Chapter 531 Jacob: He Has No Choice to Marry Her! (2)
Jacob glanced at Amelia with practiced indifference. "A business associate."
Nicole's eyes dropped, her lashes casting shadows on her cheeks. Despite her youthful appearance—she could easily pass for twenty-two with that untouched innocence about her—she was twenty-five and had learned to read between the lines.
The way Amelia commanded attention across the room, radiant and self-assured, made it painfully clear who tonight's intended match was. Nicole didn't voice her suspicions, merely offered a soft, "I see."
Jacob was about to respond when the evening's orchestra struck up the opening waltz. A server approached, requesting his presence for the ceremonial first dance.
Jacob's jaw tightened. He wasn't finished with Nicole, but tonight belonged to Calliope. Looking down at her with unexpected tenderness, he said, "Wait for me here. One dance, and I'll be right back."
For once, Nicole didn't acquiesce. She lifted her chin to meet his gaze, and in her eyes was something he'd never seen before—a quiet desperation that made his chest tighten.
"Will we ever be able to step into the light?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, yet it cut through the evening's revelry like a blade. "Or are we destined to hide in Vesper City forever?"
Her nose had turned pink, tears threatening to spill. Jacob brushed his thumb across her cheek as if she were a child in need of comfort.
"Don't be silly," he murmured. "When am I ever not with you? Be good now."
The public setting demanded restraint; they couldn't afford more intimacy under so many watchful eyes. Jacob turned away, drawn toward the glittering ballroom where duty called.
Nicole remained frozen in place, watching his elegant silhouette disappear into the crowd. The familiar refrain echoed in her memory—all those times he'd left her waiting.
"Wait for me here, Nicole."
"Just thirty minutes, I promise. Be good."
"I'll wait for you."
"I want to be with you."
The evening breeze cut through her thin dress, sending shivers down her spine. She stood there watching him walk toward another woman, toward another world, his back turned to her tears.
Jacob approached Calliope with the practiced charm of a man born to society. "Would you honor me with the opening dance?"
Under normal circumstances, Calliope would have accepted without hesitation. But tonight, with both families watching expectantly, she gracefully stepped aside and guided Amelia forward. "You young people should get better acquainted."
Amelia curtsied with practiced grace, every movement calculated for maximum effect. Refusing her now would be a social catastrophe, so Jacob reluctantly took her waist and led her onto the dance floor, though his silence made his displeasure clear.
Amelia pressed closer, seizing her opportunity. "Mr. Windsor, I believe we understand each other—we're both pragmatists who don't let sentiment cloud our judgment. This marriage wouldn't be about romance; it would be a strategic alliance. I need the Windsor name to secure my position in the family business, and you..." She paused, letting her implications settle. "You'd get a healthy, intelligent heir. If you find the physical aspects distasteful, we could use artificial insemination for twins. After they turn two, we divorce—each of us with a perfect successor."
The waltz ended with her proposition hanging in the air. To her surprise, Jacob simply said, "You're crazy."
Amelia's composure cracked, color flooding her cheeks at the public humiliation. Before she could recover, Jacob had already released her and was striding back toward where he'd left Nicole.
But the corner where she'd stood was empty now, not even a trace of her perfume lingering in the night air. For the first time in six years, Nicole hadn't waited.
He could almost hear the ghost of her voice: "I'll always wait for you."
But not tonight.