Trouble in Paradise

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We were both tainted... Nicholas said that we were both tainted. But in his eyes, just how filthy did he think I was? If I were so filthy, who was the man holding me so tightly right now?

I sighed silently, noticing the redness in my eyes reflected in the window. "I've never thought of myself as tainted. How you see me is your problem."

His expression changed slightly. "Is that so? Then what about you and Pete? Even before we divorced, you two were already together. How are you not tainted? And now you're with him again..."

His voice choked as if he couldn't continue.

"You tricked me! You made me believe we were already divorced!"

Anger surged through me, my whole body trembling as I struggled against him. How could he pin all his mistakes on me?

"Even if we had divorced, how could you move on so quickly? Do you even care about me? If you loved me, I don't believe you could've forgotten me so easily!"

Nicholas gripped my shoulders, forcing me to face him. His questions came one after another, each one stabbing deeper into my heart.

I looked at him and suddenly laughed. A hint of sadness lingered in my eyes.

"Say whatever you want. Sure, I'm the dirtiest one in the world, but you? You're spotless."

I was tired of arguing. "Nicholas, it doesn't matter what you say. It's meaningless now."

I closed my eyes softly, refusing to look at him anymore. "When you're done, let me go."

Nicholas's face turned pale, his suppressed emotions unraveling. Meaningless... Let me go...

How could a relationship survive when only one person still wanted to see the other?

His heart pounded heavily, dragging him into a pit of despair. Overwhelmed by his emotions, he leaned in and kissed me, his lips finally claiming the ones he had dreamed of for so long.

I opened my eyes in shock, taking in the sight of his sharp nose and the stray strands of hair on his forehead. My lips tingled, growing numb.

It had been three years since I last felt a kiss, and the unfamiliarity of it made my heart race. I froze, overwhelmed by a wave of fear and confusion.

Nicholas deepened the kiss, pulling me closer as if he wanted to merge me into his body. His movements were full of pain and desperation.

I struggled beneath him, trying to speak, but all that escaped were muffled sounds. His hand roamed freely, slipping across the exposed part of my back, shameless and possessive.

The fabric of my dress shifted under the pressure. His hands were the culprits.

As my body's oxygen quickly depleted, the suffocating despair from his relentless kiss overwhelmed me. I stopped struggling.

But when I remembered how Nicholas and Claudia were so intimately entwined that night, I couldn't hold back my grievance.

Tears began to fall, one after another until they formed a steady stream down my face. Nicholas must have tasted the salt in them because his forceful kiss softened.

He cradled my face gently, peppering it with light kisses. His voice was hoarse. "Don't cry. I really missed you. I don't care if you've been with someone else. All I want is you, Ariana. Trust me."

In these three years apart, I could count the times I cried on one hand. I always told myself to be strong for my daughter and to suppress any sadness. But now, my tears flowed like a dam breaking, unstoppable.

"You're the filthy one, Nicholas!"