Trouble in Paradise



Chapter 0564

As the door opened, several gazes turned toward me.

"Ari, what are you doing here?" Yasmine quickly approached, taking my hand into hers and giving it a firm squeeze.

"Nicholas said you were unwell, and your face does look pale. You should head home and rest. I'll handle everything here."

I gave her a faint smile. But before I could respond, Claudia burst into tears, her voice trembling with despair. "Nick, why is she still here? I've already backed off! I'm not fighting, I'm not competing anymore! Why does she still do this to me? My legs... I'm going to lose my legs! Nick, it's all because of her! Kill her for me! Kill her!" "How about I kill you first?" Yasmin couldn't stand her maligning me. She rolled her eyes so hard they might have hit the ceiling.

She snapped, "What kind of nonsense are you spouting? Your accident has nothing to do with Ari! Are you paranoid or something? Just so you know, I'm recording everything you say, and I'll make sure to sue you for this!

*And by the way, when was Nicholas ever yours? He used to be Ari's husband until she decided she didn't want him anymore. So who are you trying to disgust with this nonsense?"

Yasmine's frustration spilled over to Nicholas as well, her piercing gaze fixed on him. "You jerk, say something!" I squeezed Yasmine's hand, silently signaling her to stop. Claudia, who was already fragile, looked even more delicate after the accident. She was now like a porcelain doll that might shatter at the slightest touch.

Claudia clung desperately to Nicholas' sleeve, tears streaming down her face. He lowered his gaze, and although I couldn't see his expression, I could sense his look lacked the warmth he once reserved for her.

How had things come to this?

I had asked Neal, and he confirmed Claudia was indeed facing amputation. I harbored resentment toward her, but I never wanted it to escalate to such cruelty.

Claudia wasn't entirely wrong. Her impending amputation was tied to me in some ways. Because of one casual remark I made, she was now losing her legs.

A lump rose in my throat. I waved my hand weakly and turned to Neal. "Let's get the statement done."

A police officer approached to escort me. But before they could, Nicholas stepped in front to block their path. His voice was laced with waming as he said, "Don't touch her!"

His dark eyes suddenly locked onto Neal. He grabbed Neal by the collar, his voice chillingly low as he asked, "Who told you to bring her here?"

In an instant, the air in the hospital room seemed to freeze.

The officers stepped in and poised to act, while Nicholas' bodyguards stood on high alert. The tension was palpable, as though one wrong move would ignite the room.

Claudia's sobbing only heightened the tension, but Nicholas appeared completely unaffected. Tightening his grip on Neal's collar, he repeated his question in a cold, menacing tone, "I'm asking you-who told you to bring her here?"

Neal, who was well-trained, had his patience pushed to the limit by Nicholas' repeated provocations. His eyes flashed with a deadly glint, sharp as a drawn blade. Sensing the tension escalating, I rushed over and grabbed Nicholas' arm.

"Nicholas, what are you doing? Let go!"

If it weren't for Neal's uniform, the two would likely have started a fight already. And I knew Nicholas couldn't lay

a hand on him due to that very uniform!Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Nicholas' knuckles turned white. His jaw clenched tight with a pained look in his eyes as he glared at me. "You're yelling at me for another man?

The weight of his words hung heavy in the air. His silent pressure bore down on me, and I could feel beads of sweat forming in my palms.

Just then, the door to the hospital room was suddenly pushed open. A man quickly entered and said, "Oh, oh, Mr. Hawk, what's going on here? What could have happened to make you so upset? It's all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding!