Trouble in Paradise (Arianna and Nicholas)

I lingered in the guest room until the time I had agreed upon with Yasmine before finally leaving the room.

Originally, I had intended to avoid Nicholas for a while, but to my surprise, he was already gone from the Coral Villa.

After bidding farewell to Tabitha and Cory, I drove to the firm to pick up Yasmine before heading to the auction venue that Claudia had informed me about. When we arrived, I was shocked to find that the person handling the reception outside was none other than Leo.

Yasmine confidently walked over and greeted him, only to be pulled aside and cornered by Leo.

I hurried over, only to hear Leo incessantly questioning why Yasmine had come, his words entirely trivial and inconsequential.

Realizing that Yasmine could handle the situation, I relaxed slightly, but just as I let my guard down, the sound of a sharp slap echoed through the corridor.

Moments later, she strutted into the auction hall as if nothing had happened.

Claudia had assured me that today's auction would be incredibly discreet, with very few people there. Yet, from a distance, I saw that quite a number of people had shown up, including some familiar faces-Beth was among them.

Once most attendees arrived, I stepped out of the shadows. As I approached the registration desk, a door beside it opened, and someone pushed a wheelchair forward, walking alongside me.

Claudia's face carried a smug, confident smile. "Ariana, you're not as nonchalant as you claim to be. Your presence here today proves that you're afraid."

With my hands in my pockets, I smiled calmly as I continued walking. "Afraid of what?"

"Ariana, let's not beat around the bush. As long as you bid four billion dollars for this piece of land, I promise I won't expose your photos."

"Four billion?"

"Ariana, you're with Nick now. Don't tell me you can't come up with four billion dollars. If you try to plead poverty, I won't believe you!" "That's quite a large sum of money you're asking for. Are you in a hurry to buy cemetery plots for yourself and Nelson?"

I left her with a faint smile and walked to my seat, no longer caring about the sound of the wheelchair rolling away behind me. Only then did realize that Beth's seat was right beside mine.

Beth greeted me with a polite smile. "You're here too?"

I nodded. "Ms. Gardner, are you interested in this piece of land as well?"

Beth's smile exuded confidence. "I'm sorry, Ms. Jones, but I'm determined to win this."

My expression darkened slightly. I had come with the resolve to secure this land at all costs, only to have an unexpected competitor-someone I was relatively familiar with-appear.

Beth explained, "Apologies, but just

look at the business tycoons present

today. Every single one of them

likely has an eye on this land. Even if

I weren't competing, someone else would."

en FindNovel

"This land holds extraordinary significance to me..."

"Ms. Jones, it's equally important to me." Beth's gaze remained fixed ahead as she spoke, exuding the ambitious air of a wolf.

"XH Group needs this land. The year is almost over, and I have to show some results."

Yasmine smirked sarcastically beside me. "Aren't you worried that Ari will call Nicholas?"

Nevertheless, Beth maintained a composed, humble smile. "I'll follow whatever instructions Mr. Hawk gives."

Yasmine discreetly nudged me with

her elbow, I understood her meaning, but I really didn't want to create more trouble with Nicholas when so many unresolved issues already lay between us.

I stopped conversing with Beth, instead focusing my gaze on Leo, who was bustling around on stage.

Before long, Nelson was wheeled out by someone. He looked haggard, as though he had just recovered from a serious illness.

Despite his weakened state, his gaze locked onto me with pinpoint accuracy. His gaze was cold and menacing... It was the kind of look I had been subjected to for many years.

"It's alright," Yasmine whispered, quietly squeezing my hand for reassurance.

I stiffened slightly, straightened my posture, and listened to Nelson's insincere opening remarks.