Trouble in Paradise



The night breeze tousled my hair, but I didn't bother to fix it. As soon as Nicholas asked that question, my heart started racing.Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

His dark eyes seemed to deepen, fixated on me with an intensity that left me trapped.

"Yes. She's the daughter you didn't want!" I retorted, my voice rising.

Tabitha was my precious child. After I waited hours for him, he still didn't want her.

"Explain yourself!" Nicholas tightened his grip on my wrist, so much so that he was losing control.

I gritted my teeth against the pain as I looked into his eyes, which had turned into a deep, turbulent sea. "What do you mean I didn't want her?"

I looked at him in confusion. I couldn't help but feel a flicker of disappointment. Was he really going to defend himself now? Wasn't it a bit too late for that?

The pain in my wrist wasn't as unbearable as the ache in my heart. 'Nicholas, let's discuss this later. Tabitha needs me now."

Suddenly, he squeezed my wrist even harder, the pain forcing me to clench my jaw.

Nicholas was consumed with frustration. He muttered through gritted teeth, "To you, everyone else always comes before me."

The moment he voiced that thought, he felt as if he was utterly defeated in front of me. Faced with the sudden surge of resentment radiating from him, I felt completely at a loss.

As I gathered my thoughts, I noticed the tears on my cheeks growing cooler in the wind. Thinking about Tabitha, I couldn't suppress my sadness. My emotions spiraled out of control.

"Nicholas, you don't know anything! Tabitha isn't like other kids! She needs me by her side to fall asleep!" Startled by my sudden outburst, Nicholas let go of my wrist. For a moment, he stood there, visibly taken aback. Time seemed to rewind 30 years. He was a child in a big house, staring at his mother's door and wishing desperately for it to open, but all that greeted him was the sight of that dark brown, tightly closed door.

His mother had never once offered to stay with him at night, nor had she ever defended him in front of his grandmother.

"Go back and be with her." There was a hint of moisture in Nicholas's eyes as he spoke softly.

My heart skipped a beat. Nicholas stood before me, his height forcing me to tilt my head back to meet his gaze. Yet, in that moment, he felt like a helpless child.

But I knew he wasn't a child anymore.

Frustrated, I turned away and hurried back home. As soon as I stepped inside, Wendy was waiting for me. Her voice grew lower as she spoke.

"I was upstairs trying to get Tabitha to look at the stars. She saw you two standing outside and screamed to come down. I had no choice but to bring her down. Then, she ran off when I wasn't paying attention...

"It's okay. I'll check on her."

Tabitha had barely met Nicholas-once in a video call, once when he waited outside for me, and now today. Perhaps there was a bond between father and daughter. She had never shown such curiosity about any man, not even Pete, who had been by her side since her birth.

Blood ties were truly fascinating, bridging the distance between two people and allowing them to meet.

Tabitha tossed a storybook from her bed toward me. The open page revealed her favorite tale, the king's face smudged by her tiny hands.

I held her close and watched her peacefully close her eyes, waiting to fall asleep. It was a bittersweet moment. Inside, the room was warm and cozy. Outside, Nicholas stood in the cool breeze, his brows furrowed as if he suddenly realized something. He pulled out his phone and called Beth.

But the phone, which she usually answered within five seconds, nearly went to voicemail this time. Only then did her lazy voice finally come through.

"Mr. Hawk." Beth yawned as she spoke.

"Look into Tabitha Shelman for me. I want everything, from her birth until now." Nicholas's request was

straightforward, but all he got in response was silence.

After five long seconds, Beth finally sighed. "Mr. Hawk, I'm no longer your secretary. There are some things I just don't have the authority to handle anymore."