Chapter 199 Chapter 199
Nicholas had approached silently.
He lowered his head and saw his wife's dark eyes fixed on his waist, her face flushed with desire and shame.
A satisfied, predatory smile curved his lips.
Without saying a word, he reached out, took her small hand from the arm of the chair, and pulled it directly onto his warm, firm abdominal muscles.
Caroline shuddered at the contact of his skin.
Nicholas leaned in, whispering in her ear in a hoarse voice:
“Like what you see?”
He pressed her hand against his body.
“Touch if you want. You don't have to just look. I'm your husband... you have free pass to touch me wherever and whenever you want.”
Caroline was mesmerized, staring at his abdomen as if it were a treasure map, when suddenly she felt her palm burn.
When she looked up, she met Nicholas's deep gaze, overflowing with mischief and flirtation.
That smile... it was the smile of the wolf who had just captured Little Red Riding Hood.
Stunned, Caroline pulled her hand away as if she had touched a bare high-voltage wire.
“Y-You...” She stammered, her face burning. “Get changed first! I'll come in when you're done!”
With that, she covered her red cheeks with her hands and ran out of the closet like a frightened bunny.
Nicholas stood still, watching her figure disappear through the door.
He let out a low, hoarse laugh.
With one hand, he began to button his white shirt slowly, his lips curving into a predatory smile of satisfaction.
When Nicholas finished dressing and left the closet, the room was empty.
He checked the bathroom. Empty.
Not only had the girl disappeared, she had also taken her cell phone. She had fled the scene of the crime.
Nicholas thought for a moment, amused, and picked up his own phone to send a message.
Nicholas: \[Where are you hiding?\]
She couldn't have run away from home because she was afraid to see him shirtless, right?
The answer came quickly.
Caroline: \[I went to see how Sara is doing. It's still too early for dinner, we'll go out later.\]
Ah. She took refuge in her sister's room.
Nicholas smiled understandingly and typed:
Nicholas: \[All right, don't rush. Talk to her. Call me when you're ready.\]
He locked the screen and left the room, descending the stairs with his usual elegance.
In the hall, he called the butler.
“Enrico.”
“Young Master.” Enrico appeared immediately, clasping his hands respectfully. “Do you have any instructions?”
Nicholas stopped on the last step, adjusting the cuffs of his white shirt. He was silent for a few seconds, pondering, before giving an order that made the butler blink.
“Go buy some clothes for me now.” I want to wear them tonight.“
Enrico: ”???“
The experienced butler looked up, confusion etched on his usually impassive face.
”Young Master... forgive me, but... buy clothes? Now?"
Enrico hesitated, trying to explain the obvious to the billionaire.
“Sir, all your clothes are tailor-made by Italian and Savile Row tailors. The process takes weeks. The image management department takes your measurements monthly and the pieces arrive ready-made. I'm afraid it's not possible... to simply ‘buy’ them and wear them immediately.”
Nicholas' wardrobe did not consist of clothes from the mall. Every shirt, every suit, every pair of pants was a hand-sewn work of art, exclusive to his body.
Enrico had been taking care of all this for years. Nicholas never had to worry about the logistics of getting dressed.
It was the first time Enrico had heard the Young Master make such a request. And with such urgency.
Wasn't his closet full? There were hundreds of pieces up there!
Upon hearing the explanation, Nicholas frowned, genuinely surprised.
“Really? Does it take that long?”
“Yes, sir,” Enrico confirmed. “It's haute couture.”
Nicholas clicked his tongue impatiently. He didn't know his clothes were so... bureaucratic. He wanted to change his look now.
“But...” Enrico, sensing his boss's dissatisfaction, offered a quick solution. “If you're really in a hurry, I can send someone to a luxury mall to buy some ready-to-wear pieces from designer brands. The quality won't be the same as your tailor-made pieces, but... it will do in an emergency.”
Enrico looked at him cautiously.
“What do you think?”
Nicholas frowned for a moment. Wear off-the-rack clothes? He had never done that.
But he remembered Caroline's comment: “Do you only have black clothes? The world isn't black and white.”
He wanted to please her. He wanted her to look at him with that sparkle in her eyes again.
“All right,” Nicholas decided. “Send someone to the mall and buy some. Bring them back immediately.”
“Yes, sir.” Enrico bowed, ready to leave and carry out the strange mission. “I'll take care of it right away.”
“And Enrico...” Nicholas added, before the butler walked away.
“Yes, sir?”
“Don't buy any more black clothes.”
Enrico stopped. He turned slowly, his eyes wide with shock.
“Pardon? No... black?”
The Young Master only wore black, gray, and dark blue. It was his trademark. His aura demanded darkness.
Enrico reasoned quickly: If he's in a hurry and doesn't want black... then these clothes can't be for him.
“Ah, I see.” Enrico nodded, relieved to have ‘cracked’ the riddle. “Are you buying clothes as a gift for another gentleman? Perhaps Mr. Drews or Mr. Turner? I'll arrange for something colorful.”
Nicholas stared at him with a grim expression.
“Enrico.”
“Yes, sir?”
“I'm not buying gifts,” Nicholas growled, his patience exhausted. “I'm going to wear them myself! Bring colors. Light blue, white, beige... anything that doesn't make me look like an undertaker. Do you understand now?”
Enrico remained completely silent.
What the hell happened to Young Master? Was he going to wear... beige?!
“Y-Yes, sir! Right away!”
Enrico ran off, wondering if the world was ending or if love really did make people color blind.