Chapter 149 Chapter 149
“You said you don't care if another woman likes me. You said you don't care if I like someone else. In other words... I'm irrelevant to you. I'm disposable.”
Caroline opened her mouth to reply, but no words came out. The truth in his words silenced her.
“Caroline.” He pronounced her name as if it were a painful prayer. “No matter how much someone loves, one-sided love is exhausting. One person can't carry a relationship on their back forever.”
He took a step back, toward the door.
“I'm waiting for your answer, a sign that you want me in your life.”
But that sign never comes. And I don't know how much longer I can stand being the only one fighting for us.“
He put his hand on the doorknob without looking back.
”You're hot-headed right now. Nothing I say will help. I'll give you space to calm down. We'll talk when you're ready to be my real wife."
The door closed with a soft, definitive click.
Caroline was left alone in the large, cold room.
For a moment, she remained motionless, stunned by what had just happened.
Then the tears came back, stronger than before.
Regret hit her like a giant wave.
“No...” she sobbed.
The words could not be taken back. She had gone too far. She never imagined he would be so hurt, so... broken.
If she had known he would react this way, she would never have told those lies about Edward.
Has he given up on me? she thought, panic tightening her chest. Will he go looking for Sheila now?
Suddenly, the image of Nicholas in another woman's arms invaded her mind. The idea of him smiling at Sheila, touching Sheila, loving Sheila...
A sharp, physical pain shot through her heart. It was unbearable.
Caroline buried her face in her hands, crying copiously.
She realized, too late, the fatal mistake she had made.
His suspicion of Edward was born of her indifference. She made him feel insecure. Any man who loved as much as he did would have felt the same.
And now, in the silence he left behind, the truth emerged.
She wasn't indifferent. She cared. She cared desperately.
Nicholas meant a lot to her. Maybe... he already meant everything.
Caroline sat on the bed, staring into space, as the silence of the room weighed heavily on her shoulders.
Regret gnawed at her. She needed someone. She needed an outside perspective before she went crazy.
She picked up her phone and typed a message to Tania.
Carol: \[Friend... I think I've done something really stupid. I upset someone. What do I do?\]
Tania, who was probably online gaming or gossiping, replied in a second.
Tania: \[? Who are we talking about? Your Prince Charming?\]
Carol: \[... Yeah. Him.\]
Tania: \[Did you guys fight?! 😱 What happened?\]
Carol: \[... Let's just say yes.\]
Tania: \[Girl, for God's sake! The man loves you, spoils you, treats you like a queen... How did you manage to fight? What did you do to lose that saint's patience?\]
Caroline hesitated, biting her lip. Her fingers trembled on the keyboard before confessing her crime.
Carol: \[I told him I didn't care if he liked other women. I said that anyone could like him and vice versa, and that it wouldn't affect me in the slightest. Then... he exploded.\]
Tania: \[...\]
Carol: \[What? What do those ellipses mean?\]
Tania: \[Girl, seriously... even I'm mad at you right now. Do you realize what you said? Basically, you looked him in the face and said, “You mean nothing to me.” Think about it: if someone you loved said that to you, how would you feel? He would only be calm if he didn't give a damn about you!\]
Tania's next message was full of wisdom.
Tania: \[Understand one thing: the angrier he gets, the more he likes you. Indifference is the opposite of love, not hate. If he freaked out, it's because he cares. So tell me: did Prince Charming get really angry?\]
The angrier he gets, the more he likes you...
Caroline's heart raced as she read those words. The phrase echoed in her mind, undoing the knot in her stomach.
She was stunned for a moment, processing the information, before responding.
Carol: \[... He looked furious. I've never seen him like that.\]
Tania: \[Of course he was furious!
He treats you like a precious jewel and you act like he's disposable? But relax. Precisely because he likes you so much, he won't be able to stay angry for long. Swallow your pride, apologize sweetly, be affectionate, and he'll melt right away.\]Caroline lowered her phone, stunned.Was it really that obvious that Nicholas liked her?Even Tania, who was far away, could see it so clearly. And she, who was right next to him, was blind?She reread her friend's messages, and a small flame of hope lit up in her chest....Meanwhile, in the hallway.As soon as he left the room, emanating an icy aura that would make anyone tremble, Nicholas found Mozart.“Where is Miss Turner?” Nicholas asked. His voice wasn't loud, but it was sharp as a razor blade.Mozart, immediately sensing his master's dark mood, straightened his posture and replied cautiously:“Miss Turner went to the garden a little while ago. She is walking with Mrs. Cecille. Would you like me to call her?”Nicholas narrowed his eyes, a dangerous shadow crossing his face.“Hmm. Bring her to my office. Now.”...In the mansion's garden, under the pleasant shade of a pavilion, Sheila and Cecille were enjoying afternoon tea.The atmosphere was one of laughter and complicity. Sheila, always skilled at pleasing her elders, told stories that made Nicholas's mother laugh elegantly.It was then that Mozart approached, breaking the bubble of perfection.“Mrs. Cecille,” he greeted her with a bow.Cecille set down her cup of grapefruit tea with honey and looked at the butler. “What is it, Mozart? Has something happened?”Mozart's gaze slid to Sheila. There was something indecipherable in his professional expression. “Mr. Nicholas has a matter to discuss with Miss Turner. He is waiting for her in his office.”The smile on Sheila's face froze for a fraction of a second.