Trouble in Paradise

Frances was dressed in opulent attire, which shimmered under the night's lights as she moved.

Her

gaze fell on Nicholas, who was drunk, before looking back at me. She grabbed my hand and led me toward the car.

"Frances..." I pulled my hand away and rooted my feet to the ground with all my strength, trying to stay put.

She said, "Ari, it's late now, and Daniel's already asleep at the Hawk manor. It's inconvenient for us to take Nicholas back there. Let's go to Coral Villa instead.

"There are no maids there, and I can't manage him alone. Can you please help me out?" She smiled gently and added, "He's drunk. Don't worry. I won't let him take advantage of you." The driver chimed in, "Yes, Mrs. Hawk. I don't know what tea Mr. Hawk likes."

Frances added, "I'll have the driver take you home later

Looking into her hopeful eyes, I couldn't bear to refuse such a kind-hearted mother. So, I reluctantly got

into the car with her.

In the car, Nicholas lay comfortably on my lap. Frances watched with a smile and took a photo of us with

her phone.

She looked at the photo contentedly and said, "This rascal is not as cute as he used to be. I haven't seen him so unguarded in a long time. It must be because you're here, Ari."NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

I didn't share the same memories as Frances. When I met Nicholas, he was already a dazzling man who had instantly embedded himself into my heart. Since then, he had been my shining star for years.

*Ari, Nicholas lost his mother when he was young. To some extent, he grew up in a single-parent household. When I first married into the Hawk family, I rarely saw him smile."

I looked down at him. The moonlight streamed through the car window, casting a gentle glow on his face, making him appear more relaxed and peaceful than usual.

His lips curved into a faint smile, and he looked like a beautiful, tranquil painting. I instinctively reached my finger to lightly touch his cheek, but then I hesitated.

What was I doing? I clenched my fist in frustration, pressing my hand firmly back onto my thigh.

Frances continued, "Daniel said Nicholas had autism when he was young. It wasn't severe, but he was

different from other children."

Though my face remained expressionless, a storm of emotions surged within me, causing the hand I had pressed down to tremble violently.

I had never heard of this before. Thinking about the yellowed notebook I found at the Hawk manor, which

only had drawings, I should have guessed that something was amiss.

I couldn't help but wonder if, had I known about Nicholas' past when I first married him and treated him better, would our outcome have been different?

After a moment, I lowered my head and closed my eyes, shaking my head in frustration.

+25 BONUS

Nicholas' arm rested lightly across his chest as if his unconscious gesture was protecting a deep-seated secret within him.

He had someone he cared about. No matter how hard I tried, it wouldn't change anything.

Frances said, "Claudia means something special to Nicholas, and vice versa. I feel sorry for Claudia because she couldn't grow up in a complete family because of me.

"Two of them had been together since they were young. They managed to survive their childhoods because of the company. The feelings they had for each other can't be forgotten easily. "Claudia only wanted to attract Nicholas' attention. She didn't hurt you. She hurt herself. It's just a child's game. Even scolding her feels exhausting."

I nodded silently. If Claudia's symbol was injury and fragility, then Nicholas' response to her was tenderness and protection.

As someone he cared about, she didn't need to do anything because he would go to great lengths to

life. protect her. But a child's game of hers nearly cost me my

"I'm not worried about Claudia. You should know too. It's easy for Nicholas to bring her out. He's keeping her there because he wants her to learn a lesson and stop acting so unreasonable." In the darkness, I couldn't see Frances' face, but I could hear her voice continuously.