Nichs had just settled down in bed not long ago, so I thought he had fallen into a deep slumber. I didn''t bother to avoid him while I was on the phone with Yasmine.


    To my surprise, he was only pretending to be asleep. He heard every word of our conversation clearly.


    He suddenly reached out to my waist once I hung up. After a brief stab of pain, I found myself lying in his embrace. He wasn''t fully awake. His eyes were still closed, and he seemednguorously sprawled on the bed.


    An indescribable dull pain suddenly gripped my heart. Everything felt so familiar-the house, the bedroom, the man next to me, his gestures.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    Even the way he instinctively slipped his hand under the hem of my nightgown was the same as always. The warmth of his palm was so scorching that it nearly scalded my abdomen.


    His warm breath brushed against my neck as he rasped, "I can help you with thepany, but don''t let me hear you ever mention Pete again."


    I stiffened. Holding his hand, I pulled myself away from his embrace.


    His offer, made so easily, made me feel like it was just a charitable cause for him. Using his abundant power and influence that were insignificant to him, he bestowed favors upon me.


    "I don''t need it, Nichs."


    Meeting Dous again felt like a work of fate.


    When I sold the shares back then, Nichs had helped me sell them at a price higher than the market value. If I quietly found a chance to buy them back now, Dous would probably be capable of managing it without any issues. After all, my mother also knew nothing when she took over Jones Corporation. I was very confident in Dous''s abilities.


    If Nichs ultimately refused to help Pete, perhaps I might be able to do so on my own. If I were still the chairperson with a say in Jones Corporation, would the Shelman family at least show me some respect?


    So, I didn''t need Nichs this time.


    Like a lion on the verge of waking up, Nichs slowly fluttered his eyes open and said, "As you no longer can love anyone, being with anyone is the same... so you don''t even want to ept my favors. Ariana, I see you''re quick to burn bridges."


    I shook my head. "We only have a deal between us. I returned to you, so you shall help Yasmine and Pete. I can live with you peacefully, but that''s the most I can offer you. The rest are off the table."


    "You''re quite self-aware, aren''t you?"


    Nichs closed his eyes again, but he was spiraling in turmoil. He really didn''t want to let Pete off so easily.


    Why couldn''t Ariana just ask for his help? He was clearly the one in power and had the upper hand. But why was he always infuriated whenever he was with Ariana? He felt like there was a fire burning inside him.


    He could''ve just let the fire in his chest burn everyone else to ashes, but he didn''t have the heart to do so whenever Ariana stared at him defiantly.


    I broke out in a cold sweat. Talking to Nichs always felt like mingling with a viper. He was clearly venomous, yet he always managed to disguise it so well. Though I seemed tough, I was still afraid of being ambushed by him. Although we were less than a foot apart, the distance between us felt vast. There was no going back for us anymore.


    Just as I was about to get up, the bedroom door suddenly swung open. udia burst in, and she froze the moment she saw me.


    "Ariana..." she murmured. "Nick, how could you? You deliberately tricked me to Dad''s ce. When Ie back, there''s already another woman here!"