Chapter 535 You Can Go on Blind Dates, Why Can't I?
Jacob strode out, yanked open the car door, and slid behind the wheel. He tossed the bouquet onto the passenger seat and pulled up his phone's tracking app, quickly locating Nicole's position.
Cloud Restaurant. An upscale Italian establishment.
He let out a bitter laugh, floored the accelerator, and the black Cullinan roared out of the Windsor estate, speeding toward downtown.
Oliver rushed outside just in time to see the taillights disappearing. Standing with his hands on his hips, he lit another cigarette and muttered, "Last night he couldn't care less, now he's racing off like his hair's on fire. God knows where he gets that temper from."
He took a couple of drags before stubbing it out—without Sarah around, even cigarettes had lost their appeal.
Thirty minutes later, the black Cullinan pulled up outside the restaurant, positioned with a clear view through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Jacob watched his mother and Nicole dining with Sofia and a man who couldn't be older than thirty. The conversation appeared animated, the atmosphere convivial. Nicole even smiled occasionally.
She had clearly dressed for the occasion—a crisp white silk blouse paired with a cream-colored pencil skirt, her raven hair cascading over her shoulders, her delicate features perfectly composed in that understated sensuality men found irresistible.
The man across from her couldn't take his eyes off her face.
Jacob's expression turned murderous as he stepped out of the car.
Inside the restaurant, soft music played while diners conversed in hushed tones, creating an atmosphere of refined elegance. When Jacob appeared at their table in his impeccable black suit, Sofia spotted him first.
"Jacob! What brings you here?" she asked, clearly surprised.
Everyone turned to look at him—except Nicole, who kept her head down, stirring her Italian soup with trembling fingers.
Jacob pulled out the chair beside Nicole and settled in with practiced ease, adjusting his tie. "Dad sent me to collect Mom and my sister."
The word 'sister' rolled off his tongue without the slightest hesitation as he casually draped his arm across the back of Nicole's chair.
Sarah shot her son a questioning look.
Jacob extended his hand to the young man. "Jacob. Nicole's brother."
"Benjamin Moore," the man replied, practically leaping to his feet for the handshake.
Jacob released his grip immediately and fixed Benjamin with a penetrating stare. "Education, current position, and future prospects?"
Sarah shifted uncomfortably. "Jacob, this isn't a job interview."
"I'm aware this is a date," Jacob replied with aristocratic composure. "But surely you understand my need to look out for my sister's interests. I'm sure Mr. Moore appreciates my concern."
Benjamin was visibly sweating now. He recognized the territorial display for what it was—the Windsor heir clearly disapproved, which meant pursuing Nicole would only lead to complications. Better to cut his losses.
Benjamin managed a weak smile while Sofia observed the dynamics with shrewd eyes, her expression pleasantly neutral. "Jacob's absolutely right. Marriage is far too important to leave to chance."
The remainder of the meal passed in excruciating tension—for everyone except Jacob. When he encountered something particularly good, he would signal the waiter to bring Nicole a portion, only to have her decline quietly, "I'm full."
Jacob's knuckles went white around his cutlery. After a moment, he smiled thinly. "Then we'll have it wrapped to go."
Nicole's eyes glistened with unshed tears, but she didn't refuse again—not unless she wanted to create a scene that would expose their relationship to the entire restaurant.
The date was effectively over. Sofia, who had read people for decades, couldn't miss Jacob's possessive intensity if she tried. These two had clearly been involved for some time.
She made her excuses and departed hastily with her nephew.
For the drive home, Jacob handed the keys to his driver and took the wheel of the family car himself, with his mother and Nicole as passengers.
The atmosphere was suffocating. Nicole sat beside Sarah in the back seat, clutching her purse and saying nothing while Jacob made sporadic conversation with his mother, his eyes constantly finding Nicole's reflection in the rearview mirror with predatory focus.
The tension persisted all the way back to the Windsor mansion. Before Jacob could come around to open her door, Nicole had already jumped out.
"I'm exhausted, Mom. I'm going straight to bed," she murmured to Sarah, who stroked her hair with maternal tenderness but said nothing.
Nicole fled upstairs, her emotions in complete turmoil. She didn't know how much longer she could endure this impossible situation. Leaning against her bedroom door, she had the sinking feeling that Sarah knew everything.
Her entire body trembled with a fear she could no longer suppress—the fear that she wasn't truly chosen, that Jacob's promises of forever meant nothing without the commitment of marriage, without the words of love he had never spoken.
Nicole covered her face with her hands and wept silently.