Chapter 541 Have You Been with Someone Else?
The Windsor Mansion was alive with warmth and celebration.
Sarah clasped Nicole's hands, her voice catching in her throat for what felt like an eternity before she finally managed to whisper through her tears, "You're home. Thank God, you're finally home."
Joy and sorrow warred within her as she turned away, struggling to compose herself.
Nicole understood her mother's conflicted emotions perfectly. Leaning against Sarah's shoulder, her voice carried a hint of roughness from years of independence: "I'm back, Mom. I've been well—truly well. I've seen different skies and horizons, traveled to places I never imagined."
This Nicole was no longer a caged bird. She belonged to herself now, and that felt right.
"That's all that matters," Sarah nodded repeatedly, deliberately avoiding any mention of Jacob or Amelia, fearful of reopening old wounds. But Nicole offered a gentle smile. "I saw Jacob and his wife at the door earlier."
"Nicole!" Diana bounded over, throwing herself into her sister's arms.
Nicole had brought gifts: an exquisite set of Helios Federation crystal figurines for Diana, who examined each piece with reverence before sticking her tongue out at Elliot nearby. "Nicole brought this especially for me. Go ahead and be jealous."
Elliot, now a junior in college standing six-foot-three with an athlete's build, watched Nicole with quiet intensity, something unreadable flickering in his depths.
Nicole's gift to him was a complete set of limited-edition basketball trading cards featuring legendary players.
Elliot was speechless.
Even Diana whistled in appreciation. "This is incredible! Every hall-of-famer signed! Elliot, let me just touch one—don't be such a miser about it."
As the siblings playfully bickered, Nicole watched them with pure affection, her heart swelling with love and a bittersweet longing for home.
Four years away—how could she not have missed this?
"Nicole." A familiar, slightly gravelly voice interrupted her thoughts.
She turned slowly to find Oliver supporting Claire at the bedroom entrance.
Claire had been bedridden for years, but hearing of Nicole's return, she'd insisted on rising to see and touch the girl she'd helped raise.
Nicole hurried to them, tears blurring her vision as she whispered, "Claire."
Claire's composure crumbled instantly. She pulled Nicole close, her heart breaking with love and concern, though she held back the words that might cause more pain. To Claire, both girls were precious—if anyone deserved blame, it was Oliver for letting things reach this point.
After Sarah gently guided the emotional Claire to rest on the sofa, father and daughter found themselves alone.
Oliver had three biological children, but Nicole held equal importance in his heart. Though not blood-related, she was undeniably his daughter—they had weathered life's storms together during those early years.
Nicole felt the same bond. Tears sparkled in her eyes as she choked out a single word: "Dad."
She collapsed against his shoulder, allowing herself to cry without restraint—perhaps only with Oliver could she be this vulnerable, this childlike. Maybe only tonight could she permit herself this indulgence, because tomorrow she would resume being the independent Nicole, the protective sister to Diana and Elliot, the dutiful daughter.
Oliver's heart surged like a tide. He placed his hand gently on her head, just as he had when she was small, offering quiet comfort.
Four years had passed, and this reunion brought both laughter and tears.
After the emotional reunion, Oliver instructed the staff to prepare additional courses and retrieved his finest vintage wine. He insisted on including Diana and Elliot in the celebration, declaring that Nicole's homecoming warranted a family toast—though notably, Jacob was absent from this gathering.
Oliver's joy led him to drink more than usual. When he helped Claire back to her room, the alcohol had taken effect, and he sank onto the sofa for a moment's rest.
The harsh lighting bothered him, so he shielded his eyes with the back of his hand, reclining in contemplation before speaking softly, "Neither of them has forgotten the other. Nicole wants a fresh start, but I fear Jacob won't let go—his pride won't allow him to accept a failed relationship."
Oliver murmured, "Jacob's thirty now, and sometimes I can't fathom what goes through his mind. The year Nicole left, I took a belt to him—beat him severely—and he never made a sound. Now I can't tell which one is rejecting the other."
His rambling concerned Claire, who despite her own heartache, maintained her strength. She scolded him for drinking too much and ordered him upstairs to sleep it off.
Oliver sheepishly retreated to his second-floor study.
Under the bright lights, he settled behind his dark mahogany desk and quietly opened a small drawer containing several neatly arranged documents.
Stock transfer agreements for the Windsor Group—four copies in total.
Jacob held thirty-five percent, Nicole twenty percent, with Elliot and Diana each receiving ten percent. This distribution was intentional: believing the young couple would eventually reunite, Oliver had ensured Jacob and Nicole together controlled fifty-five percent.
Elliot and Diana would be compensated through other means—cash assets and properties that would sustain them for generations.
Late into the night, Oliver caressed these documents tenderly.
These papers represented his love for his children—four souls he cherished equally, each one a manifestation of his and Sarah's love and their deepest regrets.
On the third floor, in Nicole's bedroom, Sarah had visited for a brief conversation before leaving Nicole to unpack.
Nicole traveled light, having no intention of staying long at the family home. She'd purchased a downtown apartment—modest at just over 700 square feet but in an excellent location, perfectly adequate for her solitary life.
As she finished organizing her belongings, the bedroom door opened with a soft click.
Assuming it was Diana, Nicole continued hanging clothes while smiling. "Still awake? Elliot mentioned you have early classes tomorrow."
Silence greeted her words.
Moments later, Jacob stepped into view.
Nicole froze mid-motion, her delicate features paling under the crystal chandelier's glow. He leaned against the doorframe, studying her with that penetrating gaze that seemed to see straight through her.
The silence stretched endlessly.
His eyes fell on her meager luggage before he spoke quietly, "That's all you brought? Planning another disappearing act after a few days? What is this place to you, Nicole—a hotel? And what am I to you? Some disposable rag you discard when it's no longer useful? Just another man you throw away when the novelty wears off?"
"No goodbye. No explanation. Just vanished! So why return now? Did you hear about my engagement and decide to toy with my emotions again?"
Alcohol sharpened his words, making him more aggressive than usual. This wasn't his typical demeanor—he was usually controlled and distant with women. For years, he'd waited in the same place, convinced she would return once her anger cooled, hoping she'd at least explain herself and give him a chance to make amends.
Four years—how many such spans did a life contain?
He pressed her against the door, his entire frame taut with desperate longing. Her body was forced onto his lap, and she could feel his physical response, the familiar sensation dragging her back to memories of their past.
They'd been together for six years—six years during which they'd shared everything.
They were close enough that she could smell his cologne and notice the lipstick stain on his shirt collar—Amelia's shade.
Nicole's lashes trembled as she whispered, "No."
"Because I won't be staying here long."
"Nicole, isn't this your home?"
"It wouldn't be appropriate."
After she spoke, silence engulfed them both.
They both understood exactly why it wouldn't be appropriate—he had a fiancée now, and she, as his former lover, was indeed an inconvenience.
After a long pause, Nicole gently pushed against him. "Let me go."
Jacob didn't release her.
He studied her face intently, his sharp, lean features shadowed with intensity. "Have you seen other men in these past years?"