Escaped My Ex, Got Snatched by His Rival - Chapter 304

Chapter 304: Final nail to her coffin
Ariel still held a smile on her face, even though she was finding it challenging to keep her lips curled up in a sweet yet seductive smile, she did everything in her power to not show her true feelings on her face.

Rage, guilt, fear and shame coursed in her veins like some unholy cocktail. It made her nauseous and uncomfortable, but not more than the gaze with which Nicolai had pinned her.

It made her squirm, and not in a good way.

She glanced at Noah hoping for him to say something, but the man was unusually quiet. What—— What was going on?

Ariel was quick to pick on the strange vibe that was fluttering around the table.

The two men were quarrelling just now and seemed inches away from throwing fists at one another and only stopped when Brandon reminded them of the occasion.

However, now Noah and Nicolai seemed strangely aligned, which threw Ariel off.

‘I am thinking too much, right?’ Ariel thought while gulping down the nervousness rising in her throat. She smiled at Nicolai timidly before replying, “Mister de Luca, if Ari has said something to you, then I would like to apologize for it. My sister has always been eager to make herself look like a victim——”

“Miss Ariel,” Nicolai curled his lips into a predatory smile. “You only need to answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’. There is no need to add any further nonsense to it. You might be used to blabbering nonsense, but I am not used to hearing it.”

His red eyes gleamed with a dangerous glint as he added, “Usually I pull out the tongues of those who waste my time. But I will let you off as you are Ari’s sister. Aren’t I just the sweetest?”

Ariel’s face turned red at Nicolai’s words because of embarrassment and fear. She was worried that this man would suddenly change his mind and pull her tongue out as well.

She tried her best to contain her anger. The only reason she held herself back from lashing was because Ariel knew that even if she had nine lives, she could never be on the same level as Nicolai.

“So?” Nicolai questioned.

“So?” Ariel repeated like an idiot as she had some other thoughts in her head.

“What’s the answer to the question that I asked you? It is not too difficult, is it?” Nicolai asked as he licked his lip ring and leaned back on his chair. He crossed his arms, causing his ripped muscles to stretch the fabric of the shirt that he was wearing. “What is it? Yes? No? Neither? Either?”

Ariana, who sat next to him, closed her eyes as she tightened her grip on the glass, she was trying to stop it from shaking. Her gaze tracked Nicolai’s nonchalant movements, who was staring at Ariel in a manner which left no way out for her.

She knew why he was doing it, but she wished he didn’t because Ariana knew that she was not deserving of his kindness.

By protecting her, he was only going to get his hands stained with the ink that had swallowed her whole, leaving nothing behind.

Compared to her, he was in a much brighter place, and Ariana did not wish to drag Nicolai into the darkness where she stood.

Because she would hurt him. She knew she would.

“I—-I,” Ariel was tongue-tied. She didn’t know if she should agree or refuse. However, she knew that she could not deny it. Because everyone who sat at this table knew that it was her who had saved Noah.

The train that she had gotten on left years ago, and she had no way out of it.

She glanced at Ariana who was making no effort to stop the mad hound she had brought to this party and unleashed on her before turning her gaze back to Nicolai.

She licked her lips and finally answered, “Yes, it was me.”

“Is that so?” Nicolai uncrossed his arms and then leaned forward before placing his arms on the table. He interlocked his fingers and then casually remarked,” But I think …there is a subtle difference between what I know and what you are telling me. I will give you another chance. Are you sure it was you who saved him?”

Noah picked up the wine glass and drowned the remnants of the liquid that was inside of it. His eyes subtly moved to his side, as he eyed the woman sitting nervously on the chair which was three chairs away from his, on the left side.

He wanted to see what Ariel’s answer would be, there was a reason he hadn’t confronted Ariel about the kidnapping incident until now.

Noah had to thank Nicolai for handing him the opportunity that he had been waiting for, or else he would have to make one himself.

Well, this was considerably better than what Noah had in mind.

He lifted his glass and took another sip, not even paying the slightest attention to Ariel, who had gone pale under Nicolai’s grilling.

Compared to him, Nicolai was way kinder, as Noah would have never given Ariel a chance to explain herself. He would have simply cut her off from his life, but Noah lowered his gaze such that his eyelids moved until his eyes were half open.

He looked at the rim of the wine glass and curled his lips sadistically.

Indeed, he was a cruel man like Ariana said, he said and claimed that he loved Ariel but the second he knew that she was not the woman whom he desired ——

He removed her from his life like she was a pawn who had lost its value. But then again, he was taught to never waste his time on worthless feelings.

Even when his mother drowned herself in the tub with her wrists slashed, his father had scolded him for acting like a woman for he had shed tears.

His father blamed him for showing his emotions while his mother who cut her wrists blamed him for being incompetent and embarrassing her upon waking up.

‘Why are you here? Instead of wasting time by saying these foolish words, you should go and study harder, Noah,’ his mother had told him. Her eyes stared at him with a wild look in them as she said, ‘If you work harder, then I won’t have to do something like this again.’

‘Don’t embarrass me, Noah… and mother will be fine. I will never hurt myself if you make me proud, it’s your incompetence that led me here, Noah.’

‘Just listen to your mother and do what I tell you.’

‘What’s the point of shedding tears? Instead of acting incompetent like your mother…work hard. You are a Nelson, so act like one.’

For him showing his emotions had always been a sin. Maybe that was why he could never understand the complexity of his emotions.

“Mister de Luca… I really did save, Noah.”