Chapter 345 Oliver vs. Nicole: There Are Many Ways to Deal With It

Chapter 345 Oliver vs. Nicole: There Are Many Ways to Deal With It
Rosalind said calmly. "Mrs. Dawson, it's pointless to try to scare Nicole with these things. You should think about how people in our social circle will view you after coming here to urge them to break up. You brought up this marriage in the first place, and now that something’s happened with the Bell family, you’re rushing to convince them to call it off. Even if they do split up, who would dare marry your son in the future? Everyone knows what kind of person Oliver is. If you do this, no one will view him favorably, whether in business or marriage, and he’ll lose respect for himself. And Oliver will hate you. He’s already moved out. If you keep doing things like this, there’s no telling if he’ll ever come back.”
Gwen frowned and glared at Rosalind. 
Nicole had already been wavering, but Rosalind’s remark eased the tension in her heart considerably.
“I respect Oliver,” Nicole said. "If he asks me to leave, I’ll leave."
Gwen realized she’d come on too strong.
People were probably already gossiping about her.
She stood up and turned to leave.
Rosalind glanced at Gwen’s retreating figure, then turned to Nicole. "You're too softhearted. If you move in with their family, they’ll definitely have the upper hand.”
"She's actually right," Nicole said, lowering her voice.
Oliver’s career would certainly be affected, though he never mentioned it to her.
Rosalind snapped, “Nicole, snap out of it. If you listen to Gwen, Oliver will be heartbroken.”
"Yeah, Oliver would definitely be heartbroken," Nicole murmured.
Rosalind continued, "He's known about all this mess for a long time, and he still married you—that means he's already thought through all his options. If he were to walk away now, you’d better run as far away from a man like that as you possibly can.”
Nicole’s head was spinning.
As dusk fell, she received a notice from the hospital’s HR department telling her to take a leave of absence.
It came as no surprise. 
She handed in her resignation, and the hospital approved it that very day.
"There really are quite a few people waiting to see your fail," Rosalind muttered under her breath.
Nicole tried to comfort her. "They're in a tough spot. They're just following orders."
Rosalind rolled her eyes. "You're really good at saving face for others."
She waved her hand. "All right, your husband's coming back. I’m leaving.”
She showed her phone to Nicole. 
The screen displayed a message from Oliver. 
\[You can go now.\]
Nicole froze.
No sooner had Rosalind left than Oliver pushed the door open and walked in.
"You're back," Nicole said, still not quite processing what was happening.
“Yeah.” Oliver blocked the doorway the moment he got out of the car and pulled her into his arms.
Nicole froze before slowly raising her hands to wrap her arms around his waist.
His sharply tailored suit carried a faint scent of tobacco. 
She usually hated the smell of smoke, but mixed with his scent, it wasn’t so bad.
Oliver glanced at the housekeeper bustling about in the kitchen, then brought his gaze back to Nicole. 
He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her passionately.
Nicole clutched his suit jacket, her fingers digging into the fabric.
"You...have you been drinking?" she asked.
Oliver pinched her cheek and took her hand. "Just a little."
He pulled her into the room.
The housekeeper set the table, tidied up the kitchen, and closed the door behind her.
Nicole asked, "Did... everything go well today?"
"It was fine. I just missed you.” Oliver tightened his grip on her hand.
His hands were rough but warm, broad, and strong. 
She couldn’t help but squeeze his hand back.
Oliver glanced back at her.
She lowered her head, blushing.
He chuckled.
“Did Mom stop by today?”
Nicole nodded. "Yeah."
“Don’t take anything she says to heart,” Oliver said flatly. 
Nicole was slow to catch on.
He pulled her over to the dining table and said casually, “She’s my stepmother. My biological mom passed away when I was very young. She doesn’t have any children of her own, and she’s always been nice to my brother and me. She’s not a bad person. But all she cares about is the Dawson family.”
Nicole looked up at him.
Seeing her frozen in place, Oliver reached out and pinched her cheek. "She's not a bad person, but you don't have to take her too seriously."
Gwen couldn’t have children; that's why Heinrich married her.
She devoted herself to Alistair and Oliver and gave her all to the entire Dawson family. Naturally, when it came to matters of interest, she sided with the Dawsons.
Nicole nodded.

“Want to go out for a walk to help with digestion?” Oliver came out of the kitchen to find Nicole curled up on the couch, lost in thought.
She glanced at him, then looked out the window. 
It was already dark. 
But since he was in a good mood, she nodded anyway.
Oliver smiled, walked over, took her hand, and led her upstairs.
She thought they were going to change clothes before heading out. 
However, as soon as they stepped through the door, he pulled her into his arms.
"Oliver."
"Nicole, there are plenty of ways to work things off." He closed the door behind them without turning on the light.
The door clicked shut softly, and the room went dark instantly.
His arm was still wrapped around her waist. 
He pulled her closer, leaned down, and kissed the nape of her neck. 
His lips brushed her cleavage.
"You're lying," Nicole said in a muffled voice. 
She turned her face to the side, resting her chin on his shoulder.
“Why?” His hand slid from her waist to her lower abdomen, while his thumb traced circles above her navel. "There are many ways to work things off."
She placed her hand on the back of his, her fingertips interlacing with his.