Chapter 217 Chapter 217
But the social math was simple: if the all-powerful Marcus Drews was forced to back down, yell, and walk away empty-handed in front of him... that protective and relentless husband must be at the very top of São Paulo's power pyramid.
The saleswoman crossed her fingers mentally. That man clearly had a special affection—an almost palpable devotion—for his wife. And judging by his impeccable suit and the watch on his wrist, he must be astronomically generous.
The entire staff silently hoped he would take all three bags at once.
Nicholas knew absolutely nothing about women's fashion, but he had an excellent sense of aesthetics and quality. He looked at the soft leather bag the saleswoman was eagerly displaying and found the design acceptable for Caroline.
Without blinking, he took a dark, heavy card out of his wallet.
He nodded and said, as naturally as could be: “Hmm. I'll take all three colors.”
The saleswoman's eyes lit up like headlights. Her professional smile turned into an expression of pure euphoria. “Excellent choice, sir! Please wait just a moment. I'll prepare the packaging and finalize the purchase right away!”
She was ecstatic. Selling three limited editions in one fell swoop meant her commission for the month was guaranteed. She practically floated to the counter.
Caroline, on the other hand, was stunned. She tugged at his sleeve, her eyes wide. “You... you bought all three?!”
“Yes,” Nicholas replied calmly.
“But I only meant to buy one! For Tania!”
Nicholas smiled, putting his arm around her waist again. “Keep the other two for yourself, since you liked the style. The red one goes to your friend, the black and green ones stay in your closet. Money is no object. Didn't I say I'd pay for everything today?”
He had brought her to the mall to spoil her, not just so she could decide on a gift for a friend. Besides, Bratt's “Golden Rule” echoed in his mind: Handbags cure all ills. He naturally needed to ensure a good supply of them for his wife.
“But the gift is mine for Tania!” Caroline protested, feeling the weight of financial guilt.
“How could I let you pay for...”
Before she could finish her sentence, Nicholas touched the tip of her nose with his index finger.
“We're already husband and wife, Carol,” he interrupted her, his voice hoarse and seductive. “My money is your money. What difference does it make which account it comes out of?”
Caroline fell silent.
That logic... was dangerously seductive and irrefutable.
“But you didn't have to buy all three colors of the same model!” She tried to argue again, finding it an absurd exaggeration. “Who buys duplicate handbags?”
“Didn't you like the other two colors?” Nicholas raised an eyebrow, confused by her resistance.
“Yes, they're beautiful, but...”
“But nothing. Since you liked them, they're yours.” He ended the discussion with frightening calm. “It's not like we're short on money, honey.”
Caroline was completely speechless.
An epiphany struck her mind with the force of lightning.
In fact... only the poor need to make choices.
The rich don't choose. They just take everything. The great “crisis of indecision” she had faced in the last thirty minutes boiled down to a single, sad fact: poverty had trained her to choose only one thing.
If she had been a billionaire since birth, would she know what it was like to be torn between the black bag and the jade green one? Definitely not.
She sighed, defeated by her husband's charm and bank account.
Caroline intended to leave the mall immediately after picking up the bags.
They had already spent tens of thousands of dollars in a few minutes. Although it was Nicholas who swiped the card without batting an eye, her heart ached as if the money had come out of her own meager bank account.
But Nicholas... Nicholas looked disappointed.
He carried the designer bags willingly, with natural elegance. It was a rare sight: the cold and untouchable President of Wolf Corporation walking through the mall like a devoted husband, his hands full of women's purchases.
“Are we leaving already?” Nicholas stopped, shocked to hear that Caroline wanted to go to the parking lot.
“Don't you want to buy anything else?” He looked around at the jewelry and shoe store windows. “Are you sure? Since we're here, we might as well take advantage and buy the new winter collection.”
For Nicholas, the expense of the bags was irrelevant. It was pocket change.
He wanted to spend real money on his wife. He wanted to see her try things on, he wanted to spoil her.
Caroline sighed. “Actually, I don't want anything else. It's getting late, we should go home.”
If they stayed any longer, she feared he would buy the entire mall.
Nicholas was silent for a moment, weighing his options. “There's a famous jewelry store downstairs. They have excellent diamonds. Would you like to see?”
Caroline grimaced in panic. “No! There's definitely no need for that.”
“What about clothes and shoes?” Nicholas didn't want to give up. “Don't you want to renew your wardrobe?”
Caroline shook her head. “The butler Enrico already bought a lot of things when I moved in. My closet is bursting at the seams. I haven't even taken the tags off half of the clothes yet.”
“But... don't women always want more clothes?” Nicholas seemed to be deeply reflecting on the mysteries of the female universe. “What about skin care products? Makeup? Expensive creams?”
Silence.
Caroline looked at the man beside her and his almost childish insistence on convincing her to spend.
Amused, she raised an eyebrow and teased, “Nicholas, what's your plan? Are you trying to get me addicted to shopping?”
Nicholas nodded his head, without any shame. “Hmm. Wouldn't you like to do that?”
Caroline laughed. “Aren't you afraid I'll max out your credit card?”
The man smiled, a predatory and charming smile. “My dear, if you have the ability to max out my Black card... I would be full of admiration. I would give you a prize.”
Caroline was speechless.
What should she do? She was married to a man whose bank account was practically infinite and who, unlike most husbands who complain about spending, encouraged her to splurge?
“Nicholas...” Caroline rubbed her temple, feeling a “rich person's” headache coming on. “I really don't have anything else I want to buy right now. If I think of something in the future, I'll let you know. I promise. Is that okay?”
She finally realized.
Nicholas thought she was being... too frugal. That she was depriving herself.