Trouble in Paradise (Arianna and Nicholas)

I didn't struggle when Pete was holding me.

My mind replayed everything that had happened over the past two years. From the moment Yasmine asked him to come back to get me, he had been taking risks. At the time, he and Annie were going through a rough patch.

Deena was studying abroad, living in a tiny apartment near her lab. After I moved in with her, Pete helped us find a bigger, more comfortable place. Although I paid for it, finding a suitable place would've been much harder without his help. Every time I went for a check-up, Pete would also show up uninvited. He was worried I would be scared on my own. Even the doctor only realized he wasn't my husband when I needed a signature for delivery.

In the end, I had always taken advantage of our childhood bond to rely on him. I had been taking his help for granted, so it was understandable that he got upset.

"I'm sorry," I apologized sincerely.

Pete closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to suppress the emotions he couldn't hide. "I don't need your apology. Just promise me that you won't see Nicholas anymore, okay?"

I pondered for a second before gently shaking my head. There were still things I needed to deal with. "After this is over..."

It was like Pete's strength drained from him. His arms, which had been holding me tightly, suddenly dropped to his sides. He collapsed as if the life had been knocked out of him. He couldn't even stand upright.

I quickly reached out to support him, but he pushed me away with enough force to send me stumbling back. He looked at me with a wry smile and kept retreating.

"Ari, I know you can't force feelings. Don't make this harder for yourself." He was smiling, but it was more heartbreaking than tears. "But... I just need time. Give me some time to process this..."

Seeing he was hurt like this because of me, I questioned myself whether I should ask him to stay.

In my mind, Pete had always been a carefree rich kid. Every time he was forced to grow up, it was because of me. Without me, he and Nicholas would still be best friends, and their families wouldn't have become

enemies.

I wanted to say something to comfort him, but as he kept stepping back, my mind went blank. My thoughts were like muffled drum beats, pounding but never producing a clear sound-just a low, dull thud. My headache grew worse. I stared blankly out the window for an hour, unable to think of anything.

After showering, I felt like the grime clinging to me had finally been washed away, and I remembered I had important matters to handle.

I called Douglas, instructing him to list down the shareholders who signed the agreement with Nicholas years ago. I wanted him to find the exact contract. I needed to know every detail of those clauses

AQUAS

I had to resolve this, to reclaim the leverage Nicholas held over me. I wanted to make sure he could never threaten me again. Douglas sounded hesitant. "It's been over three years now. It won't be easy to track down. But there's one person who knows everything."

"Who would know?" I asked.

"Ms. Gardner, Nicholas's secretary. Ms. Jones, have you spoken to her? Did she mention why she wanted to talk to you?"

I paused for a moment before replying, "I'll call her now."

When I reached Beth, her voice was shaky, as if she were on the verge of tears.

"Mrs. Hawk, can you reach Mr. Hawk? I've tried calling him so many times, but he's not responding. He's not the type to ignore messages. You know his condition. I'm really worried something has happened to him!"