Chapter: 821

He hadn't reached out to her, choosing to maintain his dignity after their last awkward meeting.

"Nothing has changed. My response remains the same," Aimee answered calmly, avoiding eye contact as if she were discussing something unimportant.

"Still for the same reasons?" he asked.

"Exactly."

“Aimee, I used to be quite the party animal, but I've really changed. I've been working at Bates Group and going home every night. You can check my chat history-I've turned down every invitation to go out drinking!"

His friends had even shown up at his doorstep trying to charm him out, but Nikolas had turned them down every time, trying to demonstrate his sincerity to Aimee.

“Even if you vow to never party again, we still wouldn't work."

Nikolas was left speechless.

"Nikolas, I don't even like you! Haven't you realized that yet?"

Aimee was reluctant to be so direct, especially with children nearby.

Nikolas clenched his teeth in frustration. “You once mentioned you liked my face."

“Just your face! And now, look, you've got that scar from Maddie! It's a turn-off."

Nikolas, filled with frustration, brought Rowan over to Aimee.

"Why do you keep bringing up Maddie?"

"It's the truth, why shouldn't I mention it? I can't stand her, and I'm not going to pretend otherwise just to make you happy."

"Yous"

She claimed to despise his party lifestyle, which he could change. He could distance himself from those fair-weather friends who were only around for benefits. But what was he supposed to do when Aimee mentioned Maddie?

What was done was done. How could he change the past? The past was unchangeable.

Rowan observed their argument, feeling the tension but not fully grasping it. He asked, “Auntie, do you hate Nikolas?"

Aimee nodded firmly. "Yes, I do."

“But he is so handsome! Don't you always look at pictures of handsome guys and talk about marrying one? Why do you hate him? I think he's even more handsome than those celebrities."

Aimee didn't know how to answer that.

Nikolas laughed, tousling Rowan's hair. “See, Rowan gets it! Unlike someone else."

“Handsome? Rowan, have you not noticed the scar on his face? It's probably permanent!" Aimee snapped back, her competitive edge showing.