Trouble in Paradise

"You're quite something, aren't you?" I looked up at Nicholas, my smile faint. "Are you protecting me, or are you just protecting the Hawk family's reputation?"

"Does it matter?" he replied, his tone one of unquestionable authority. "Dirty linen should not be washed in public."

"Fine. I'll apologize." As I spoke, I caught a glimpse of Claudia's triumphant smile.

Initially, I had thought it was all just an unfortunate coincidence-a chance encounter with an antisocial vagrant who hated the rich, and we just happened to get out of a luxury car.

But now, seeing the look on Claudia's face, I realized things were not as simple as they seemed.

Step by step, I walked toward her. She probably thought I was afraid. So when I pressed on the wound on her arm and dragged her off the hospital bed onto the floor, the expression on her face was priceless. She collapsed to the ground and gasped for breath, in too much pain to even make a sound. Seeing her like this, I finally felt a bit of relief.

"Didn't you

all say I deliberately hurt her? If I don't do something, how else would I deserve the blame you're placing on me?"

I looked at Claudia on the floor, my words laced with a clear warning. This is what your precious Nick told me. If you want to keep something secret, don't do it."

With that, I walked to the door, opened it, and looked toward Nicholas' parents, who were discussing something with Chief Jefferson outside.

It was at this moment that I finally spoke about my impending divorce with Nicholas.

"Frances and Daniel, I'm sorry. You don't need to help me anymore. My relationship with Nicholas is over, but I'll always see you two as my parents."NôvelDrama.Org holds © this.

I bowed deeply to them before turning to Chief Jefferson and said, "Sorry to keep you waiting!"

Behind me, the ward erupted into chaos. Claudia's cries mixed with Frances' panicked shouts.

"Let's go," I said to Chief Jefferson with a smile.

He straightened up and scrutinized my face. "This could either be a big deal or a small one. There's no need to make such a fuss with Mr. Hawk."

"What do you mean by a small deal?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"Domestic disputes are hard to judge. Who doesn't have minor quarrels or conflicts at home?"

"Oh, so this is how a criminal case turns into a civil dispute, huh? Chief Jefferson, don't go easy on this because of Nicholas. This isn't about the Hawk family pursuing it anymore. Now, it's about me pursuing it!"

I pulled my lawyer's license out of my bag and added, "Chief Jefferson, I apologize for not introducing myself earlier. Besides the identity you know, I am also a lawyer.

"I will go back to the police station with you and cooperate with the investigation. I will also contact my colleagues to arrange bail for me."

I looked at him and asked, "You don't have any objections, do you?"

Chief Jefferson walked ahead to lead the way, adopting an official tone again.

"It's not as serious as you say. Even if you don't call your friends over, we will still process your bail. But the specific procedures can be discussed once we reach the station."

I knew he was being courteous to me solely because of Nicholas' influence. Given Nicholas' ambiguous stance toward me, I wasn't too proud to leverage this identity.

After all, no one wanted to be detained for 24 hours in a police station, especially when they were innocent.

Going to the police station wasn't just about cooperating with the investigation. I also planned to accuse the vagrant, Nicholas, and Claudia of false accusation and demand the police pursue criminal charges against them. Dealing with someone knowledgeable about the law was challenging. Chief Jefferson, struggling to maintain his composure, began to persuade me.

"Mrs. Hawk, why take a marital dispute to the police? How about I personally accompany you to talk to Mr. Hawk and settle things tomorrow?"

However, I remained resolute. "When the police confirm that I have no involvement in the vagrant's attack, I will be the one sending them to the police station."