Chapter 184 Everything else is secondary in the face of such perfection.
She always said she wanted to focus on her career, be independent and wealthy. But if a man like Prince Charming came into her life, loved her with such intensity and pampered her like a precious jewel... who would be crazy enough to refuse?
Suddenly, it dawned on her.
Tania looked at the couple and finally understood why Caroline had married so young and in secret.
If you found a diamond that size in the middle of the street, you wouldn't wait. You'd grab it, run home, and lock the door.
Tania sighed, smiling.
Yeah, friend... I would have done exactly the same thing. Everything else is secondary in the face of such perfection.
After lunch, Tania said goodbye to them, still elated by the news.
The ride home was silent.
As soon as they entered the mansion, Sara didn't say a word. With her head down and her shoulders slumped, she went straight to her room and closed the door.
Caroline sighed as she watched her sister disappear down the hallway. Her heart sank.
“Sara is so down...” Caroline murmured, concern evident in her voice. “Should I go talk to her?”
If her intuition was right and Sara really liked Victor... then she must be suffering terribly right now. Rejecting someone you like because you think it's “the right thing to do” was silent torture.
Besides, Sara had just been discharged from the hospital. Strong emotions were not good for her heart.
Caroline made a move to follow her sister, but Nicholas gently stopped her.
He walked over to her and put a comforting arm around her shoulders, pulling her close.
“Honey, Sara is only two years younger than you. She's not a child anymore.” Nicholas's voice was calm and rational. "I think she can handle her own emotions.
What she needs most right now is space and time alone. If you go there now and pressure her, you may end up making the situation worse."
Caroline bit her lip, hesitating. She knew he was right, but her older sister instinct screamed louder.
She remained silent for a moment, leaning her head on his shoulder, and sighed again.
“Sara never mentioned this to me before.” Caroline frowned, processing the information. “That Victor... is he really Sheila's biological brother?”
“Hmm.” Nicholas nodded.
Caroline was speechless.
What a complicated web fate had woven!
Sheila was in love with Caroline's husband. And Victor, Sheila's brother, was in love with Caroline's sister.
It was like a Mexican soap opera.
“I... I got so angry at the restaurant,” Caroline began, feeling the need to justify her previous aggression. “I only demanded that because Sheila started insulting Sara for no reason. I couldn't let it go.”
“You don't have to explain anything,” Nicholas interrupted her gently.
He held her face with both hands, forcing her to look into his eyes.
“I trust you.”
Those four words hit Caroline hard.
“You're not an irrational person, Carol. I know who you are. If Sheila hadn't crossed all the lines, you would never have made that request.” If you acted that way, it's because she deserved it.
Caroline blinked, surprised and moved.
He trusted her... that much? Blindly and unconditionally?
He didn't even suspect for a second that she might be being petty or vindictive?
“What if...” Caroline tested the waters, biting her lower lip. “What if I was being unreasonable? What if I was just making things difficult for her because I'm jealous and don't like her?”
“Hmm?”
The man smiled, a slow, provocative smile, and raised an eyebrow.
“If you don't like her because you're jealous...” He brushed his nose against hers. “Then I'd be very happy. It would prove that you care about me.”
Caroline was speechless, her face flushing.
She had to admit: his unconditional defense was addictive. She felt protected, valued.
But as the adrenaline wore off, reality returned.
“I'm sorry,” Caroline said, lowering her gaze, guilt returning. “It was because of me, once again, that you fought with your childhood friends.”
She didn't know exactly what she had done wrong to deserve so much hatred, but the fact was that she was the catalyst.
This time, the conflict was serious. There was blood.
If it weren't to protect her, Nicholas would never have raised his hand to Marcus Drews. When violence comes into play, friendship usually goes out the back door.
Regardless of what Marcus had said, Nicholas must have been upset to lose fifteen years of history.
“It's none of your business.” Nicholas patted her head affectionately, interrupting her spiral of guilt. “Don't think about it too much.”
He hugged her tighter.
“If I don't intervene to protect my wife when she's being attacked in front of me... would I still be worthy of being her husband?”
Caroline thought seriously about the question.
Would you want a cowardly husband who sits on the fence while your friends humiliate you?
She shook her head. No.
If Nicholas hadn't defended her, she probably would have defended herself, but something inside her would have died. The trust in their marriage would have been shaken.
Because he chose to stand by her, he had to sacrifice his friends.
It was a difficult position for him.
If only his friends liked me..., Caroline thought wistfully. He wouldn't have to choose.
But she knew that was a pipe dream.
Sheila saw her as a husband thief. Her hatred was personal and deep.
As for Marcus Drews... Marcus was Sheila's faithful squire. He saw the world through her eyes. If Sheila hated Caroline, Marcus would hate her twice as much. There was nothing Caroline could do to change that.
Here is the edited version, adjusted to the romantic, slightly spicy, and introspective style of webnovels.
I focused on Caroline's comical suspicion of Marcus, the couple's intense (but restrained) chemistry, and Nicholas' possessive promise for the future.
Caroline was still racking her brains trying to understand Marcus' hostility.
She had no idea why he was so unhappy with her. The hatred he felt seemed... too personal. Too strange.
Unless...
A sudden and absurd thought crossed Caroline's mind. She stopped in the middle of the stairs and looked at Nicholas with a strange expression, evaluating him in a new way.
“Honey, what's wrong?” Nicholas asked, noticing her gaze.
Caroline stared at him for another moment, but soon shook her head quickly, dismissing the idea.
“N-Nothing.”
Probably not, she thought.
Marcus Drews seemed like a standard straight man. He had that playboy reputation. He didn't give the impression that he had... that kind of inclination toward Nicholas.
But, on second thought, the jealousy he showed was almost that of a betrayed lover.
“Are you sleepy?”
Nicholas sensed that she was hiding something, but decided not to press the issue. He wrapped his strong arm around her waist, pulling her close as they climbed the last few steps.
“Go get some rest upstairs.”
Caroline was emotionally exhausted, so she just nodded, resting her head on his shoulder.
“Mm.”