Trouble in Paradise (Arianna and Nicholas)
Chapter 614

Chapter 0614

The entire trip to the hospital felt unusually silent because of the small incident this morning.

Nicholas sat stiffly in the car, his lips pressed into a tight line as he buried himself in work on his phone. Not a word left his mouth.

Tabitha noticed the tension between us right away. Her little head buried itself in my arms, clearly uneasy. She seemed a little scared as she tried to distance herself from Nicholas.

Once she felt safe, she stayed still like a little quail.

I had no choice but to nudge him, but Nicholas was like a statue, without any reaction.

However, the subtle twitch of his temple betrayed his emotions. He was irritated but forced himself to hold it in.

I didn't understand why he was so angry. He wanted to forget the past, so why bring up the painful memories again? Or was there something he wanted to remind me of?

I couldn't help but recall what Claudia had said in the ward. Was he angry because he remembered how I had hurt him in the past?

My fingers traced along the straight line of his pants, slowly moving toward the hand he had resting on his knee. Just as I felt the muscles in his thigh tense up, I realized how inappropriate my actions had been.

I instinctively pulled my hand back, but his clenched fist immediately relaxed, and he grabbed my hand tightly. Nicholas glanced at me. His bloodshot eyes were full of helplessness and hurt which almost suffocated me. I froze, unsure how I should respond to him.

I forced myself to stay still. But under his piercing gaze, I gave him a somewhat ingratiating smile and silently mouthed, "Comfort her."

As I spoke, my gaze drifted down to Tabitha, who was only showing the top of her head.

Nicholas let out a soft chuckle but quickly wiped it off his face. Closing his eyes, he leaned back against the seat, as if to say, "Why don't you calm me down first?"

I sighed. He was genuinely angry, and his indifference toward Tabitha only added to my frustration.

I tried to pull my hand away, but he wouldn't let go. I looked at our intertwined fingers and felt a strange sensation growing in my heart.

With no other option, I lightly brushed my fingers over the back of his hand.

Nicholas cracked open an eye. I nudged him gently. He straightened slightly, and I scratched at his palm.

Finally, he loosened his tie, cleared his throat, and softened his voice. "Tabitha, come here. Let Daddy hold you."

Seeing them interact as they used to, I felt a little relieved. But there was still a knot in my stomach from holding his hand.

When we got out of the car, Nicholas picked up Tabitha and stepped out first. As I walked toward him, he instinctively took my hand.

I glanced up at his profile and let him lead me. Nicholas had already made prior arrangements, and someone was waiting for us at the entrance.

The setup was grand, and it was obvious that this medical team consisted of at least 50 people. The doctor in charge greeted us naturally, giving me an introduction. Both the psychologists and the psychiatrists had great accomplishments in their respective fields.

There were also speech therapists and occupational therapists, who were top-tier in the industry.

I looked at Nicholas gratefully, squeezing his hand tightly. A spark of hope lit up in my heart. Perhaps, this time, they could truly help Tabitha.