Trouble in Paradise by Three Way

Seeing Nicholas act so nonchalantly almost made me lose my composure. It felt like an invisible force was pressing down on me.

If I stayed with him for even one more minute, the facade I was desperately holding up would crumble completely.

I forced myself to shake my head and said as calmly as possible, "You should go ahead, Mr. Hawk. I'll be there by 9:00 a.m."

Nicholas took his last puff, tossed the cigarette to the ground, and elegantly crushed it with his toe before speaking.

"Since when did Ms. Jones become so hesitant? The Ariana I remember was bold and straightforward."

His tone had a hint of teasing, making me think of our intimate past. But when I looked up at him, his face was expressionless as if the words had come out without any deeper meaning. He asked me, "Do I need to invite you?"

I quickly glanced over his face before turning away in disgust. I remembered how he had once stood not far from me in the underground parking lot, making a gentlemanly gesture of inviting me into the car. I gritted my teeth and lightly said, "Thank you, Mr. Hawk."

I tried treating Nicholas like any ordinary acquaintance. If I kept retreating, it would seem like I was the only one still trapped in our past, which was an embarrassment I couldn't bear.

front passenger seat, so I reached

grasped mine. I heard Nicholas's voice

he had already pushed me into the passenger

just held my hand. Not my wrist, not my

short contact felt

of the ambiguous moments we shared in the past. Back then, we had only deceived each other, and every physical touch had been tainted with

asked casually as he got into the driver's seat, his hands gripping

hadn't seen me take a bite myself.

eat something," Nicholas said, sounding irritated. His tone was laced

could I guess his intentions. He was far more unpredictable than he had been three years

say he was gentle, but deep down, he was a

moment he appeared in that interview, his entire demeanor had changed.

Hawk Corporation's position in

had always