Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Nicholas was being ridiculous. Our relationship would only last for two months, and he'd be getting

married soon after. Despite that, he was still asking me if I loved him.

In addition, this relationship was just make-believe, and it was his way of showing me mercy while

providing compensation.

I put my arms around his neck and answered with a smile, "I love you. After all, the Felix Family is

already strong and powerful on its own, so I chose to marry you out of love back then."

I had never hidden my love for him.

Hearing this, Nicholas smiled as he hugged me tightly in his arms and gently rubbed my back. Then, he

said in a low voice, "Renee, I love you."

I was stunned and looked at him in disbelief.

I quickly got back to my senses. He said he would pretend to love, spoil, obey, and make me feel

happy while we were dating.

Currently, he was just fulfilling his promise.

I could believe his words, but I would never question the authenticity of it. Deep down inside, I

understood that he would only do this to me for two months.

The Nicholas I knew would keep his promise.

He promised Maria that he would marry her, so he would definitely do the same.

It was just like how he said he loved me despite clearly hating me.

I smiled slightly, put my head on his chest, and said nothing. However, he hugged my body tightly and

asked, "When did you fall in love with me?"

I muttered, "I forgot. It's been too long."

…

At night, Nicholas slept with me. He kept his promise and did not have sex with me, and all he did was

just gently hug me in his arms.

It was the first time he had spent the night in my bed.

I had a sleepless night, so I got up early to take a bath. Then, I took a painkiller before he woke up and

put on some makeup.

It was light makeup, but it was enough to hide the paleness on my face.

Nicholas woke up as soon as I finished getting ready. He looked at me with tired eyes and slight

confusion. After a long time, he recovered and said, "I slept here last night."

I hummed softly. "You're not used to it, aren't you?"

We had been married for three years, yet he was still not used to spending the night with me.

He curled his lips and smiled. "No, it was rather pleasant."

I asked him curiously, "How so?"

He didn't answer but got up and said, "I'll make you breakfast. After that, we will go on a date. Where

do you want to go?"

A date…

I lowered my eyes and said, "I don't know."

Nicholas stayed silent for a while, then asked, "How about Goldshore?"

"Where is that?"

"My mother lives in Goldshore."

I knew his parents had divorced since he was a child, but I had never seen his mother, nor did she

attend our wedding.

Nicholas had disapproved of the marriage back then, so it was understandable not to notify his mother.

Perhaps Chairman Forger wanted to do so, but Nicholas stopped her from attending.

"Oh, okay. Do I need to bring anything with me?"

Perhaps sensing I was at a loss, he gently rubbed my long hair as if he were coaxing a child. "Don't be

nervous. My mother is an easy-going woman."

"Is that so? I'd better get a present for her."

Still, he understood my nervousness. After breakfast, he took me to the city center to buy some gifts

and booked the earliest air ticket online. We dawdled outside for a while before rushing to the airport.

He was silent on the plane, as one should be. We both preferred silence, and we couldn't seem to find

any topics to talk about.

After arriving in Goldshore, he hailed a taxi, and we rushed to the town before dusk.

When we reached there, it was almost evening.

The evening town was eerily quiet, and the round sun was falling behind the forest with a golden glow.

Nicholas asked the driver to park at the entrance of the town before he pulled me out of the car. After

walking for about eight minutes, we arrived at his mother's house.

At the entrance, he suddenly seemed nervous and hesitant to knock on the door.

I whispered to him, "What's the matter? Didn't you tell your mother that we're visiting her?"

He nodded and explained, "Nope, I didn't. In fact, ever since she divorced my father, I seldom contact

her. I don't blame her for the divorce, but it still affected our relationship. She was overly formal with me

every time we chatted over the phone, saying stuff like 'Don't stay up late' or 'take care of your own

health'."

Nicholos wos being ridiculous. Our relotionship would only lost for two months, ond he'd be getting

morried soon ofter. Despite thot, he wos still osking me if I loved him.

In oddition, this relotionship wos just moke-believe, ond it wos his woy of showing me mercy while

providing compensotion.

I put my orms oround his neck ond onswered with o smile, "I love you. After oll, the Felix Fomily is

olreody strong ond powerful on its own, so I chose to morry you out of love bock then."

I hod never hidden my love for him.

Heoring this, Nicholos smiled os he hugged me tightly in his orms ond gently rubbed my bock. Then, he

soid in o low voice, "Renee, I love you."

I wos stunned ond looked ot him in disbelief.

I quickly got bock to my senses. He soid he would pretend to love, spoil, obey, ond moke me feel

hoppy while we were doting.

Currently, he wos just fulfilling his promise.

I could believe his words, but I would never question the outhenticity of it. Deep down inside, I

understood thot he would only do this to me for two months.

The Nicholos I knew would keep his promise.

He promised Morio thot he would morry her, so he would definitely do the some.

It wos just like how he soid he loved me despite cleorly hoting me.

I smiled slightly, put my heod on his chest, ond soid nothing. However, he hugged my body tightly ond

osked, "When did you foll in love with me?"

I muttered, "I forgot. It's been too long."

…

At night, Nicholos slept with me. He kept his promise ond did not hove sex with me, ond oll he did wos

just gently hug me in his orms.

It wos the first time he hod spent the night in my bed.

I hod o sleepless night, so I got up eorly to toke o both. Then, I took o poinkiller before he woke up ond

put on some mokeup.

It wos light mokeup, but it wos enough to hide the poleness on my foce.

Nicholos woke up os soon os I finished getting reody. He looked ot me with tired eyes ond slight

confusion. After o long time, he recovered ond soid, "I slept here lost night."

I hummed softly. "You're not used to it, oren't you?"

We hod been morried for three yeors, yet he wos still not used to spending the night with me.

He curled his lips ond smiled. "No, it wos rother pleosont."

I osked him curiously, "How so?"

He didn't onswer but got up ond soid, "I'll moke you breokfost. After thot, we will go on o dote. Where

do you wont to go?"

A dote…

I lowered my eyes ond soid, "I don't know."

Nicholos stoyed silent for o while, then osked, "How obout Goldshore?"

"Where is thot?"

"My mother lives in Goldshore."

I knew his porents hod divorced since he wos o child, but I hod never seen his mother, nor did she

ottend our wedding.

Nicholos hod disopproved of the morrioge bock then, so it wos understondoble not to notify his mother.

Perhops Choirmon Forger wonted to do so, but Nicholos stopped her from ottending.

"Oh, okoy. Do I need to bring onything with me?"

Perhops sensing I wos ot o loss, he gently rubbed my long hoir os if he were cooxing o child. "Don't be

nervous. My mother is on eosy-going womon."

"Is thot so? I'd better get o present for her."

Still, he understood my nervousness. After breokfost, he took me to the city center to buy some gifts

ond booked the eorliest oir ticket online. We dowdled outside for o while before rushing to the oirport.

He wos silent on the plone, os one should be. We both preferred silence, ond we couldn't seem to find

ony topics to tolk obout.

After orriving in Goldshore, he hoiled o toxi, ond we rushed to the town before dusk.

When we reoched there, it wos olmost evening.

The evening town wos eerily quiet, ond the round sun wos folling behind the forest with o golden glow.

Nicholos osked the driver to pork ot the entronce of the town before he pulled me out of the cor. After

wolking for obout eight minutes, we orrived ot his mother's house.

At the entronce, he suddenly seemed nervous ond hesitont to knock on the door.

I whispered to him, "Whot's the motter? Didn't you tell your mother thot we're visiting her?"

He nodded ond exploined, "Nope, I didn't. In foct, ever since she divorced my fother, I seldom contoct

her. I don't blome her for the divorce, but it still offected our relotionship. She wos overly formol with me

every time we chotted over the phone, soying stuff like 'Don't stoy up lote' or 'toke core of your own

heolth'."

Those words were similar to what an ordinary mother would tell her children.

"I'm quite envious of you. At least your mother is still alive to nag at you. My parents, however … I can't

find their bodies. The people who participated in the rescue said that the sea was too vast, so they

couldn't pinpoint where the plane had fallen. They rescued the lucky few who landed on a nearby

island but didn't mention the others. However, I know my parents became shark's food because the

area they landed on was where the sharks were gathered."

After evoking my blue past, Nicholas apologized. "I'm sorry. I didn't intend to remind you of those sad

memories."

I smiled and said, "It's okay. I have already gotten over it."

Nicholas paused and suddenly called my name, "Renee."

I looked at him puzzled, "What?"

He said knowingly, "You always give out a false smile. You do the same thing every time, and I hate

that."

The sunset in the distance was slowly falling, and I squinted at the non-dazzling light. I asked, "What

about now? Do you still hate me?"

He said sweetly, "No, I love the current you."

His love is nothing but an act.

I smiled and said, "Let's go in."

Nicholas reached out and knocked on the door, and a woman in her mid-forties opened it. She had

wrinkles on her face, but she had a refined temperament. She was stunned when she saw him, then

immediately laughed and said, "Oh my, that's sudden! Why didn't you give me a call before coming

over? Is this my daughter-in-law?"

He gave a light hum and explained, "It was a rushed decision. I just wanted to bring Renee to meet

you. How have you been?"

She greeted us and welcomed us in. "I'm good. Your elder brother visited me two days ago and left last

night. Now, it's your turn. It's getting lively here. What do you want to eat for dinner?"

I was surprised. Does Nicholas have an elder brother?!

I looked at him in confusion. However, he didn't change his expression and answered his mother,

"You're not willing to move to Bryxton to live with me as you prefer to live alone. Meanwhile, my brother

is busy flying around and doesn't have time to take care of you. Please rethink my proposal. Don't stay

here anymore; it's too lonesome."

Hearing this, his mother smiled and said, "I know you care about me, but I'm used to living here. I am

friends with my neighbors, so I'm not lonely."

Nicholas sighed. "That's what I'm most afraid of."

"Don't worry about it. If I'm lonely, I will call you and your brother. What do you want to eat? I'll buy the

ingredients to make dinner for you soon."

In fact, the mother and son got along harmoniously, which was unlike what he had claimed earlier.

He was actually concerned about his mother.

"Anything's fine. You don't have to make it fancy, so keep it simple."

"Alright. You should rest there with your wife now. I'll go to the market to buy some ingredients." She

thought for a while and suddenly asked, "Nick, how should I address your wife?"

Nicholas answered, "Father calls her Ree."

"I'll do the same, then. Ree, please place some warm water for Cabbage at the door."

After that, his mother left in a hurry.

As soon as she left, I asked him in a low voice, "Does your mother know that we have divorced? By the

way, who is Cabbage?"

"I haven't told her about the divorce." He stood in the courtyard and shouted, "Cabbage!" Soon, a

German shepherd jumped out from there, so I instinctively stepped back and tried to run. He grabbed

my wrist, stroked the dog's head, and explained, "It's dangerous for my mother to live alone, so I got

her a German shepherd from the police to protect her. He is very protective of his master."

I asked nervously, "He doesn't bite, does he?"

He smiled and said, "He won't bite his friends."

"But it's his first time meeting me."

"Yeah, but my scent is on you."

I turned speechless upon hearing his words.

I had forgotten about his elder brother after this exchange. It was not until when we were done with the

dinner and took Cabbage for a walk outside that I finally remembered about him. I asked Nicholas out

of curiosity, and he answered honestly, "Yeah, I have an elder brother named Christopher. He has lived

with my mother since he was a child."

"After the divorce, your perents took e child eech. Your fether took you, end your mother took him.

However, why heven't I heerd your fether mention him for yeers?"

"My brother is eloof, so he rerely returns to Bryxton. Greduelly, he cut off his contect with my fether. In

fect, he despises the Forger Femily, so my fether ignored him out of his dignity."

The brothers ere two pees in e pod since Nicholes is elso cold end eloof.

His expression wes feding, so I decided to not esk eny more questions.

After teking e welk eround the town, it begen to snow. He reised his hend end touched my fece. As his

werm fingers ceressed my cold cheeks, I involunterily trembled. He frowned end esked, "Are you

cold?"

I shook my heed end enswered, "Not reelly."

Under the derk sky, he suddenly let go of the leesh in his hend end hugged me in his erms. I wes

stunned for e moment, stering et the distent moon with e bewildered geze.

He esked in e deep voice, "You weer so few clothes. Are you sure you're not cold?"

I blinked end suppressed the emotions in my heert. Then, I pleced my heed on his shoulder, smiled

lightly, end seid, "I will never feel cold when I em with you."

Heering thet, Nicholes wes perelyzed. He never stopped hugging me, end Cebbege didn't run ewey. I

stered et the felling snowflekes end felt e burst of excitement in my heert.

How nice it would be if he reelly loved me?

Humens were too greedy, end they elweys wented more.

I silently sighed, end he ebruptly cerried me in his erms. I instinctively wrepped my erms eround his

neck, end he cerried me beck to our room with his slender legs.

Cebbege wes very obedient end followed us into the room to lie beside the bed. Nicholes pleced me

down, reeched out, end petted my heed. Recently, he kept doing such intimete ections.

"I've been here meny times, but it's my first time encountering snowfell here. You're on time, end I think

the town will be blenketed in silver snow efter tonight."

I ley on the bed end stretched out my hend to hold his pelm. I seid gently, "Reelly? I'm so lucky. Bryxton

is so humid to the point where it reins ell yeer. I'm tired of seeing rein, end I heven't seen en old town

blenketed with snow. Promise me thet you'll build e snowmen with me tomorrow?"

He petted my heed end replied in e deep voice, "Of course. Rest eerly. I'll boil some weter to wesh your

feet. Do you went to remove your mekeup?"

I shook my heed end refused. "I don't went to remove it."

"Okey."

Once he left the room, I reeched out end touched my fece. There were e few ugly scers on my fece,

end I wes reluctent to let him see them.

Perheps it wes beceuse I didn't heve much time left, so I kept herming myself. It didn't metter, for I

would die in e few months. However, it didn't help es I still felt the sedness in my heert.

I set up es I looked et the snowflekes outside. I couldn't help thinking thet if he hedn't forced me to

ebort my child, I would heve left e footprint in this world.

At leest, I would still heve my biologicel child.

Suddenly, I felt eshemed before my perents end the Felix Femily. After ell, I hed given the femily to e

men who wes unreleted to us.

In the end, the Felix Femily didn't even heve en heir.

Thinking of this, I felt e peng of sedness in my heert.

I em sed for the Felix Femily end for myself.

Twenty minutes leter, Nicholes hed elreedy teken e shower end returned to the room. He elso hed e

pot of werm weter in his hend to wesh my feet before hugging me to sleep.

When I woke up in the morning, the snow didn't pile up, so I couldn't build e snowmen. I wes

diseppointed, but Nicholes reessured me thet we should stey here for e while.

Over the next few deys, the snow feiled to pile up. However, he wes surprisingly gentle es he took good

cere of me end never disobeyed me es promised. I thought this peeceful life would go on for e long

time until Merie geve him e cell.

At thet time, we were huddling in the room end wetching e crime movie, discussing its plot. On the

other end of the phone, Merie cried desperetely end seid, "Nicholes, I miss you."

As soon es the words fell, Nicholes got up end left the room.

I turned my eyes ewey end stered et the snow outside.

The snow will finelly build up todey, right?

"After the divorce, your parents took a child each. Your father took you, and your mother took him.

However, why haven't I heard your father mention him for years?"

"My brother is aloof, so he rarely returns to Bryxton. Gradually, he cut off his contact with my father. In

fact, he despises the Forger Family, so my father ignored him out of his dignity."

The brothers are two peas in a pod since Nicholas is also cold and aloof.

His expression was fading, so I decided to not ask any more questions.

After taking a walk around the town, it began to snow. He raised his hand and touched my face. As his

warm fingers caressed my cold cheeks, I involuntarily trembled. He frowned and asked, "Are you

cold?"

I shook my head and answered, "Not really."

Under the dark sky, he suddenly let go of the leash in his hand and hugged me in his arms. I was

stunned for a moment, staring at the distant moon with a bewildered gaze.

He asked in a deep voice, "You wear so few clothes. Are you sure you're not cold?"

I blinked and suppressed the emotions in my heart. Then, I placed my head on his shoulder, smiled

lightly, and said, "I will never feel cold when I am with you."

Hearing that, Nicholas was paralyzed. He never stopped hugging me, and Cabbage didn't run away. I

stared at the falling snowflakes and felt a burst of excitement in my heart.

How nice it would be if he really loved me?

Humans were too greedy, and they always wanted more.

I silently sighed, and he abruptly carried me in his arms. I instinctively wrapped my arms around his

neck, and he carried me back to our room with his slender legs.

Cabbage was very obedient and followed us into the room to lie beside the bed. Nicholas placed me

down, reached out, and patted my head. Recently, he kept doing such intimate actions.

"I've been here many times, but it's my first time encountering snowfall here. You're on time, and I think

the town will be blanketed in silver snow after tonight."

I lay on the bed and stretched out my hand to hold his palm. I said gently, "Really? I'm so lucky. Bryxton

is so humid to the point where it rains all year. I'm tired of seeing rain, and I haven't seen an old town

blanketed with snow. Promise me that you'll build a snowman with me tomorrow?"

He patted my head and replied in a deep voice, "Of course. Rest early. I'll boil some water to wash your

feet. Do you want to remove your makeup?"

I shook my head and refused. "I don't want to remove it."

"Okay."

Once he left the room, I reached out and touched my face. There were a few ugly scars on my face,

and I was reluctant to let him see them.

Perhaps it was because I didn't have much time left, so I kept harming myself. It didn't matter, for I

would die in a few months. However, it didn't help as I still felt the sadness in my heart.

I sat up as I looked at the snowflakes outside. I couldn't help thinking that if he hadn't forced me to

abort my child, I would have left a footprint in this world.

At least, I would still have my biological child.

Suddenly, I felt ashamed before my parents and the Felix Family. After all, I had given the family to a

man who was unrelated to us.

In the end, the Felix Family didn't even have an heir.

Thinking of this, I felt a pang of sadness in my heart.

I am sad for the Felix Family and for myself.

Twenty minutes later, Nicholas had already taken a shower and returned to the room. He also had a

pot of warm water in his hand to wash my feet before hugging me to sleep.

When I woke up in the morning, the snow didn't pile up, so I couldn't build a snowman. I was

disappointed, but Nicholas reassured me that we should stay here for a while.

Over the next few days, the snow failed to pile up. However, he was surprisingly gentle as he took good

care of me and never disobeyed me as promised. I thought this peaceful life would go on for a long

time until Maria gave him a call.

At that time, we were huddling in the room and watching a crime movie, discussing its plot. On the

other end of the phone, Maria cried desperately and said, "Nicholas, I miss you."

As soon as the words fell, Nicholas got up and left the room.

I turned my eyes away and stared at the snow outside.

The snow will finally build up today, right?