Rift in the perfect picture

Chapter 0458

1 quickened my pace, disappearing from Nicholas’s sight. When I looked back, he was already out of view.

My heart raced unnaturally fast as if each step I took pulled me further away from my past.

I stopped and leaned against the wall, panting slightly. All my attention was drawn to the corner where he had vanished. The already loud crowd felt even more chaotic and annoying.

Nicholas had chased after me from the courthouse. The media relentlessly pursued him with their

cameras.

“Mr. Hawk, where is your wife going? This is the international flight area. Is there a problem in your marriage?”

“Mr. Hawk, is your mother the reason your wife left you?”

“Mr. Hawk…”

“Mr. Hawk…”

The cacophony not only drowned out Nicholas’s ears but also obscured his vision. Everything around him turned gray as if he were lost in a vast ocean, about to be swallowed by the tide.

“Get out of the way! Everyone move aside!”

I could hear a hint of panic in his voice. My heart tightened, remembering that Nicholas had hastily chased after me without bringing anyone else.

In the past, he could handle such situations alone. But given his current psychological struggles, I couldn’t help but worry.

“Mr. Hawk, are you okay?” a reporter shouted. “Look! Mr. Hawk is trembling!”

“What is he trying to pull out of his pocket?”

“Mr. Hawk looks like the addicts I’ve seen before! Is he having a relapse?”

1

The chatter made me acutely aware of how terrifying public opinion could be. I never imagined that Nicholas’s name would be linked to something like that.

I wondered how he felt at that moment, stuck in the eye of the storm, and whether he would make it out safely.

I clenched my fists, feeling anxious as well. I had thrown away my SIM card and couldn’t contact Douglas for help even if I wanted to.

But Nicholas soon provided me with an answer. With a thud, he grabbed the reporter’s collar and slammed him to the ground like a rag doll. He smashed the expensive equipment without hesitation.

Nicholas’s eyes were red as he clutched a pill bottle. He pointed menacingly at the group in front of him. and said, “If I see any rumors in the media tomorrow, you will bear the consequences,”

His voice wasn’t loud, but it was particularly intimidating. The crowd fell silent, everyone fearing that the slightest noise could make them the target of his threat.

However, all his intimidation vanished the moment he opened the pill bottle.

“Look! He’s having a relapse. Everyone captures this moment. It’ll be the headline tomorrow, and Hawk Corporation will fall. We don’t have to fear his threats!” someone incited.

Nicholas had always been seen as polite and gentle, but his violent behavior and erratic actions created a stark contrast to his usual demeanor. Combined with Frances’s incident, it had piled up a lot of negative

news.

I lowered my eyes, wrestling with my thoughts and battling my conscience. Should I get involved with Nicholas’s troubles? If I stepped out now, could I escape before the flight took off?

Suddenly, a pair of finely polished leather shoes appeared in front of me. I slowly looked up, tears welling in my eyes. A hand gently rested on my head.

“Ari, leave it to me.”