Chapter 218 Chapter 218
It seemed that the three limited edition bags were just a “warm-up purchase” for him.
“Are you sure you don't want anything else?” Nicholas stared at her skeptically.
“Not at the moment...”
“You don't have to save money for me, Caroline,” he said seriously. “Wolf Corporation isn't going to go bankrupt because of a few pairs of shoes.”
“... I know that.”
“All right.”
Nicholas stared at her for another moment, assessing whether she was lying to be polite. Finally, he relented. “Since you don't want to shop anymore, let's get out of the stores.”
Caroline sighed with relief. “Great. Let's go home.”
They walked to the elevator.
Nicholas glanced at his wristwatch. It was still early. The night was young.
According to the “Bratt Dating Manual,” after shopping came entertainment.
There was a luxury movie theater on the upper floors of the mall.
When they entered the elevator, Caroline expected to go down to the underground garage.
However, Nicholas pressed the button for the 6th floor.
The elevator began to ascend.
Caroline was confused. “Huh? Aren't we going home? What's up there? More stores?”
Nicholas kept his expression calm. “It's still early, and we're in no hurry to go back. Is there a movie playing that you'd like to see?”
“See a movie?” Caroline blinked.
“Yes.”
Caroline was surprised.
She looked at his elegant profile. She had never imagined that the great and busy Nicholas Wolf would think of something as ordinary and “normal” as taking her to the movies on a weeknight.
Was this... a real date?
She and Edward used to go to the movies when they were dating. In fact, it was the most basic and common activity for any couple.
That was exactly why Caroline was so shocked. She never imagined that the untouchable President of Wolf Corporation would date like a mere mortal.
She thought that billionaires like him, when they wanted to impress a woman, would book Michelin-starred restaurants, go to art auctions in Paris, rent yachts, or watch operas in exclusive boxes. She expected something extravagant, intimidating, and... outside her comfort zone.
But a movie theater in a shopping mall? Popcorn and a big screen? It seemed too mundane for someone of his status.
“Why did you suddenly decide to watch a movie at the theater?” Caroline asked, genuinely curious, as the elevator numbers climbed.
“Caroline.” Nicholas' deep voice sounded soft in the small enclosed space.
“Hmm?”
Nicholas turned to her, his dark eyes shining intensely. “We've never had a real date, have we?”
Caroline blinked, taken aback by his candor. “...I don't think so.”
They hadn't even flirted before they got married.
There were no candlelit dinners with butterflies in their stomachs, anxiously waiting for a message, or first stolen kisses at the front door. They jumped straight to the marriage certificate, united by circumstances and Sara's surgery. “So, this is our first official date,” Nicholas declared, straightening his posture.
“We had dinner, did some shopping for you, and now we're going to watch a movie... Isn't that exactly what normal couples do?”
“Um, yes. It is.”
“So, we're going to date like that too.”
Caroline was silent, absorbing the weight of those words.
“I'm sorry,” he continued, his tone laden with a rare sincerity.
“Maybe I'm already a little late with all this. We're doing things in reverse order... but I'm trying to make up for it.”
The man looked at her with unwavering determination, but there was an unexpected vulnerability in his expression. He was stripping off his CEO armor to be just a man trying to please the woman he had chosen.
Caroline's heart skipped a beat. “Nicholas...”
He raised his free hand and lightly touched the top of her head, caressing her hair with a tenderness that could melt mountains.
“I don't know how other people date or how normal guys behave in a relationship,” he confessed.
“But I'll learn. I'll try to understand better. I hope I can give you the most normal and happy experience possible.”
He took a step closer, his voice dropping to a magnetic whisper. “Carol, I owe you the whole courtship process. I owe you the romance. Would you give me a chance to make up for lost time and really date you?”
Caroline lost her breath. She simply couldn't articulate the whirlwind of emotions that overwhelmed her.
A warm wave of affection flooded her chest. It was true. Their marriage was a hasty agreement. They signed the papers less than twenty-four hours after meeting because he brilliantly cornered her to save her sister.
They barely had time to get to know each other, let alone have a romance. And frankly, since the papers were already signed and they were already sharing the same roof, there was no practical “need” to date. Most wealthy men in arranged marriages wouldn't bother.
But Nicholas cared. He wanted her completely, starting from scratch, the right way.
Caroline lifted her face, staring into his deep eyes, trying to find the bottom of that complex soul.
“Do you... do you really want this?” she asked, her voice trembling slightly with emotion.
Nicholas took her small hand, brought it to his lips, and placed a chaste kiss on her knuckles. “Yes. I want this.”
Caroline smiled, a mischievous gleam appearing in her eyes. “Well... if you put it that way, then you owe me much more than just the ‘dating experience.’”
“Hm?” The man raised an eyebrow, confused.
Caroline looked at him with an air of defiance and amusement. “If we're going to follow society's conventional process, you can't just start dating me. You have to win me over first. The flirting, the dates, the attempts to impress me. Only after I agree to be your girlfriend can we actually start dating.”
Nicholas was stunned for several seconds. He blinked, processing the information.
“You want me to... court you? To chase after you?”
Caroline raised her eyebrow, mimicking his gesture. “Why the long face? Isn't the Great President Wolf willing to put in a little effort for a woman?”
For some reason, Nicholas felt butterflies in his stomach as he looked into her inquiring, amused eyes. Control of the situation had just slipped through his fingers.
He hesitated, reflecting silently. As a businessman, he was calculating the risk versus the return of that “joke.”
Ding!
The elevator reached the 6th floor. The metal doors opened, revealing the bustling lobby of the cinema, with neon lights and the smell of butter.
Caroline sighed lightly, thinking she had asked too much. “Forget what I said. It was just a joke.”
She wasn't upset. After all, they already shared the same bed and the same marriage certificate. Demanding that he court her like a teenager was a little... silly. Illogical, even.