Chapter 148 Chapter 148
Caroline lost control. Tears streamed down her cheeks in a steady, silent flow.
A hot drop fell, heavy, onto the back of Nicholas's hand.
That warm, wet touch burned his skin more than fire.
Nicholas's hand hung in the air, trembling slightly. What had he done?
At that moment, Caroline felt no anger. She felt a deep, devastating hurt. The man who had promised to protect her was the same man who was hurting her.
The tears wouldn't stop. Within seconds, her face was bathed in tears, sobs caught in her throat.
“My dear... I'm sorry.” Nicholas's voice faltered. The powerful CEO was suddenly lost, panicked by the pain he had caused.
He was distraught.
Awkwardly, he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, where tears were streaming down, trying to drink away her sadness. He used the sleeve of his expensive silk shirt to dry her face, not caring if he ruined the fabric.
“Caroline, please...”
His sleeve was soaked, but Caroline didn't stop. On the contrary, his kindness now only made her cry more.
She remained silent, but her shoulders shook violently.
“My love, forgive me. It's my fault. I'm a monster.” Nicholas's anger had evaporated, leaving only a hole of guilt. “Please don't cry. You're breaking my heart.”
He pulled her into a desperate embrace, hiding his face in her neck.
He had promised to be her shield. He swore that no one would ever hurt her.
But in the end, he was the one who made her cry.
His accusations, his jealousy, his physical strength... all of it hurt her. If she still had any doubts about the marriage, his actions today would only serve to push her further away.
Caroline continued to cry, sobbing softly against his chest.
She felt betrayed. Not by another woman, but by the version of Nicholas she didn't know.
That was the first time he showed his claws to her. And for the first time, Caroline felt afraid of the man sleeping beside her.
Here is the edited version, enhancing the emotional drama, intense conflict, and painful revelation of feelings, following the style of successful webnovels.
Caroline looked at the man in front of her and felt a chill of dread. He seemed like a stranger.
This wasn't the husband who warmed her at night; this was the ruthless “Wolf” everyone talked about. The instinct to run away screamed in her mind.
But the more Nicholas tried to get closer to comfort her, the more her tears fell, uncontrollably.
How could he?
He accused her of still loving Edward! He threw it in her face that she had been planning the divorce from the beginning!
Had he never trusted her? All this time, while he smiled and pampered her, had he secretly suspected that she still pined for her treacherous ex-fiancé?
The truth exploded along with his anger: he didn't believe in her loyalty.
The hurt was so deep that Caroline felt a physical barrier rise between them. She didn't know how to face him.
Beside her, Nicholas's hoarse, magnetic voice apologized profusely, but the words sounded empty in the face of his previous accusation.
Caroline sniffed, wiping her face with the back of her hands, and pulled away abruptly, curling up against the headboard.
Nicholas stopped. He didn't dare touch her again, afraid she would break.
“My love... I'm sorry. I take back what I said.”
He looked at the cowering, trembling girl, and regret hit him like a punch in the stomach.
He reached out, desperate to touch her face, to reconnect.
But Caroline turned her face away, refusing his touch.
Nicholas frowned, his heart tightening. “Honey, I...”
“Enough.”
Before he could formulate another apology, Caroline looked up. Her eyes were red and swollen, but they shone with a cold, wounded determination.
In a fit of pure defense and spite, she fired the nuclear weapon:
“Since you're so sure I still love Edward, then congratulations. You win. Let's get a divorce.”
Silence fell over the room like a guillotine.
“You're right,” she continued, her voice trembling but cruel. “I have feelings for him. I'm just waiting for the right moment to get rid of you. So, Nicholas, let's make things easy. Let's get divorced now. You don't want to be with a woman who sleeps in your bed thinking about another man, do you?”
She let out a bitter, humorless laugh.
“You're the great Nicholas Wolf. You can find any woman who will love you with all her heart. I'm not right for you.”
Nicholas's expression changed dramatically.
The moment the word “divorce” left her lips, darkness took over his face. Pain flashed in his eyes, raw and visceral.
He knew, rationally, that she was only saying that to hurt him, returning the pain he had caused her. But hearing those words... it was like having his heart ripped from his chest.
“Carol...” His voice came out low, a dangerous warning. “Don't say those things.”
He took a deep breath, clenching his jaw to swallow his rage and panic. He couldn't lose control again.
“I was wrong. I admit it. You can be angry. You can hit me, you can curse me, you can make me sleep on the couch for a month. But never... never threaten me with divorce again.”
He rose from the bed, his shadow looming over her.
“I've said it before, and I'll say it again: I will not divorce you. Ever.”
Caroline wiped away a stubborn tear and lifted her chin defiantly.
"Nicholas, you're a proud man. Can you really tolerate a wife who loves another? You said that ten years of history can't be erased.
What if I never forget? Will you accept being second best forever?
“Stop it!”
His shout reverberated around the room.
Nicholas ran his hand through his hair, frustrated and exhausted. He looked at her, and the vulnerability in his eyes surprised her.
"I know you're angry. I know you're only saying this to hurt me. And it worked, congratulations. But have you stopped to think, even for a second, about how I feel?
He smiled, a sad, self-deprecating smile.
“You don't care, do you? If you did, you wouldn't be twisting the knife so deep.”
Caroline's eyes widened, taken aback by the genuine pain in his voice.
Nicholas held her gaze.