Trouble in Paradise



The journey from Jay Caldwell & Co. to Coral Villa wasn't long, taking less than half an hour.

I kept refreshing the webpage, watching the situation unfold. The trending topics about Claudia and Nelson continued to drop in popularity. Someone was clearly working to bury the story.

'Tell the PR team to push the trending topic back up. When I was being attacked online, it lasted for days. This post should stay online just as long, not a second less."

Douglas responded promptly, putting on his headset to make a call. It only took a moment for him to finish giving his instructions.

Seeing my silence, he thought I was worried. He hung up the call and reassured me.

"Everything was done discreetly. The photos were uploaded by hacking into Claudia's account, the same account she once used to target you.

'Those who harm others will eventually be harmed themselves. If this story continues to spread, some sharp-eyed netizens will trace the account back to Claudia.

"Her past actions of exposing your photos will also be uncovered. You won't need to clarify it yourself. The truth will be brought to light. This time, no one will protect her anymore."

No one would protect her? I almost laughed. Did he think Nicholas would just stand by and watch his precious sister get dragged through the dirt?

But after all, these things would never be blamed on anyone else. It was always me who bore the brunt of his anger.

I lowered my voice. "Claudia isn't much of a threat. Keep an eye on Nelson, though. Be cautious with him. He is bound to get dragged into this and retaliate.

"His dirty secrets are in our hands. What can he do?" Douglas replied casually.

"An exclusive club is nothing. It won't hold up as leverage. If he replaced the underage girls inside, he would be a law-abiding citizen again. Let's prepare micro-cameras and find an opportunity to check it out ourselves."

Back at Coral Villa, the sky had just darkened. The car stopped at the curb. I asked Douglas to wait in the car while I went in to get Tabitha.

I had slight night blindness. So, as I moved through the garden, I could barely make out the figures ahead of me. But I knew instantly who they were.

With nearly a foot difference in height, the only pair that matched those silhouettes here was Nicholas and Claudia.

Standing just outside the main door, Claudia was sobbing softly a few steps below him, the porch light casting a glow over them.

Even if they shifted a bit, I could've slipped past without a word. But now, I stood frozen, neither wanting to listen nor disrupt. The wind carried their conversation.

She was explaining that she was being forced. She said Nelson had forced her into this, and she wanted Nicholas to help her.

I almost laughed. Did she not realize that Nicholas already knew? He had known all along-ever since three years ago, back when we divorced. Even then, he showed no reaction. As long as Claudia remained by his side, nothing else mattered to him.

And it was precisely because of that indifference that I committed the one act in my legal career I could never forgive myself for.

I knew the consequences if someone ever exposed what I did. It would destroy any chance I had to stand in a courtroom again. I would be despised by everyone, facing prison time until I had paid for all my sins.

But at that moment, all I cared about was keeping Nicholas alive. I had spared Claudia's life, and she had tried to end mine.NôvelDrama.Org owns this.

The weight of these memories was so overwhelming that I hadn't even noticed Claudia leave. When I looked up, Nicholas's dark eyes were fixed on me.

"Aren't you coming over?"

A nerve in my soul twitched. Was he still going to defend Claudia?