Chapter 113

"I've already said I had nothing to do with this. I didn't fake it; someone else is framing me. As my agent, you didn't support me initially and even warned me not to get involved?" Emmalie asked. The agent's scalp tingled. "Miss Rowland, you've misunderstood. I'm doing this for your sake" Emmalie gave the bodyguard beside her an impatient look.

The bodyguard nodded, stepped forward, and slapped the agent.

Stunned, the agent covered her face, speechless for a long time. She looked at Emmalie in disbelief. Emmalie snorted, stood up, walked toward the agent, and fiercely pinched her chin. "I'll tell you one last time: be smarter when working for me. If I want something done, you do it. If you're unwilling, someone else will be." The agent almost blurted out, "I don't want to do it anymore," but seeing the threat and coldness in Emmalie's eyes, she swallowed the words.

She wondered if this woman was truly the Rowland family's daughter. Emmalie was a skilled actress, but underneath, she was vicious, uncouth, and vulgar. All these years, without Max's constant support, Emmalie wouldn't have reached her current position. "But now, regret is useless," the agent thought. Having chosen this path, she had to persevere.

Trembling, she bowed to Emmalie. "I'm sorry, Miss Rowland. I was muddle-headed and stupid. Please forgive me. I'll continue to make arrangements and won't cause you any trouble."

Emmalie nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Go and do it." The agent nodded, trying to hide her unwillingness.

Max's attention had recently shifted from Thea. Feeling she needed to act, Thea recalled Nicolas's impending trip to Flaminshire. Disappointment washed over her. He and Stephanie were probably together now, their relationship blossoming in her absence. Lost in thought, Thea opened her chat with Nicolas. She wanted to ask something but hesitated.

As she stared at her phone, a frantic knock echoed at the door. Thea suppressed her swirling thoughts. Late at night, she guessed it was Madelyn, and likely with bad news.

She opened the door cautiously, but seeing who stood there, she was stunned.

Chapter 113

"N-Nicolas?" Thea almost lost her voice. She thought she was hallucinating. But there he stood: handsome, cold, tall, slender, radiating hostility and coldness, his dark eyes unsettling.

She wondered why he was there. Before she could react, Nicolas walked into her room. Thea's scalp tingled; she hurriedly stopped him. "Wait a minute." She nervously checked for surveillance cameras before letting him in.

Nicolas's expression darkened. He sat on the sofa, anger simmering in his eyes. "Thea, explain yourself. What's going on? You said you had an urgent matter, but then it changed. Why are you with the Hendrix family, raising a child for Jake and Madelyn? Why didn't I see this level of affection for Jake before?"

He rarely spoke so much. Thea was speechless. She calmed herself, poured him water, and said, "Nicolas, today was an accident. I was forced to come here; I had no choice."

Nicolas gripped his cup. "If you had difficulties, you could have asked me for help. But you said nothing, hiding the news. If I hadn't noticed, I might have returned from Flaminshire to find my father dead from anger."

Thea's face paled under his stern questioning. She'd never asked Nicolas for help, subconsciously not viewing him as family or partner. She felt his name belonged with Stephanie, not hers. Years of experience taught her self-reliance.

She tried to calm herself. "Nicolas, don't worry. I'll handle this and prevent your father from finding out. It's impossible between me and Jake. I'm here temporarily, due to unavoidable circumstances."

Nicolas narrowed his eyes. "Unavoidable circumstances. You can't fight Max, but you know I could change his mind with a simple sentence. Did you think I wouldn't speak up? Did you think you didn't need to tell me?" Thea thought, "Both." But she feigned obedience. "Nicolas, you misunderstood."

Nicolas, seemingly angrier, stood and grabbed her wrist. "Tell me what I misunderstood." Thea only stared at his angry eyes, confused. She didn't understand his anger. Anxiously, she emphasized, "Nicolas, don't worry. I won't let your father know. I'm 100% confident."

Nicolas's chest heaved, his anger undiminished. "Thea, when you did these things, did you consider that you are my wife?"

His words angered Thea. She bit her lip, wanting to question him about Stephanie. Her suppressed emotions neared a breaking point. She wasn't coy; her patience had reached its limit. With a sour face and unpleasant tone, she said, "Nicolas, since you're angry and questioning me about Jake, may I ask about your entanglements with other women?"