Chapter 130 Chapter 130
“Caroline?” As soon as she took a step forward, she heard a very unpleasant voice calling her from behind.
“Mom!” Edward narrowly dodged his mother's slap, his face red with frustration. “I really have something to say to Caroline. You don't understand anything, so stop meddling in my affairs!”
Mrs. Cassano didn't back down, but instead stepped forward and slapped him again, the sound echoing through the room. Her body trembled with pure indignation.
“I don't understand? You got that shameless woman pregnant and you say I don't understand?” She pointed a trembling finger at her son.
“Let me tell you something, Edward: don't think that little woman is going to join the Cassano family just because she's carrying a child. As long as I'm alive, she won't get through the door!”
“Mom, that's your grandson!” Edward shouted desperately.
“What grandson? I won't recognize him!” The matriarch let out a cold, cruel laugh.
“Claire is an uninhibited and vulgar woman. If she managed to seduce her own sister's fiancé without the slightest shame, what would stop her from seducing others? Who can guarantee that this baby is really a Cassano? Are you that naive?” “Mom, what are you talking about?!” Edward looked offended. “Besides me, Claire has no other man.”
Who else could be the father but me?
The argument continued, raised voices filling the heavy air of the mansion.
Caroline stood to the side for a few seconds, watching the chaotic scene with a cold, distant gaze. She thought about intervening, perhaps out of respect for Mrs. Cassano, but soon gave up.
A scoundrel like Edward deserved every ounce of that humiliation. It was no longer her problem.
Without saying a word, she turned on her heel and left, leaving the chaos behind.
The cool air of the street hit her face, bringing a sense of freedom. She crossed the sidewalk quickly, her eyes fixed on the imposing black Rolls-Royce parked discreetly across the street, like a beast lying in wait.
As soon as she approached, the rear door opened with a soft click, even before she touched the handle.
Inside, the man looked up, and the daylight illuminated Nicholas's handsome, noble face. His eyes, dark and deep as the ocean at night, rested on her with an intensity that made Caroline's legs tremble slightly.
There was tenderness there, but also a silent possessiveness.
As she met his gaze, Caroline's lips curved into an involuntary smile of relief. She was going home.
She bent down and got into the car, seeking refuge.
The moment the door closed, shutting out the outside world, strong arms pulled her in.
Caroline didn't even have time to settle into her seat before Nicholas wrapped his arms firmly around her waist, pulling her into a possessive embrace, surrounding her with his warmth and his scent of sandalwood and power.
“Is everything settled?” he asked.
Caroline felt her face flush and tried to pull away slightly, remembering that Sara was in the front seat, but Nicholas's arms were like steel bars. He had no intention of letting her go.
Defeated and secretly comforted by this show of strength, she relaxed against his chest.
“Yes...” she whispered, her face flushed. “Everything's settled.”
“Let's go, José.” Satisfied, Nicholas turned his face toward the driver's partition.
“Yes, sir.” José started the quiet engine, but before pulling away, he glanced in the side mirror.
At the gate of the Cassano mansion, a young man in a white suit stood staring at their car. Although the man was conventionally handsome, he was no match for Nicholas's imperial aura, and there was something pathetic about his posture. His soft features, which should have conveyed calm, now seemed distorted by regret and confusion.
José assumed that this was the lady's ex-fiancé.
He looks like a gentleman, but he acted like an animal, thought the driver with disdain. Trading the lady for her sister? What a waste.
José looked away, stepped on the gas, and the Rolls-Royce glided away, leaving Caroline's past in the dust.
...
The car glided smoothly along the road.
In the back seat, the romantic tension was palpable, as Nicholas did not let go of Caroline's waist. With his other hand, he began to caress her long, soft hair, twirling a strand between his long fingers.
“What did Edward say to you out there?” he asked. His tone was casual, but there was an underlying tension that did not escape Caroline's ears.
“Huh?” Caroline blinked, lifting her head from his shoulder.
Nicholas looked down, meeting her doe eyes. He remembered how hurt she had been when he had doubted her earlier, so he chose his words carefully, even though jealousy burned in his chest.
“I saw you talking at the gate,” he said, his voice calm but dangerous.
“I know you wanted to leave, but he insisted on holding you back.” He paused, his eyes darkening. “Did he regret it? Did he ask you to come back?”
From across the street, Nicholas couldn't hear the words, but he knew men's body language, and how extraordinary Caroline was. Even he, with all his self-control, couldn't resist her. How could Edward, who had known her for years, just let her go?
It was common for regret to set in after loss. And that bothered Nicholas deeply.
Caroline noticed the change in his aura. The “Wolf” was jealous.
“No!” she explained quickly, holding his hand that was in her hair. “He said he wanted to talk, but I didn't agree. I didn't listen.”
“He wanted to talk?” The answer wasn't enough to extinguish the fire in Nicholas's eyes, and his eyebrows knitted together in displeasure. “What does he think he has to talk to my wife about?”
“I thought it was ridiculous too.” We have nothing to talk about, so I told him to take a hike,“ Caroline said, trying to calm him down before he decided to turn the car around.
The tension in Nicholas's shoulders visibly relaxed.
”You sent him away?“
”Yes,“ Caroline nodded firmly. ”I told him to get out of my face.“
”Honey... good job."
The man's thin, sensual lips curved into a satisfied, predatory smile. The joy in his voice was genuine and contagious. He leaned over and kissed her forehead.
“Keep it up. If he insists again, don't waste your breath. Just let me know.” Nicholas's smile turned dark, though his tone was sweet as honey.
“If he dares to grab you shamelessly again... I'll have someone break his legs, and then he won't be able to chase after you anymore.”
Caroline was speechless, staring at her husband's charming and dangerous smile, knowing he wasn't joking.
Break his legs? Didn't that sound a little... too violent?