Trouble in Paradise



Chapter 0590

Nicholas walked over and stood behind me, his presence bringing a trace of sunlight and a hint of warmth.

He gently wrapped his arms around my waist. The scent of sunlight was warm and pleasant, but I was inexplicably cold and trembled uncontrollably.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

Under Claudia's glaring, furious eyes, he rested his chin lightly on my shoulder and murmured into my ear, "I'm sorry. I let you suffer too much in the past."

Claudia let out a piercing scream. "Nick, Nick, won't you hold me? I have no legs now! I can't walk anymore! I'll need you to carry me everywhere, or I won't survive!"

Nicholas turned to her, his tone cold and unyielding. "Then go ahead and die."

Although the words weren't directed at me, my body shuddered involuntarily. The world seemed to fall silent in that instant.

I was shaken, stunned by Claudia's obsessive devotion to Nicholas.

Had I misunderstood everything all along? It wasn't that Nicholas couldn't live without Claudia-it was Claudia who couldn't survive without Nicholas.

Thad no siblings and didn't understand the emotions that could form between two people who grew up together. But this felt far from normal.

Nicholas pulled me closer, enveloping me in his embrace. He reached out to smooth the top of my head. "Did that scare you?"

Without waiting for my response, he lifted me effortlessly, carrying me back to the chair he'd occupied earlier. I found myself seated on his lap, directly facing Claudia.

Nicholas nudged a bag of items at his feet toward Claudia. His dark eyes locked on her with a cold intensity. "What else have you done? Tell me all at once."

Years ago, Claudia and I were in opposite positions. So this was what it felt like to have someone always had my back. It was a strange feeling to see someone else fall from grace.

My heart skipped a beat. The feeling was unfamiliar-so much so that I found myself resisting it.

It took me two seconds to realize what was at Nicholas' feet. My eyes immediately welled up. These were all evidence of Claudia that had vanished overnight.

There was a recording pen, a spare phone, and a tablet displaying several audio files. They included the evidence I had painstakingly compiled of Claudia orchestrating harassment against me, guiding Zachary's fans to cyber bully me, and spreading explicit photos of me. I turned to Nicholas, seeking confirmation.

He nodded, his jaw clenching. His dark eyes avoided mine as he spoke.

"She said you fabricated everything, and the reason I didn't investigate wasn't because I was trying to protect her. I was afraid that if I found out it was all true, I wouldn't know how to face you. From the beginning, I never wanted to be separated from you.

You can call me selfish or arrogant, but in my mind, you're my wife. Even if you really did something wrong, I would cover for you and make sure nothing happened to you. So, for me, suppressing everything was the best choice at the time."

Claudia was even less capable of accepting his words than I was. "Nick, what are you talking about? You only made things hard for Ariana because you wanted to stand up for me, didn't you?"

Nicholas turned to her. "What I'm doing now is standing up for Ariana."

I closed my eyes gently, and at that moment, it seemed as if I couldn't hear anything else.

So, it turned out Nicholas thought of me this way.

"In your heart, I've always been that kind of person."

Claudia, who had grown up under his watch, was pure and innocent. If someone had to be the bad one, it could only be me.