Trouble in Paradise (Arianna and Nicholas)

Chapter 0535

In Nicholas's mind, it seemed like I still loved him because I had his child.

I could clearly feel that from the moment I revealed that Tabitha was his daughter, he became much softer. "We're here," Douglas reminded me in a low voice, snapping me back to the present.

Today, I was meeting with Yasmine to finalize a share transfer agreement. After some small talk, Yasmine's expression turned serious.

"What's going on with this contract? When Douglas sent it to me, I was confused. Why don't you want the shares anymore?"

"I need to focus on some other businesses with Jones Corporation for now. Keeping my role as a partner at Jay Caldwell & Co. isn't convenient. Just tell everyone I've resigned."

'I can announce your resignation, but there's no need to sign this agreement."

Yasmine hesitated, her pen hovering over the paper, but I quickly found a reason to reassure her. I told her I would be back in a while, which got her to sign the contract reluctantly.

She didn't know about the events from the past few days-how I had been drugged by Christopher and fallen into a deep sleep. I feared that if something went wrong later, it might drag Jay Caldwell & Co. into it.

Moreover, Nicholas's attitude was still like a ticking time bomb to me. Who knew what he might do if I went after Claudia? I was unwilling to involve Yasmine further, especially given that Nicholas now held even more power than before.

The once straightforward version of me, who believed in solving problems with the law, had long been worn down by this harsh society. Sometimes, there was more than one path to achieve a goal.

I sighed, changing the topic. "Where's your boyfriend? I haven't seen him around lately. Call him. Let's have dinner together."

During my years abroad, Leo was a regular presence in Yasmine's video calls.

I was grateful for him. If it hadn't been for him, it would have been much harder for Yasmine to navigate life in Radiant City on her own.

Although I had made a name for myself abroad, I hadn't received any cases in the country to establish a reputation. The respect I received was largely attributed to the Jones family's influence and the growing stature of our law firm.

It was only right to treat them to dinner to show my appreciation.

But her lively demeanor dimmed instantly. "Him? We broke up."

Now, it was my tum to be surprised. "Weren't you both doing well?"

"You know his dad owns one of those exclusive clubs." Yasmine leaned over the table, her voice lacking energy.

I nodded, letting her continue.

"I found out he went to one of those places."

"But you said it's his dad's club. Maybe he wasn't there for the wrong reasons. Couldn't he have been meeting someone?"

Otherwise, I wouldn't be so shocked.

'But he lied to me. I saw him walk into the club. I called him, and he said he was drunk and sleeping at home. I waited outside the whole night, but he never came out. The next day, I broke up with him."

"Did he agree?"

Yasmine gave a mocking laugh. "Oh, he was more than willing. He probably wanted to break up for a while." "When did this happen?"

'Two weeks ago."

Two weeks... That was when I had just returned to the country and was in the midst of my own turmoil. I had completely neglected Yasmine. I couldn't believe she hadn't shown any signs of it during that time.

I didn't know what to say, so I reached out and patted her head. "I have to go pick up Tabitha soon. Let's catch up tomorrow night."

"Maybe later. The firm has been crazy busy. He and I were never really in the same world. I've gained a lot from him over the years.

"Without him, I wouldn't have been able to establish Jay Caldwell & Co. in Radiant City. Ari, don't worry about me. I'm not you. Love doesn't mean a thing to me!"

If it truly didn't matter, she wouldn't remember it so vividly. Knowing her, she would probably just say, "I'm done with it."

After leaving the firm, my mood soured. I 'accidentally' leaked those explicit photos of Claudia and Nelson online. I initially thought about blurring out Nelson's face. But since neither he nor his son seemed to care about their reputation, I guessed they weren't bothered by the exposure.

I wanted to make sure Claudia experienced everything I once went through.