Chapter 154 Chapter 154
Dinner at the Wolf family mansion was served with all the pomp and circumstance that tradition demanded.
When Caroline and Nicholas descended the stairs, hand in hand, they immediately noticed one absence: Sheila was not there. At the long, imposing dinner table, only Mrs. Wolf (Cecille) and the Matriarch were seated.
As soon as Mozart announced the couple's arrival, the elderly woman's face lit up. She smiled broadly and waved enthusiastically to Caroline.
“Dear daughter-in-law! Come here, sit next to Grandma.”
Caroline blinked in surprise.
She was speechless for a moment. In the afternoon, the lady had affectionately called her “Carol.” Now, just a few hours later, she had already been promoted to “dear daughter-in-law”? The speed with which the matriarch had accepted her was staggering.
Nicholas, noticing his wife's shock, let out a low, hoarse laugh.
He leaned over, brushing his lips against her ear, and whispered:
“Grandma likes you very much. I've never seen her be so kind to anyone else, except me, of course.”
Caroline looked at him, her eyes sparkling with pleasant surprise. “Really?”
“Of course.” Nicholas nodded, guiding her to the chair. “My older brother is her biological grandson, and she's never treated him with such kindness. She often says that he always looks like he's sucked on a lemon and seems like a grumpy old man, even though he's young. She finds that unpleasant.”
“Uh...”
This was the first time Caroline had heard Nicholas mention his older brother.
She knew little about Daniel Wolf, except what she saw on the news. And that was quite a lot.
Daniel was a living legend. A central figure in the armed forces and currently the youngest presidential candidate in the country's history, at only thirty years old. His competitors were veterans in their fifties and sixties, but Daniel led the polls by a landslide. Online support for him was fanatical.
Like Nicholas, Daniel was born blessed by the gods: rich, powerful, and devastatingly handsome.
However, compared to Nicholas' dangerous charm, the man she saw on television seemed made of ice.
He was serious, stoic, and exuded an aura of authority that screamed “Don't come near me” from miles away.
Perhaps her grandmother wasn't wrong when she said he had the soul of an old man.
Still, Caroline knew that Daniel had a legion of passionate fans. Her own friend, Tania, had once been obsessed with him, calling him “the nation's husband.”
Caroline looked around the table, curiosity getting the better of her.
“Is your older brother not home today?” she asked.
Deep down, she wanted to see this “national idol” in person. Was he as handsome and intimidating in real life as he was on screen?
But the empty chair indicated that Daniel was not there. Which was no surprise, given that he seemed to live on airplanes and military bases, with little time for family dinners.
“He's your older brother now, too,” Nicholas corrected, his tone casual, but his eyes narrowing slightly.
“Um... so Brother rarely comes home?”
Nicholas stopped arranging his napkin and looked at her. His gaze became piercing.
“You seem very concerned about my brother...” he commented, his voice soft but laden with dangerous subtext.
He seemed calm. To anyone else, it would have been just an observation.
But Caroline, who was already beginning to decipher her husband's nuances, smelled vinegar in the air.
Jealousy. Again.
She was speechless.
Was he jealous of his own brother? She had only asked a casual question! She had never even met Daniel in person!
This man was a real “pot of vinegar” — he soured over anything.
“... No!” Caroline denied quickly, shaking her head. “I'm just asking out of social curiosity. You don't have to answer if you don't want to.”
Nicholas stared at her for a long second, assessing her sincerity. Then a slow, predatory smile curved his lips.
— My older brother is a very busy man. It would be a miracle if he spent a day or two at home each month. — He paused, tilting his head. — But if you want to see him so badly, I can call him right now. If I tell him his sister-in-law wants to meet him, he'll make time to come back."
Caroline felt a chill. She wouldn't dare ask that.
Nicholas was already jealous over a simple question. If she asked Daniel to come back, Nicholas would probably explode with possessiveness right there at the dinner table.
Besides, bothering the future president and Minister of Security just for a “hello” seemed absurd and pretentious.
“Oh, no, no!” Caroline refused, waving her hands. “Since Brother is busy saving the country, we shouldn't bother him. I don't particularly want to see him right now.”
She realized that the phrase sounded a little rude, so she quickly corrected herself, trying to calm the beast beside her:
“What I mean is... we can meet naturally when he has free time. He doesn't need to come specifically because of me. I would be embarrassed.”
Besides, she had a slight suspicion that she would be afraid of Daniel. If he was serious on TV, he must be terrifying in person. She preferred to deal only with the “Wolf” she already knew—and who, at least, knew how to smile at her.
“Cecille, just look at that young couple... It's so beautiful to see newlyweds like that.” The Matriarch smiled, her eyes sparkling as she watched Nicholas and Caroline whispering at the foot of the stairs. “They can't stop whispering to each other. I wonder what sweet secrets they're sharing.”
For the old lady, there was no better sight than seeing youth blossom in love. Of course, the picture would only be complete with a few great-grandchildren running across the Persian rug. If that happened, she could leave this world without regrets.
Mrs. Wolf (Cecille) forced a stiff, insincere smile. “Y-You're right, Mom.”
Inside, she was boiling with irritation, but she was wise enough not to show it. The Matriarch was clearly delighted with her new daughter-in-law. If Cecille showed any discontent now, she would be declaring war on her mother-in-law—and in the Wolf family, the Matriarch's word was law.
“Grandma, I was telling Carol how much you like her.”
Nicholas approached with Caroline, guiding her by the waist as the maid pulled out the velvet chairs.
“Really?” The lady laughed, pleased.
“Hmm. Carol was very happy to hear that.”
At the table, Nicholas stopped in front of the seat of honor, just to the right of the Matriarch. He looked at Caroline with an encouraging smile.
“Sit here, next to Grandma.” He winked. “I used to be the only person allowed this VIP treatment, but now... I've been replaced by you.”
The old lady waved her hand, dismissing her grandson with feigned disdain and calling Caroline over.