Trouble in Paradise

composure.

Mixed with a metallic taste, the rain seeped into my mouth as Nicholas seemed to lose his He forcefully pulled his wrist from my bite, unexpectedly lifting me and heading toward the car. Before we had even taken two steps, a baseball bat came down from above.

Nicholas, trying to evade it, lost his footing and stepped heavily into a puddle, instantly staining his finely tailored suit pants with dirt. He usually paid meticulous attention to his appearance. Now, he was obviously irritated.

He set me down and I looked up with a smirk. "Mr. She man, what's this? The police station is right over there. Do you want to go in for a visit?"

Pete didn't back down. Grinning toothily, he said, "I don't understand what you're trying to say, Nick. I just happened to lose my grip on this bat. Rainy days, slippery hands."

Nicholas' right hand trembled slightly, perhaps out of anger. I saw blood trickling from his fingertip, but it was quickly dispersed by the drizzle.

With my left hand holding onto Yasmine and my right hand tugging at Pete's sleeve, I said, "Let's go. Pete glanced back at me while his baseball bat made a harsh scraping sound on the ground. Nicholas laughed before his smile faded on the rainy night. "Ariana, dare to make a bet?"

I turned around and challenged, "Bet on what?"

"If you can clear your name by yourself, I'll not only let you go back to work, but I'll also forgive everything that happened in the past. Everything will be as it was."

"What do you mean by 'everything as it was'? Our marriage, our lives with three people?" I asked with a nod, indifferent. I hadn't done anything, so how could I possibly lose? "If you lose, will you divorce me?"

"I won't lose," he asserted confidently. "I'll wait for you to come and beg me."

Back in Silas' car, I felt utterly drained. Drenched for too long in the rain, I had no strength left in me.

"Ari, what did you agree with him? He just doesn't want Mr. Shelman and Mr. Harmon to help you! You've been tricked!" Yasmine exclaimed angrily while pounding her thigh.

"He's too cunning. In the end, he didn't agree to your divorce," she added:

Leaning against the car door, I simply smiled and said, "Mr. Harmon, thank you for today. Please deduct the car wash fee from Yasmine's salary."

Yasmine was speechless for a minute there before saying, "Wow, thank you so very much. How can you still joke at a time like this? Do you think such meager car wash fees matter to everyone? Am I right, Mr. Harmon? Silas started the car. Without the sharp exchange with Nicholas, his voice was unusually steady.

He reassured her, saying, "Yasmine's right. Don't treat me like an outsider. Besides, verbal agreements are invalid. No matter what he says, I'll help you."

"Yes," Yasmine chimed in, nodding in agreement. "I'll help too."

Pete sat in the front passenger seat, restless. He continued running his hands through his wet hair. "Ms. Ari, are you not going to thank you?"

I sighed, ignoring him. "You all don't have to worry so much. I can handle it myself, I want to settle things with him personally."

I looked up

at the rearview mirror. Nicholas was still standing in the rain, his gaze directly on me. Most of his well-tailored suits were waterproof, creating a stark contrast with his soaking-wet hair.

In a daze, I felt as though the raindrops had gained strerigth, each one falling on him, shattering his illusions about me and our four-year marriage.

Originally, I didn't want to contact Neal Steele. But when I was blocked from entering the detention center gate, I knew I had no other choice. I wasn't joking about knowing the commander of the Criminal Investigation Division.

During my university days, I dealt with a minor case that happened to intersect with his work. I had been threatened by the defendant, and the police had assigned Neal to protect me for some time.This is from NôvelDrama.Org.