As soon as Nicholas Scott sat down, I jumped up like a spring. In moments like these, I felt it would be best to leave. I forced a smile and stammered, "Nicholas Scott, um... I have to go back now, bye." But Nicholas Scott suddenly stood up from the sofa and blocked my path. The distance between us narrowed, almost imperceptibly close. Startled, I stumbled backward, instinctively trying to step away. Nicholas Scott reached out and grabbed my arm, preventing me from colliding with the nearby decorative lamp. "Am I a ferocious beast now? You avoid me like this, not even willing to say a word to me?" "You deleted me on WeChat and blocked my number. Are you planning to never contact me again? Are we not even friends anymore?" Nicholas Scott looked at me with helplessness, his words filled with melancholy. But his once bright and shining eyes, like stars, were now clouded with sadness, losing their former brilliance and becoming dim. I shook my head, feeling uneasy and guilty. But what should I say? Should I apologize? I was torn, twisting myself into a knot, but I still couldn't find the right words. I felt like a primitive person who couldn't speak. In the end, only a feeble word escaped my lips. "Nicholas Scott... I'm sorry." A lump formed in my throat, and my words stuttered and stumbled. Nicholas Scott paused for a moment, a smile tinged with disappointment appearing on his face.I could roughly understand why he was disappointed, but... all I could do and say was apologize. "Liliana Zanetti, can you sit with me for a while?" Looking into Nicholas Scott's expectant eyes, my heart softened, and I unconsciously nodded. But after sitting on the sofa and staring at each other for two minutes, I began to regret it. Because Nicholas Scott's idea of sitting together meant just that - sitting. In the past two minutes, we hadn't exchanged a single word. If we had simply sat in silence, it would have been fine, but Nicholas Scott kept staring at me without blinking. That calm gaze made me unable to meet his eyes. The sofa was as comfortable as before, but I was growing increasingly uneasy. As the lyrics of the song go, "I'm most afraid of sudden silence in the air..." In the awkward and almost suffocating silence, I managed to endure for another five minutes. And then, I surrendered... "Ahem..." I coughed deliberately, breaking the silence between Nicholas Scott and me. Meeting his gaze, I casually spoke, "Nicholas Scott, it's getting late. I really have to go. Take care and goodbye." After saying that, I stood up, leaning against the sofa. However, almost simultaneously, Nicholas Scott also stood up. I had a headache. If it were someone else, I would have definitely gotten angry. This is so frustrating. They don't make a sound or breathe when they're sitting, but when someone wants to leave, they insist on stopping them. What do they want?!But now, it's Nicholas Scott blocking my way, and I feel somewhat powerless. I considered him a friend, so... I didn't want to, and couldn't bring myself to get angry at him. With a sigh, I helplessly asked, "Nicholas Scott, what do you really want?" Nicholas Scott lowered his gaze and smiled sadly, asking softly, "Can't you stay with me a little longer?" Stay a little longer and continue with this awkwardness? I really can't handle it. It's too frustrating. But how should I respond now? Should I just say no directly? Sigh, even though I don't have the gift of gab, I'm not completely tongue-tied. But why am I stumbling over my words when facing Nicholas Scott today? Just then, Dominic Hartnell finally approached. "Honey!"Seeing him coming closer, I greeted him joyfully. Ah, the savior has finally arrived. I should let Dominic Hartnell take me home. I shouldn't have come to this foolish banquet today. As for Nicholas Scott, it's better to keep a safe distance. Otherwise, I really don't know how to face him. It's just too awkward. Dominic Hartnell walked quickly and soon reached me. I felt like he completely ignored Nicholas Scott, not even sparing him a glance, and just held my hand. With a smile, he said, "Wife, I've taken care of everything. We can go home now. Or do you want to stay a little longer?" I quickly shook my head and replied, "No more staying. Let's go." Following me, I turned my head to Nicholas Scott and sighed slightly before saying, "Nicholas Scott, we're leaving. Goodbye." Dominic Hartnell glanced at me with dissatisfaction and tightened his grip on my hand. "Darling, let's go home." I sighed again but didn't say anything more. However, just as I was about to pass by Nicholas Scott, he suddenly grabbed my hand. I paused, feeling somewhat helpless, and turned my head slightly. But before I could speak, Dominic Hartnell had already turned around, stepped forward, and grabbed Nicholas Scott's wrist. "Let go!" Seeing Dominic Hartnell's face darken, I quickly pulled him and immediately said to Nicholas Scott, "Nicholas Scott, let go of me." Although we were in a relatively secluded area, if things got too loud, it would easily attract attention. There were so many people at the banquet, especially from the entertainment industry, and I didn't want to cause unnecessary trouble.However, Nicholas Scott unexpectedly became forceful and stubborn, tightly holding onto my hand, refusing to let go. Dominic Hartnell's gaze turned cold, exuding a chilling aura, his voice freezing as if covered in ice shards. "Nicholas Scott, I warn you one last time, let go of her hand!" I grew anxious and tried to persuade from the side, "Nicholas Scott, please don't do this. Just let go of me, okay?" Nicholas Scott completely ignored my words. He neither released my hand nor paid any attention to Dominic Hartnell's threat, just staring at me intently. "Liliana Zanetti, if you didn't know him before, if there was no past between you two, if I had expressed my feelings for you before he came back to reconcile, if I had met you first..." "If... if all these 'ifs' were true, would you accept me?"I bit my lip, feeling stunned, once again trapped in the dilemma of not knowing what to say. But at the same time, strangely enough, my mind was unusually clear.