Chapter 139 Chapter 139
“My mother has good taste; she wears that bracelet all the time.” Nicholas smiled, noticing his mother's hidden discomfort but choosing to focus on his wife. He held Caroline's hand, admiring the contrast of the green against her skin. “You have very fair skin; the jade looks perfect on you.” Another day, I'll buy you a pair of earrings and a jade necklace of the same quality to wear as a complete set.
He didn't speak loudly, but his words were clear enough for Mrs. Wolf and Sheila to hear.
Jealousy gnawed at Mrs. Wolf's heart. This was the son she had raised with so much sacrifice, but he had never been so attentive to her.
“It's true what they say: a son forgets his mother after he gets married,” she muttered, her tone acidic but disguised as a joke. “Nick, when did you ever offer to buy jewelry sets for me?”
Nicholas looked at his mother and smiled, charmingly defusing the tension. “Mom, are you jealous of your daughter-in-law? Didn't you always say you wanted to give me a little sister? I don't have a sister, but you can consider Carol your real daughter. Shouldn't you be happy that I'm taking good care of ‘your daughter’?”
Mrs. Wolf was speechless.
She was about to retort that she would never see that girl as her daughter. But knowing Nicholas's relentless temperament, she knew that attacking Caroline now would only alienate her son. She was no fool. She swallowed her pride.
Nicholas, sensing victory, decided to be diplomatic.
“I heard there's going to be a jade auction next month. I saw the catalog and I think there's a set that would suit you perfectly, Mother. Since you so generously gave away your favorite bracelet to Carol, I'll make it up to you by buying that set at the auction. What do you think?”
Mrs. Wolf's eyes sparkled slightly.
A new and exclusive set? At least she wouldn't leave empty-handed. Money solved many things, and Nicholas knew exactly how to use it to keep the peace... while protecting his wife.
Cecille and Tiago Wolf had always been a passionate couple. Although he was over forty, Tiago still pampered his wife as if she were an untouchable little princess.
Nicholas, having grown up in this environment, learned the lesson well: women of the Wolf family must be pampered.
Seeing that her son was following in his father's footsteps and readily agreeing to buy the exclusive jade set, Cecille's vanity was flattered.
“Well, you said it.” Cecille lifted her chin, feeling her importance reaffirmed in her son's heart. Her anger at losing the bracelet diminished considerably at the promise of new jewelry.
“Yes, I did. And I will.”
Nicholas smiled, ending the conversation with his mother, and turned his full attention to his wife. He leaned in, lowering his voice to something intimate and exclusive.
“Are you tired? Would you like to go upstairs and rest a little?” he asked, brushing his hand against her back.
Caroline was not physically exhausted, but emotionally drained. The pressure of being under the scrutiny of those powerful women was suffocating. She desperately wanted to leave.
“Um...” She nodded discreetly, grateful for the strategic exit.
“Great. I'll take you to our room.”
Nicholas straightened up and addressed his grandmother and mother with polite authority.
“Mom, Grandma, you've already met her. You must be in need of your afternoon nap, right? I'm a little tired myself. We'll take our leave now. Call us when dinner is served.”
With that, he slipped his arm around Caroline's waist, ready to shield her and lead her away.
“Nick.”
Sheila's voice cut through the air, laden with a soft urgency.
Nicholas stopped. He didn't turn completely, just frowned and glanced sideways, impatient.
Sheila rose from the sofa, biting her lower lip with a rehearsed guilty expression.
“About what happened the other day...” she began, her voice trembling. “I wanted to apologize on Marcus's behalf. He was very impulsive that night. In fact, he regretted it as soon as he left the restaurant.”
Nicholas's eyes, which had been warm, instantly turned cold. He stared at her silently for a few seconds, an icy aura forming around him.
“He should apologize on his own, if he were man enough,” Nicholas replied, his voice sharp. “Besides, Sheila, he doesn't owe me an apology. He owes Carol an apology.”
Sheila's face paled. The coldness in his voice was like a slap.
She could feel the abysmal distance he had placed between them. Since that night, Nicholas had treated her like a stranger. He hadn't even greeted her properly when he arrived. In the past, he would never have treated her with such indifference.
Fear and sadness invaded Sheila's heart, quickly followed by a toxic resentment toward the woman beside him.
It was her fault. It had to be.
Before Caroline appeared, they were inseparable. Now, this woman had poisoned his mind.
“Nick, are you... are you still angry?” Sheila blinked, and her eyes filled with tears, giving her a fragile and pitiful appearance. “It's all my fault... I was the one who invited you to dinner. If it weren't for my welcome dinner, none of this would have happened...”
Nicholas sighed. After all, she was the girl who had grown up with him. Seeing her tears, his expression softened slightly.
“This has nothing to do with you, Sheila,” he said in a gentler but still firm tone. “Don't take the blame. Don't think too much about it.”
“Really?” Sheila sniffed, feeling wronged.
His indifference hurt more than his anger. “I thought you hated me now.”
Nicholas' patience, which seemed infinite with Caroline, was short with the rest of the world.
“I already told you I don't blame you. End of story.” He cut off her attempt to prolong the emotional conversation. "This is between Marcus and me. Don't get involved in it anymore."
Without waiting for a response, he pulled Caroline close, turned his back, and left the room, climbing the stairs without looking back.
Sheila stood in the middle of the room, watching his figure walk away, embracing the other woman. Her red eyes dried up, replaced by a glint of pure resentment.
He had changed.