Rift in the perfect picture

Chapter 0409

I really didn’t want Hawk Corporation’s shares, but tempting Frances was just as true.

Facing such temptation, Frances didn’t even pretend to think it over. She immediately agreed. I knew she wouldn’t resist

1 had already spoken with Douglas about slowly transferring the shares to her. We would always keep it just “a little short“.

When it was so close, people tended to lose their patience. It would be easier to manipulate them.

I smiled as I watched her leave. I didn’t tell Frances to go find Nicholas at Hawk Corporation. She should know better than I did where he was.

Back in my bedroom, I called my friend Deena, who was abroad. She sounded tired but excited. After some small talk, I got straight to the point.

“Do you still know anyone reliable in the country? I want to test some herbal tonic.”

Deena immediately grew serious, her voice taking on the professional calmness of a doctor. “If I were back home, I would test it for you myself. Tell me, what happened?”

Honestly, I wasn’t sure what was happening, but something about Frances’s expression earlier felt off. Her sincerity seemed real. But she talked too much, and there were too many little movements.

In the past, if Frances had handed me a bowl of poison with a smile, I would’ve trusted her and drunk it without a second thought. But now, even if it were a bowl of dessert, I wouldn’t touch it.

“Recently, I’ve been feeling unwell, and someone sent me some herbal tonics. I just want to check if they’re really beneficial…”

That night, I woke up from a nightmare. I dreamed of Nicholas jumping off a tall building. Even after waking, I could still vividly recall the blood splattering in front of me.

It took me a long time to calm down. Alone in the dark, I blinked and reached out to touch the cold sheets beside me.

Nicholas had been discharged, but he still hadn’t come home. I realized there was no point in staying at his house anymore. I could go back to the house Dad left me.

After getting dressed and packing a few things, I stopped outside Claudia’s room.

I remembered how, not too long ago, I had felt like there were secrets between her and Nicholas in that room. I had once lingered outside her door, only to be caught by Frances

But now, I could go wherever I wanted in this manor. Nicholas wasn’t home, and Frances was eager to please me. The maids walked around, pretending not to exist.

Yet, despite all this freedom, I had no desire to explore anything anymore.

I used to think that after Daniel left, my days here would be unbearable. But what I didn’t expect was Nicholas ignoring me completely, granting me such overwhelming freedom.

I felt strange. I had even asked Pete for an update, and he told me nothing had changed at Hawk

Perhaps I was testing his limits Or maybe I had to adest that, after that dream, the lack of news was making me uneasy. So I called Nicholas

The phone rang for a long time Just as I was about to hang up, someone picked up.

“Ariana? What is it? Why are you calling so late? Do you ever let anyone sleep?”

I glanced at the time. It was 1:58 am. I heard Claudia’s voice on the other end of Nicholas’s phone. I fell silent, unsure what to say

“Hello? Why aren’t you speaking? If you’re not going to talk, I’m hanging up!”

I cleared my throat and finally spoke, “Let me talk to Nicholas.”

There was a rustling sound, like someone pulling back covers. It was followed by Claudia’s gentle voice

waking him up

“Nick wake up. Ariana called ”

In those few seconds, my mind went blank..

Nicholas finally spoke with a hoarse voice. “What is it?”

“I’m leaving the manor.

“Do as you like”

He urged, “If there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.”

“Wait!” I shouted before he could end the call. My voice echoed through the manor and startled me.

I calmed down and softly asked, “Are you sleeping next to Claudia?”

It wasn’t the first time he had slept near her, but this time, something felt different.

Nicholas’s voice remained indifferent. “Yes. We’re in the same room.”

I was speechless and simply nodded to myself.

“When will you come back? Let’s finalize the divorce.”

Nicholas sighed deeply, sounding impatient. “Got it. Wait for news.”

I hung up after getting his answer. Was there really nothing between Nicholas and Claudia besides sibling affection?

With Daniel gone, the one thing that stood between them has disappeared. As soon as Nicholas was discharged, he couldn’t wait to be with her.

Was I right about them? I didn’t know, and I didn’t care. The divorce was all that mattered now.