Trouble in Paradise (Arianna and Nicholas) novel Chapter 662

"Alright," Nicholas replied with a faint smile. "I'll grab a set of clothes for you from the wardrobe."

With that, he got out of bed and walked out, wearing nothing but a pair of light gray boxer briefs.

Every step he took seemed to activate every muscle in his body, giving off an indescribable sense of strength and grace.

He reached for a robe from the rack and draped it over his shoulders. Turning to speak to me, his voice became muffled in my ears as my attention was completely consumed by the loosely tied belt of his robe, the broad expanse of his exposed abs, and further downward…

By the time I snapped out of it, Nicholas was already out the door.

I pressed my hand to my forehead, thinking to myself that once he handed me the clothes at the door, there'd be no need for him to come back in. I got out of bed and stood by the door, waiting.

Suddenly, the phone on the nightstand began to ring. Upon seeing the caller ID, I hesitated and decided not to answer. But the phone rang again and again. After a few rounds of this, the phone finally went silent.

There was only one person capable of such relentless harassment—Claudia. My good mood from the morning was completely ruined.

I tossed the phone onto the desk without hesitation, but no sooner had I set it down than a notification popped up. Claudia sent some texts.

"Ariana, you bitch! Too scared to take my call?

"All you do is hide behind your man and let Nick lowball Mr. Fisher's offer!"

Gripping the phone tightly, I couldn't help but regret my poor judgment of people in the past.

I still couldn't reconcile the foul-mouthed woman before me with the sweet, obedient girl she once pretended to be.

Whatever consequences Nelson was facing now didn't surprise me, but I still felt touched that Nicholas would go to such lengths for me. I had told him not to offer a high price, and he had taken it to an extreme.

Claudia kept typing furiously on her end.

"The auction is moved up to tomorrow. If you want that piece of land, come to the address I send you. Don't tell Nick, or I'll make sure the whole world sees your childhood photos!"

"You wouldn't dare!" I shot back.

Even through the cold, impersonal text, I felt a chill run down my spine. Claudia was like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment.

She was always an unpredictable variable in my plans, but I couldn't let her become a destabilizing factor. I wouldn't allow it!