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    Chapter 0567


    Yasmine was still rambling and trying to persuade me, but I couldn''t focus on a word she was saying. All I could think about was how to handle the mess between Nichs and me.


    If he didn''t know about Tabitha, I could simply take her and leave again.


    But now? It wasn''t just about whether Nichs would let Tabitha go. It was whether Tabitha could bear to leave him.


    Radiant City was huge. If I really wanted to hide, I could find a way. But what if Tabitha cried and asked for her dad? Sooner orter, we''d meet again.


    Tabitha was growing up fast. One day, she''d understand the truth about us. And when that day came, how would I exin to her? How could I tell her that her parents separated in a way that was far from graceful?


    My thoughts were a tangled mess, my head pounding like it was about to explode. Meanwhile, Yasmine was still talking.


    "Ari, are you even listening to me? We can table this discussion about your career for now. If you change your mind, you can alwayse back."


    I nodded. "I''ll probably still leave the country. I should''ve gone earlier, but work dyed me. Once things are sorted, I''ll go."


    "What? You''re leaving again? To find Pete?"


    Hearing Pete''s name again left me momentarily dazed. It had been so long since I''d thought about him. I wondered how he was doing now.


    He had offered me a choice back then, asking me to consider Nichs'' perspective. But all those emotions and memories amounted to little. Resistance outweighed everything else.


    In the end, I neither rekindled old feelings nor found the chance to start anew. It turned out that making decisions without rity only led to failure. And now, trying to cut ties seemed impossible.


    "No, I''m heading to Bend. My current state of mind fitted the phrase ''too tired to love.'' I don''t want to hold anyone back."


    ''Ari, don''t say that. You''re amazing. You just haven''t met the right person yet. It''s not that you''re holding anyone back. It''s just that they''re not good enough for you."


    Leaning lightly against her shoulder, I feigned a yful pout. "Yasmine, you''re the only one who spoils me now." She shrugged her shoulders, grinning reluctantly. "Cut it out! I''m still mad at you. You owe me an exnation today!"


    My stomach sank. "Uh... About what?"


    "I can''t help but get angry every time I think about it! Are you really just letting the whole udia thing slide? Sure, the news about you and her has been scrubbed from the inte, but you owe me an exnation!


    "Are you worried Nichs might get involved? I was there when he showed up at the hospital. His face was ice- cold the entire time. He didn''t spare udia a single kind look.


    "You''ve been out of the country these past few years, so there''s a lot you don''t know. From what I''ve heard, udia''s status as the Hawk family''s heiress is a sham. No one takes her seriously.


    "If Nichs truly pampered her the way the rumors say, he would''ve kicked me out of that ward the moment he walked in."N?velDrama.Org holds this content.


    Yasmine''s tone carried a hint of disdain. I knew she cared about this situation because she wanted to stand up for me. But things weren''t as simple as they seemed.


    "udia made a mistake. Nichs is furious, so of course he''s cold to her now. But if I actually hurt her... I don''t know if Nichs would just stand by and do nothing. Trust me on this one, Yasmine. Let it go this time."


    Besides, there was an old saying, "I could bully my own, but no one else could."