Chapter 224 Chapter 224
The way he held the porcelain coffee cup with those long, slender fingers made him look like a Renaissance painting.
But that wasn't the most shocking detail of the scene.
The big issue was that Nicholas Wolf was wearing a dark purple silk shirt.
His wardrobe had always been limited to two colors: black or white. White made him look cold, untouchable, and distant, while black gave him a mature, oppressive, and overly serious air. Caroline had never even imagined what he would look like wearing other colors.
His skin was incredibly fair, and his facial features were deep, sharp, and aristocratic.
With the contrast of that rich, dark shade of purple, he exuded the dangerous and hypnotic aura of a vampire prince.
And with that god-sculpted face and the perfect physique of a supermodel, the truth was that he would look good wearing anything—or nothing.
But that shirt... made him incredibly seductive. It was a completely different aura. He looked almost unreal.
Caroline stopped at the dining room door, her eyes wide, and stared at him for several long seconds, completely mesmerized.
“Why are you standing there in the doorway? Come and eat.”
She only snapped out of her trance when Nicholas's deep, velvety voice called her.
She blinked a few times, almost to make sure she wasn't having a morning hallucination. Only when she was sure it was really her husband there, sporting that color, did she slowly walk toward the table.
She sat down in the chair next to him.
Nicholas handed her a glass of freshly warmed milk, as was his custom.
Caroline took a sip, but her eyes continued to scan him with undisguised curiosity and admiration.
Noticing her intense attention, Nicholas turned and pinched her cheek lightly. “What are you looking at so intently?”
Caroline looked at the soft fabric of his designer shirt and asked, “Did you change your style today?”
“Huh?” Nicholas arched an eyebrow, feigning innocence.
“It's the first time I've seen you wearing that color.” Caroline stared at him for a few more seconds and inevitably blushed when she met his gaze. “I could have sworn your closet was made up entirely of black and white fabrics.”
He was so absurdly charming today that she didn't dare look directly into his eyes for long.
Nicholas was momentarily speechless.
The truth was, she was right. It used to be exactly like that. His wardrobe was a monotonous sea of two colors.
Clothes of other shades had only entered the mansion the day before. He had given Enrico a direct order to revamp his closet and buy clothes with more “life.”
The butler, being the efficient man he was, bought an entire collection of the best brands in various colors and had already organized everything in his closet. The purple shirt he was wearing now was the first experiment in this new phase. All to please her eyes.
Nicholas cleared his throat, trying to hide his slight insecurity, and asked, “What do you think?”
“Huh?”
He coughed lightly again, looking away at his coffee cup. “Does it look weird on me?”
“No!” Caroline replied quickly, almost urgently. “It looks incredibly good on you.”
The man seemed genuinely relieved. His lips curved into an irresistible smile as he leaned a little closer. “It really does?”
“Um, seriously!” Caroline held up three fingers, as if making an oath. “You look so good in it, the color brings out your features! Actually, I think you should try other styles more often.”
Of course, you look gorgeous in a black suit, but...
She tried to find the right words, gesturing slightly. “...You're so handsome anyway. It would be a waste of your face and physique if you always hid behind the same boring colors.”
Nicholas froze for a moment. The hand holding the coffee cup stopped suspended in the air. The sparkle in his eyes darkened, taking on a dangerous, predatory tone.
He flashed a lethal smile and whispered, “So, Miss Caroline thinks I'm very handsome and have a great physique?”
Caroline froze. She realized she had said too much.
“How handsome?” The man leaned in closer, invading her personal space, his voice dropping to a hoarse whisper that brushed her ear. “Handsome enough to drive you crazy? Handsome enough for you to accept me right away and end that ‘trial period’ so we can really date?”
Silence fell over the dining room.
Caroline's heart skipped a beat. She had been cornered by his own compliment.
But then she suddenly remembered the agreement they had sealed at the movie theater door the night before.
Nicholas Wolf was just a suitor. He was supposed to court her. And the game began today.
By the rules, they weren't an official couple yet. She had almost forgotten that, intoxicated by his perfume and beauty.
Since he had a duty to win her over, Caroline needed to make things a little difficult for the big CEO. Where would be the fun if she gave in just because of a purple shirt and a vampire smile?
She wasn't going to give up the game so easily.
Caroline pushed him lightly on the chest, laughing. “Mr. Wolf, please keep your distance. I haven't accepted your feelings yet, so you can't take these unauthorized liberties. Do you know what girls call that nowadays? Harassment.”
She lifted her chin, a mischievous look in her eyes. “It's a huge taboo during the courtship phase. You'll lose a lot of points with me if you're too ‘pushy.’”
Nicholas blinked, completely stunned. The look of shock on the formidable billionaire's face was priceless.
Caroline found the situation hilarious. “Don't forget: you were the one who demanded this ‘trial period’ last night at the movie theater. So restrain yourself until I make your status official.”
Nicholas swallowed hard, speechless.
“Oh, and there's one more little thing...” She added, with a mischievous gleam in her eye.
“Since we're not technically a couple at the moment, it's not appropriate for us to sleep in the same bed. I'll ask the butler Enrico to move my things to the guest room after breakfast.”
The silence in the dining room was absolute.
Nicholas's patience snapped.
His forehead furrowed into a hard line, and his eyes darkened. “Sleep separately? In different rooms?”
Caroline nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “Yes. Given our current relationship as ‘suitor and muse,’ sharing a bed crosses the professional line.”
Nicholas's face closed completely. “I want to cancel this agreement. Now.”