Trouble in Paradise (Arianna and Nicholas) novel Chapter 672

On our way back, Leo was still standing beside Yasmine. When he saw us approaching, he surprisingly nodded at both me and Nicholas—a rare acknowledgment.

I frowned and glared at him. He had upset Yasmine again!

I had expected Nicholas to ignore him entirely, but to my surprise, he nodded back slightly.

"Please don't interact with Leo anymore, okay? Just seeing him makes me mad!" I whispered to Nicholas.

He let out a low chuckle, indulgent and warm, but didn't directly respond. Instead, he said seriously, "Stay by my side no matter what happens. Don't panic."

Leo eventually walked away, leaving behind a broken sunflower pin and a woman lost in despair.

Ignoring Nicholas' warning for now, I quickly ran to Yasmine's side. "Yasmine, are you okay?"

I gently patted her back to comfort her. Only then did she seem to notice me. She gave me a forced, mechanical smile.

"I'm fine. Nelson didn't do anything to you, did he?"

"Yasmine, you don't have to pretend in front of me. If you don't want to smile, don't."

Her silly smile persisted, though the curve of her lips gradually faded. When she noticed Nicholas beside me, she turned to me and said, "He's here. Maybe I should head back now."

Then, she added with a bittersweet smile, "Nicholas, take good care of Ari, okay? Otherwise, I'll take her and leave, and neither of you will find us."

Her words carried a quiet resignation. At this point, fame and fortune seemed to mean less to her. If given another chance, she might have chosen to leave the country with me for three years. Without those years, certain feelings might not have been ingrained so deeply.

Nicholas tensed up. He grabbed my hand and glared fiercely at Yasmine. "You wouldn't!"

Admitting defeat, Beth sighed and looked at Yasmine. "I wouldn't dare."

On stage, the host announced that the auction for the land would restart, causing an uproar in the audience.

The crowd consisted of seasoned businesspeople who had attended countless auctions. Yet, none had ever witnessed an auction restart halfway through.

Fortunately, the host, being experienced, named me and Beth directly. He explained that we, as the key contenders, had no objections.

Naturally, everyone turned their eyes to me, Beth, and the man sitting between us—Nicholas. Realization dawned on their faces as they exchanged knowing looks.

The auctioneer seized the moment, speaking loudly and clearly, "Starting price, zero dollars!"