Trouble in Paradise

It wasn't until Leo was wheeled out of the operating room that I finally saw Yasmine and Nicholas in the ward.

The two of them exchanged a silent glance when they saw me and turned away in unison, as if by mutual agreement.

I couldn't help but feel that the tension between them had somehow lessened. But it was just as well-I didn't dwell on it.

I stayed with Yasmine to help settle Leo into the ward before pulling her to rest in the adjacent room.

In just a few hours, Yasmine had grown visibly haggard. "The doctor said it was fortunate the shot missed its mark. A little to the left, and..."

"Leo is lucky. He'll be fine," I reassured her again. Then, glancing up, I noticed Nicholas standing at the doorway, looking at me with pitiful eyes like an abandoned puppy.

I opened my mouth, thinking of inviting him in, but decided against it. Perhaps he was mindful of the impropriety of entering Yasmine's ward.

Still, his gaze was so open and pleading, as though he were seeking comfort. It was strange he rarely revealed such an expression in front of others.

Noticing the atmosphere, Yasmine said, "Alright. Go on now. Let me rest for a bit."

I was about to protest, unwilling to leave her alone in the hospital, but before I could speak, Nicholas nodded. "If you need anything, just call me."

With some light pushing and pulling, I was coerced into Nicholas' car. It was then that I realized what had just happened. "Why were you in such a rush to leave?"

He hesitated for a moment while starting the car. "It's nothing. You staying there would've made your friend feel uneasy. Right after you left her ward, I saw her slip back into the one next door." "She needs to rest!"

"Leo just came out of surgery. How could she rest? Ariana, if it were me lying on the operating table, would you stay by my side or go rest?"

Nicholas gripped the steering wheel tightly, his voice carrying a subtle nervousness.

I had done so much for him, and yet he couldn't stop himself from testing the weight he held in my heart. After all, so many years had passed He had never felt confident in front of me

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I was startled by his question. Turning to look at him, I noticed the faint dark circles under his eyes. Even someone as handsome as him couldn't withstand the toll of an entire day spent in high-strung tension. noveldrama

"Don't say things like that. Just stay healthy, okay? And thank you for what you did today, but please don't do anything so dangerous again—it's too reckless."

His voice grew tight, betraying his unease. "I wasn't thinking about anything else at the time I just didn't want you to get hurt."

After he said this, he kept glancing at me through the rearview mirror. I could almost guess what he wanted to hear-probably something along the lines of "I care about you".

But considering what had recently happened between us, if I admitted that I cared about him, what would that imply?

Seeing his growing disappointment, I closed my eyes slowly. It wasn't until we were nearing the Coral Villa that I finally spoke.

"Tomorrow, can you stay home and look after Tabitha and Cory? I'll be going to the police station, then to the prison. I want to check on Frances and Claudia."

Nicholas' face turned slightly pale. "Tomorrow? That won't work..."

I opened my eyes to look at him, waiting for him to explain further.

After a moment's thought, he said, "We're planning to adopt Cory, aren't we? But we don't have a marriage certificate.

"In our current situation, it's not

possible to go through with the

adoption. I've arranged a meeting for

tomorrow. I need you to come with

me

so we can proceed with O

everything."