the temptation was irresistible. Although her jealousy consumed her, she didn't regret it. She couldn't resist the urge to see Nicholas.

After I had left earlier in the day, she had slipped into the villa through the slightly ajar door. She knew that Nicholas had developed a drinking habit over the years.

It wasn't until she was sure he had drunk enough that she dared to come out from where she had been hiding. For almost eight hours, her legs had gone numb from standing still.

Claudia staggered toward Nicholas. When she lost her balance and fell in front of him, her mind was filled with fantasies.

"Nick," she called out. She was hoping that Nicholas would protect her like he used to. When she was young, she always knew that with him around, she would never fall.

However, reality was cruel. She fell to the ground with tears streaming down her face, while Nicholas remained indifferent. He couldn't even sense there was anyone else in the room.

He gave her no response, ignoring her completely. All she heard was him murmuring my name.

"Ariana, don't be with him. You're mine. You're mine! Ariana... Ariana..."

She grabbed a random outfit from the closet and called out, "Honey."

Nicholas suddenly pulled her into his arms. "Ariana, are you back? I knew you would come back."

Claudia let Nicholas hold her, although she clearly knew that he was not seeing her as herself. But it had been three long years since she last fett his embrace. At that

moment, it didn't matter who he

thought she was.

She asked him, "Nick, I just wanted you to be mine. I didn't harm you, so why do you hate me so much?

You made me live in that white building, and I'm scared too. Nick, can I move back? Can I come back to your side?"

Nicholas had long forgotten those

mes. Drunk, he didn't hear

repeating his love for me. vel

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When I returned earlier, Claudia was terrified. She had already made up her mind long before I showed up.

Even if Nicholas mistook her for me, it didn't matter. She wanted him, and from now on, she could play my role whenever he was drunk. She wanted to be with him.

She feared my return would ruin everything. But I just stood at the door and watched for a moment before leaving again.

She cast a resentful glance toward the door, her arms shaking as they clung to Nicholas. She still had a chance.