Chapter 225 Chapter 225
He was genuinely frustrated. He was already suffering from not being able to kiss her as he wanted to since the night before. And now he would be kicked out of his own bed and deprived of holding her and smelling her during the night? That was torture.
“You can't go back on your word!” Caroline was struggling with all her might not to burst out laughing. “A man keeps his word. What's the matter, Mr. Wolf? Don't you have an ounce of patience? Or is it that... you don't trust your own charm to win me over quickly enough?”
Nicholas glared at her. But seeing the amusement on her face, he let out a sigh of pure helplessness. He was completely surrendered and in the hands of that woman.
“All right.” He relented, reluctantly. “But if we're going to play this game, you have to promise me two things.”
“Hmm, go ahead.” She sipped her milk, curious.
“First: you can't make things difficult for me on purpose.” His voice had a trace of genuine concern. “What do I do if you decide to be stubborn and not accept me even after a whole year of trying?”
Caroline pretended to think about it, tapping her finger on her chin, before nodding. “Fair enough. Deal. I promise I won't be unreasonable or prolong the torture unnecessarily. If you do well, I approve of you.”
“And the second thing.”
“What is it?”
“During this period, you are strictly forbidden from flirting, smiling, or having any kind of ambiguous relationship with any other man.” Nicholas's tone suddenly became dangerously serious, exuding a dark possessiveness. The air around him grew cold. “You are already my wife. I am the only one who has the right to court you. No one else.”
It wasn't that Nicholas doubted her character, but he didn't trust the vultures around her.
The world of the entertainment industry, where she would be working, was a nest of incredibly attractive men. Backstage romance was the oldest cliché in Hollywood. How many marriages ended because actresses fell in love with their co-stars after months of filming together?
His wife was stunning inside and out. If he, who had a heart of stone, had fallen so hopelessly and so quickly in love, it was obvious that other men would covet her too. Paranoia was beginning to gnaw at him.
“You didn't even have to ask me that.” Caroline rolled her eyes, but her tone became serious. “As long as we're officially married, I'll never do anything to disrespect or embarrass you. Don't worry about it.”
Instead of feeling relieved, Nicholas felt a knot of anxiety form in his stomach.
“As long as we're officially married?”
What did she mean by that condition? That if the marriage ended on paper, she would consider looking at other men?
Her logic was impeccable, but the mere idea made him physically sick. That thought was unacceptable.
She was his. From the moment they signed that certificate, their fate was sealed. She would be Mrs. Wolf for the rest of her life. Absolutely no other man would ever have the right to be by her side. The “trial period” she had invented did not change the facts.
After being discharged from the hospital, Sara, Caroline's younger sister, was finally ready to return to her school routine.
Sara came downstairs to the dining room shortly after Caroline had made the “dating rules” with Nicholas official. Breakfast, which was usually quiet, now carried a comical tension in the air.
Sara's high school was only two blocks away from Caroline's college campus. So, after finishing their meal, Nicholas, assuming his role as driver (and suitor under evaluation), drove the two sisters to class together.
After a full day of rest under the luxurious care of Wolf Manor, Sara seemed to be much better. She was less tired, the paleness had disappeared, and the post-surgical restlessness had dissipated.
As soon as they got in the car, Caroline buckled her seatbelt and turned to Nicholas, who was already behind the wheel. “Mr. Wolf, thank you so much for driving us to school. We appreciate your kindness,” she said with a polite smile, exaggerating her politeness and formality.
In the back seat, Sara frowned, sensing that something was very wrong with that scene. “Carol... what did you just call my brother-in-law?”
Caroline looked over her shoulder and smiled sweetly at her sister. “Mr. Wolf. What else would it be?”
Sara blinked, confused. “...Since when did you become so overly polite to him?” Did you two fight?
This wasn't how they usually interacted. There was a natural intimacy between them that had suddenly disappeared, replaced by a theatrical distance.
Caroline was about to explain the situation, but Nicholas cleared his throat and took the lead, his eyes fixed on the road through the rearview mirror. “I'm interested in your sister, Sara.”
“What?” Sara leaned forward, completely lost. “Interested? Like... chasing after my sister?”
“Exactly.” Nicholas nodded with the utmost seriousness. “I'm trying to win her over.”
Sara was speechless for a long moment, her teenage brain trying to process the information. “But... aren't you married?!”
What kind of bizarre operation was this?
“Carol, what's going on between you and your brother-in-law? What does he mean by ‘woo’?”
“It's exactly what it sounds like, Sarinha.” Caroline explained, her tone perfectly calm, as if reporting the weather forecast.
“Your brother-in-law and I got married in a hurry, just a few hours after we met, because of... the situation. He feels he owes me a traditional dating experience. He wants to make up for it by courting me now.” Caroline crossed her legs and adjusted her skirt, diving headfirst into her character.
“So our current situation is not married, and we're not even dating yet, since I haven't accepted him. That being the case... technically, maybe you shouldn't call him ‘brother-in-law’ for now. To avoid misunderstandings.”
Sara's eyes widened. How absurd!
“Carol, are you serious?”
“Absolutely.” Caroline stifled a giggle as she saw Nicholas's look of contained despair out of the corner of her eye. “You can call him Mr. Wolf too, or President Wolf, if you prefer. If and when I accept his request to date and we become a couple again in the future, you can go back to calling him brother-in-law.”
Sara sank into the back seat, speechless.
Was this some kind of romantic role-playing game (RPG) that billionaires played to spice up their relationship?
They already had their marriage certificate signed, shared the same mansion, and now they were playing “first date” and addressing each other by their last names?
She found it all a little... cheesy. Extremely cheesy.
But as she looked at her sister's amused expression and her brother-in-law's incredibly focused (and slightly frustrated) face behind the wheel, she realized they were neck-deep in their new characters. What could she, a mere high school spectator, say against that?
After all, her sister was right: this marriage had been forced and rushed. They had skipped the best part.
Although her brother-in-law clearly adored Caroline as if she were oxygen, and Caroline had hit the jackpot by marrying him, the truth was that neither of them had had a “normal” start to their relationship.
If the cold and calculating billionaire was willing to lower himself to being an “eager suitor” to please her sister... Sara decided the best thing to do was to shut up, eat popcorn, and watch the show.
“All right, Mr. Wolf,” Sara said, playing along and nodding. “Good luck with my sister. She's a tough nut to crack.”
Nicholas sighed deeply through his nose. He had a long day ahead of him.