Chapter 145 Chapter 145
Caroline raised an eyebrow, with supreme calm. “Care about what?”
“Whether Nick married you solely for medical convenience!” Sheila exploded, losing her elegant composure. “If, in fact, he has no real feelings for you... don't you have the dignity to care?”
“Is Miss Turner concerned about my dignity now?”
Caroline smiled, but her eyes were ice cold.
“The reason Nicholas and I got married is between the two of us. Our feelings, our agreements, our intimacy... none of that is any business of a stranger like you.”
Caroline emphasized the word “stranger” with surgical precision.
Sheila's face contorted. The muscles in her jaw trembled with rage.
Being called an “outsider” in the house where she grew up, by the woman who stole her place, was the final blow.
“Does Miss Ford really think her place as the Young Mistress of this family is guaranteed just because she has a marriage certificate?” Sheila hissed, the venom now fully exposed.
“That's none of your business either.”
Caroline pointed to the open door without getting up from the bed, exuding the authority of the lady of the house.
“Miss Turner, I've already asked you politely. Leave.”
Sheila was a proud woman. Being thrown out repeatedly was too humiliating.
The fake smile disappeared completely, replaced by a look of pure hatred.
“I hope Miss Ford can maintain that arrogant confidence,” Sheila said with a sneer. “I can't wait to see how long you can occupy this room before you're discarded.”
“Thank you for your concern.” Caroline kept her finger pointed down the hallway. “I won't walk you out.”
Sheila pursed her lips, glared at Caroline for a full minute, and finally turned on her heel and left, slamming the door behind her.
When the door finally closed, isolating the room again, Caroline's sleep had completely evaporated.
Sheila's unwelcome visit had left her agitated.
Although Caroline tried not to care about her rival's poisonous words, being the target of such a direct and personal attack was disturbing. That interaction had drastically changed the image she had of “Young Miss Turner.”
During dinner, Sheila had maintained her “family friend” mask, acting with elegance and discretion. But now, behind closed doors, the mask had fallen.
Overwhelming jealousy and malicious insinuations completely ruined her aura of a rich and educated girl. Although she hadn't screamed like a street hag, that icy look of envy and subtle manipulation were even uglier.
Caroline sighed, feeling wronged.
And inevitably, her frustration turned to the real culprit: Nicholas.
After all, it was all his fault! If he weren't so charming, rich, and “perfect,” there wouldn't be crazy women invading her room to mark their territory. Why did she have to bear the consequences of his magnetism?
In a moment of impulsiveness and childish irritation, she picked up her cell phone, opened his contact, and typed furiously:
\[All men are pigs! Hmph!\]
She pressed “send” before she could regret it.
...
At the office.
Nicholas was immersed in financial documents, his expression serious and focused, when his cell phone vibrated on the mahogany desk.
He frowned. Few people had his personal number, and no one would dare disturb him during work unless it was urgent.
When he saw the name “My Wife” flash on the screen, his expression instantly softened. He unlocked the device.
The message simply said: \[All men are pigs! Hmph!\]
Nicholas was speechless.
He blinked, rereading the sentence. What had he done in the last thirty minutes, besides working, to deserve being called a pig?
That “hmph” at the end, however, indicated that she was pouting, not declaring war. Curious and slightly amused, he replied with a single question mark:
\[?\]
Caroline's response came at lightning speed, laden with an insecurity that made Nicholas's heart ache:
\[Nicholas, tell me the truth: do you really like me?\]
Nicholas froze. The amusement disappeared.
He read the question over and over. Why was she asking this now? Hadn't he just kissed her, pampered her, and introduced her to his family? What had happened in that short space of time to make her doubt?
It took him a few seconds to formulate an appropriate response, but his hesitation was misinterpreted on the other end.
Another message arrived, impatient and defensive:
\[Forget it. You don't have to answer. Pretend I didn't ask anything.\]
Nicholas frowned, feeling a pang of anxiety. Something was wrong.
He typed quickly: \[Are you okay? Did something happen?\]
Caroline: \[I'm fine, it's nothing. Keep working. Don't worry about me.\]
It's nothing. The most obvious lie in the world.
Nicholas stared at his phone for a few more seconds, his instincts screaming that she wasn't okay. She should be sleeping, resting. Instead, she was sending disjointed, needy messages.
He slammed his laptop shut. Work could wait. His wife was his priority.
He stood up and strode to the office door.
As soon as he opened the door, he ran into Mozart. The butler had his hand raised, about to knock.
“Sir,” Mozart greeted him, urgency in his voice.
Nicholas stopped, noticing the grave expression on his loyal servant's face. “Mozart, has something happened?”
Mozart nodded, deciding that loyalty to the lady of the house came first. “Sir, I just saw Miss Turner leaving your room.”
Nicholas's eyes narrowed.
“Miss Turner didn't look well,” Mozart continued, choosing his words carefully. “Her expression was... hostile. I'm concerned that she may have upset the Young Mistress or caused some misunderstanding. That's why I came to inform you immediately.”
In truth, Mozart wasn't the least bit concerned about Sheila's feelings. His loyalty lay with Caroline.
He knew the history. Sheila had been the “desired daughter-in-law” for years, and Nicholas's rejection, coupled with the sudden marriage, was a powder keg. Mozart feared that Sheila's obsession had spilled over onto sweet, innocent Caroline.
If Sheila had left the room with that look on her face, it meant she had gone there to confront the master's wife.
“Was Sheila in my room?” Nicholas's voice dropped an octave, becoming dangerously cold.
“Yes, sir,” Mozart confirmed. “She came in while you were here.”
Nicholas felt his blood boil.