Trouble in Paradise



Chapter 0601 'Ariana!"

Nicholas caught up with me from behind, his warm hand grasping mine. I wasn't sure if it was from nervousness or the heat, but his palm was damp.

"Ariana, don't go back to Tabitha's room. Sleep in a different room instead."

I rolled my eyes in my mind. After all this time, he was still thinking about the same things...

I pulled my hand free without responding, assuming he was trying to convince me to move back to the master bedroom.

But then he said nonchalantly, "Let Wendy stay in the next room to watch over Tabitha. We should treat her like any other normal child."

"What?" I thought I'd heard wrong and questioned him repeatedly.

"A normal child?" I stopped in my tracks, staring at him in disbelief. "How am I supposed to treat her like a normal child?"

"She's not as fragile as you think. Trust me. I know!"

I forced a smile, but there was no warmth in my eyes. Even my usually controlled tone became cold.

"You know? What exactly do you know? How many days have you spent taking care of her? What do you know? Have you ever called her name over and over, only for her not to respond at all?

"Have you ever felt the despair of longing for just one hug from her, only to find it completely out of reach? Have you ever seen her crouch on the floor, screaming in fear and discomfort, triggered by the slightest sound, light, or touch in the house?"

I let out a bitter laugh, a sharp pain welling up in my chest. "You really do know a lot."

Nicholas opened his mouth, but eventually lowered his head. "I'm sorry, I didn't know. Maybe Tabitha's situation is a bit different from mine when I was a child."Content © NôvelDrama.Org.

I turned my face away, taking a step to leave as I threw back a cold retort.

*No need to apologize. You have too much to apologize for, and I couldn't even begin to count them."

The thing he should be most sorry for was knowing his condition could be inherited and still deciding to sleep with me.

During that time, it wasn't like we hadn't been intimate. But I had always taken precautions, except for that time. If it weren't for his insecurities about Pete, none of this would've happened.

He owed an apology to Tabitha because this would affect her for the rest of her life. Yet, as her father, he brushed off her pain so nonchalantly.

Footsteps echoed behind me. Nicholas ran ahead and blocked my path.

"Ariana, can we talk? Can you stop rejecting me like this? We've barely said anything, and you're already trying to walk away. Even if I'm wrong in so many ways, you have to give me a chance to apologize. You won't even let me say sorry. Ariana, I genuinely want to fix our relationship.

His tall figure loomed over me, his deep eyes locking onto mine. He did not attempt to hide the affection in his eyes.

I used to think his gaze had a sort of magic to it, that it could pierce through the heart. I admired him back then, always thinking I couldn't hide anything from him. I wondered now if he could still see through to the heart that'd grown cold.

Avoiding him would seem deliberate, so I met his stare head-on, refusing to back down. I enunciated each word with defiance, "It's better if we keep our distance."

I was clearly rejecting him. But without saying a word, his arms slipped around my waist, pulling me into a tight embrace.

Only when I struggled did he explain, "I'm sorry, I couldn't hold back. I really want to hold you. Do you remember this place? The last time it snowed, we kissed right here. I pushed you down into the snow. You were cold toward me then, too, but I knew you didn't reject my body. You even liked it..."