Chapter 191 Chapter 191
Edward, interpreting the silence as interest, continued. He didn't think the “employee” posed a threat, but he also didn't want to offend him unnecessarily, since the Cassano family needed to maintain good business relations.
He looked at Nicholas's strange smile and replied in a falsely friendly tone: "Mr. Wolf, perhaps I expressed myself poorly. Please don't get me wrong. I'm not hiding anything from you. I made this request because I have a... special relationship with Caroline.
Nicholas's fingers, which had been relaxed at his sides, tightened on the car door handle. His eyes darkened, losing all trace of warmth. “Oh? By ‘special relationship,’ Mr. Cassano means...?”
Edward puffed out his chest, looking more than happy to mark his territory. “She's my ex-girlfriend. We were about to get married.”
Edward took a step forward, confidentially. “We've known each other for ten years. I understand her better than anyone else. So I'm sure she can't be faithful to you with all her heart, even if she's in your bed.”
Edward lowered his voice, adopting a “friendly advice” tone: “President Wolf is a single, wealthy, attractive man. You certainly have no shortage of women around you. What's the point of keeping a woman who still thinks about her ex?
”Besides...“ Edward smiled dismissively. ”I believe you are a demanding man. Honestly? Besides being pretty, Caroline has no other qualities. She's quiet, reserved, and... frankly, boring.
Edward fired off the final insult, trying to devalue the “merchandise”: “And she's not good at that. She's cold. If President Wolf wants someone fun to play with, why spend money on a dull woman who doesn't know how to satisfy a man in bed?”
Edward felt the atmosphere change instantly the moment the words left his mouth.
The temperature in the parking lot plummeted below zero.
He felt a chill run down his spine as he looked into Nicholas's eyes. They were no longer the eyes of an executive; they were the eyes of a killer.
“President Wolf, you...”
“Mr. Cassano.”
Nicholas interrupted him. His voice was low, hoarse, and vibrated with a contained threat. "You said that you and Caroline have known each other for ten years. That you understand each other very well. That you almost got married.
Edward hesitated for a moment, sensing the danger. “...Yes.”
“Ha.” Nicholas let out a short, dry laugh. “So your relationship was very strong. May I ask, then... why did you break up?”
Edward frowned, defensive. “I'm sorry, that's a private matter between her and me. It's not appropriate to discuss it with third parties.”
Nicholas took a step forward, his domineering aura crushing Edward's confidence. “Not appropriate”... or are you ashamed to admit the truth?
Nicholas' smile vanished. "Mr. Cassano is having fun with her sister, Claire, on the one hand... and on the other, he wants to pose as Caroline's hero and ‘savior’. What a big heart you have, Mr. Cassano. How many people can it hold?
Edward's expression twisted in shock. “You... how do you know...”
Before Edward could finish, Nicholas lunged forward.
In a movement too fast to follow, Nicholas grabbed Edward's shirt collar and pulled him close, almost lifting his feet off the ground.
“Edward.”
The name sounded like a death sentence.
“You mistreated Caroline for years. You humiliated her. And I haven't even come after you to collect that debt yet. You should thank heaven every day for my mercy.”
Nicholas's eyes were two black abysses. “Who gave you the audacity to come to me and make demands about my wife?”
“If it weren't for Caroline...” Nicholas whispered, and the promise of violence was palpable. “Do you think you'd still be here, breathing? Crushing you and your mediocre company would be as easy as crushing an ant.”
He tightened his grip on Edward's collar, suffocating him. “I'm warning you for the last and only time. Caroline is now my woman. My wife.” If you disrespect her, if you insult her or approach her with your dirty intentions again...“
Nicholas brought his face close to Edward's. ”I will make sure you die a horrible death. And I will destroy everything you love before that."
With a sharp push, he released Edward's collar, causing him to stagger backward.
Without another word, Nicholas got into the Lamborghini.
BAM!
The door slammed like thunder. The engine roared, and the sports car sped out of the parking lot, leaving Edward behind in a cloud of dust and smoke.
Edward didn't move.
He stood in the middle of the empty parking lot, the smell of exhaust filling his lungs.
His entire body was rigid, drenched in cold sweat.
Primal fear took hold of him.
It wasn't the fear of an executive. It was the fear of a predator.
When that man said, “I'll make sure you die a horrible death”...
Edward realized, with absolute horror, that he was telling the absolute truth.
“Edward, what the hell was that? What happened between you and President Wolf?”
President Sedenho, who had witnessed the scene from a distance, hurried over as soon as Nicholas' Lamborghini disappeared. He was visibly alarmed.
Edward turned slowly. His face was pale, drained of blood from the shock of the confrontation.
Only after a long moment, his lips still trembling, did he ask, his voice hoarse: “Uncle Sedenho... who is he, exactly?”
Edward's mind was working frantically.
Initially, he feared that Nicholas was the “Big Boss.” But his ego rejected that idea.
Then he assumed he was a senior executive.
But now... after that death threat and murderous aura... Edward felt that his assumptions were wrong. A mere manager, even a well-paid one, would not have the audacity to threaten a Cassano like that. He would not have that look of someone who owns the world.
“He's not just a manager of a small department, right?” Edward insisted, his eyes fixed on the older man. “Uncle Sedenho, you know who he is. Please tell me the truth. Who is this man?”
President Sedenho frowned, hesitating.