Chapter 210 Chapter 210
They were used to serving rich people and celebrities in that store. But no one... absolutely no one made their hearts beat as fast as that man who had just walked in.
He was simply stunning.
From his appearance and aristocratic aura, he didn't seem to be from this country. He had deep, mysterious eyes, marked eyebrows, a straight, noble nose, and thin lips that seemed designed for cruelty or pleasure.
And his figure... broad shoulders under a white shirt, narrow waist, long legs in perfectly tailored pants.
He exuded pheromones and power.
Although they didn't know who he was (yet), they knew he was no ordinary customer. This was the kind of man who could buy the entire store if he wanted to.
The saleswomen, regaining their professionalism (and their breath), rushed to attend to him.
“Sir, welcome to California Boutique,” one of them said, her voice a little higher than normal. “This way, please. Oh, watch your step, the floor has been recently polished and is a little slippery.”
Hearing the warning, Nicholas stopped immediately.
His instinct was lightning fast.
Instead of just holding Caroline's hand, he released her fingers and wrapped his strong arm around her slim waist, pulling her sharply against his body, protecting her from any possible fall.
The gesture was possessive, protective, and incredibly intimate.
The two employees were momentarily stunned by the action.
It was only then that they “awoke” from the trance Nicholas had put them in and finally noticed the person he was protecting.
They looked away to Caroline.
And then, both let out an audible gasp of surprise.
The man was a Greek god, yes. But the woman in his arms...
She was beautiful.
She had a delicate but striking beauty, with porcelain skin and large, bright eyes.
Next to him, she did not fade away. On the contrary, she shone.
The two obviously formed a “Power Couple.” A visually perfect couple.
In fact, the saleswomen thought that not even the most famous couples in Hollywood or the local entertainment industry could compete with the aura of these two together. They looked like they had stepped off the cover of a romance magazine.
After searching extensively, Caroline still hadn't found the “perfect” bag.
In fact, some of the models she had seen in previous storefronts caught her eye. Her eyes sparkled at them.
But as soon as she turned the tag over and saw the exorbitant price... the passion died instantly.
All the bags there cost, on average, tens of thousands. Even if she had that amount in her account now, her “ordinary girl” mentality wouldn't let her spend that much money on a simple leather accessory for herself.
Come to think of it, all the bags she had ever bought in her life cost, at most, a few hundred.
However, she made a decision: she would buy a designer bag for Tania.
Tania deserved it. She had helped Caroline countless times over the years, and recently, it was thanks to her that Caroline got the audition for the lead role. That debt of gratitude was priceless.
Caroline wouldn't have the courage to spend that kind of money on herself. But for a loyal friend? She would gladly swipe her card.
She even had a plan in mind: if Tania refused the expensive gift out of pride, Caroline would say, “Oh, Nicholas bought it. He bought several and I don't need them all, so you can have this one.”
It was the perfect excuse.
But to find the ideal gift (and perhaps a less frightening price), Caroline dragged Nicholas to the next store. And then the next.
Like most sensible women, Caroline preferred to do her research. She needed to compare styles, check the quality, and, of course, look at the price in several stores before making her final decision. It was the ritual of smart shopping.
After visiting the third luxury boutique in a row without buying anything, Nicholas's patience—or rather, his understanding—began to fail.
As they left the Gucci store (or something equivalent), Nicholas stopped and asked, genuinely confused: “Haven't you found any you like yet?”
He saw her holding several handbags. He saw the sparkle in her eyes. He saw her caress the leather.
However, she always put the item back on the shelf after looking at the price tag.
Caroline pressed her lips together, feeling a little guilty. “There were some that weren't bad... models that Tania would love. But I'd like to look at other options before I decide.”
She stopped and looked at him, concerned. “Are you tired of walking around with me?”
She suddenly remembered: men hate shopping.
When she went to the mall with Tania, they could marathon stores from morning to night without losing their breath. But for a man, ten minutes in a shoe store was equivalent to a prison sentence.
She almost forgot that the Great President Wolf was there, serving as her luxury escort.
Nicholas shook his head. “No, I'm not tired,” he replied frankly. “I just don't understand the logic.”
He stared at her, frowning. “Why don't you buy the bags that caught your eye? You liked them.” Why leave them there?“
For Nicholas, shopping was a simple binary equation:
You see something.
You like it.
You buy it.
End of equation.
He couldn't process the concept of ”seeing something you like and walking away to see if you can find something better or cheaper." Why waste time? Time was the most expensive resource of all.
“Well... because we need to compare!” Caroline tried to explain the ‘art’ of shopping.
“Nicholas, we can't just buy the first thing we see,” she said seriously. “Who knows? There might be something in the next store that's prettier, or better quality, or... a better price. It's always safer to compare before swiping your card.”
She looked at Nicholas's confused expression and her voice died in her throat.
She realized her explanation was useless.
How could she have forgotten?
For a man like Nicholas Wolf, he had probably never walked into a store to “research prices” in his life.
If he wanted something, he had an assistant buy it. Or he bought the entire store. He was so rich that the concept of “price” was irrelevant to him. He bought what he wanted, when he wanted it.
He never had to choose between the blue and red bags because of his budget. He would take both.
Only someone with her financial reality—someone who had counted coins her whole life—would make that kind of mental calculation.
Thinking about it, Caroline felt a subtle tightness in her chest. A pang of melancholy.
It wasn't envy, it was just... reality.
The rich and the poor were, in fact, like two completely different planets. And she, by a twist of fate, was now orbiting his planet.