Rift in the perfect picture

Chapter 0366

Chapter 0366

As I gripped the phone stiffly, my heart trembled uncontrollably.

On the phone, Nicholas continued to question me anxiously. “How could you leave without saying anything? I thought you had left me again!”

Nicholas was angry. His tone was harsh as he was upset at my sudden departure. The more I thought about Daniel’s words, the more stifled 1 felt. I wondered if I had been mistaken.

If Claudia was so important to Nicholas, what right did I have to think I could be his medicine? And to volunteer for it, no less. How ironic.

My purpose in coming today was to understand Nicholas’s past so that I could “treat the symptoms“. But now, having heard Daniel’s story, my mind was not filled with pity or a sense of injustice for him. Instead, I was questioning if I had made a mistake.

Perhaps the reason for Nicholas’s unstable emotions was not that he needed me, but that I had

separated him from Claudia. It might have made him feel insecure.

I opened my mouth, slowly saying. “How are you feeling now?”

Nicholas hesitated. “How should I be feeling?”

See? Even if I left, he would not feel much different. “Then just let me be alone for a while.”

I hung up and said goodbye to Daniel. He chuckled and reassured me, “Don’t take Nick’s situation so seriously. My son isn’t that weak. If he can’t handle this little issue, he’ll be finished!”

I thought it was probably because he had not cared that things had evolved to this state since Nicholas was young

As it was pouring down, it was impossible to even take a stroll to clear my head. Nicholas was blowing up my phone with calls, but I did not want to answer them

I sent him a message asking him to wait for me at Coral Villa. He immediately replied, “Dad has already punished Claudia. If there’s anything else you’re unhappy about, you can tell me first, and we can discuss

it.”

I was not unhappy about anything, nor did I think Nicholas was so amenable that we could “discuss” things. 1

I simply disliked Claudia. I hated her to the point that if Nicholas truly could not separate from her, I would not cling to the fantasy of separating them. I wanted to see who could help him more–spending a day with me or a day with Claudia.

I found a small bar on the street. Perhaps it was because of the bad weather, but there were very few people inside.

The bartender was enthusiastic as he eagerly introduced drinks when he saw me. My alcohol tolerance was decent, so I ordered a cocktail set that was on offer.

The cocktails were vibrantly colored, dazzling, and fiery. But the moment I drank them, they cooled my tongue to my stomach. Perhaps Claudia was nestled in Nicholas’s arms right now. They needed each other more than I did.

Chanter 0366

+25 BONUS

Just as I finished two glasses, a large hand suddenly covered the rim of my glass. The drink was snatched away, and in the next second, downed in one gulp.

“Let’s see who’s drowning their sorrows here?” I thought I had run into some sleaze. But when I looked up, Leo’s face crashed into my vision.

He sat down beside me, teasing me. “What’s wrong with you sisters? Always running off to bars to drink alone. Then, you look at men with those eyes when you’re drunk.

“But let me tell you this upfront. I’ve already given myself to Yasmine. I’m not interested in you.”

Though he said he was not interested, his eyes were fixed intently on me, looking very much interested.

“Are men always this hypocritical?”

Leo took a sip of alcohol, his sharp eyes seeming to cloud over. “I happen to be free today. Whether your want to talk about feelings or anything else, I’m all ears.”

I did not have many friends, let alone opportunities to confide in men. So I took this chance to ask him, Actually, I don’t really understand. Why can’t men just say what they’re thinking directly? They always do things that lead to misunderstandings.”

If I had known that my relationship with Nicholas was so fragile that it would crumble at the mere appearance of Claudia, then what did all his previous actions amount to? I just felt stupid.

Leo stood up. He grabbed my hand and pulled me onto the dance floor. As we danced, he leaned in close.

“It’s because you haven’t encountered enough men. If you had, you’d know that some men can have physical contact with you without any ulterior motives. Like me, for instance.”

I tried to step on his foot, but he dodged it with a grin.

He continued, “Men, you see, often have blind confidence. They just assume that any woman they’re interested in can be easily won over because you women are so prone to developing feelings. At this point, it becomes a game of who’s more of a player. If you fall for him first, you’ll definitely lose.”

“You seem to know a lot!” I raised my hand to hit him, but he blocked it easily. “Is this how you deal with Yasmine too?”

Leo snorted. “Yasmine is much smarter than you. She knows what she wants. While you’re here talking about love, she’s already seized the opportunity to bring Jay Caldwell & Co. to another level. I must say, you’re making money as a partner quite easily.”

Throughout our conversation, my phone kept ringing. Nicholas’s calls never stopped.

Leo had noticed it long ago. After he finished speaking, he grabbed my phone and answered it. “Yes, she’s with me!

He rattled off an address and asked with a smile, “Nicholas, about that piece of land we discussed on the phone earlier…”

I did not know what Nicholas said, but Leo looked very satisfied when he hung up. He handed the phone back to me, saying, “See? I also know better than you what I want.”

What would I want? I made a big mistake by pitying a man. I just wanted him to be healthy.