Chapter 171
Not to mention Nicolas, even Noelle herself was shocked. She lowered her head, her gaze drifting to her trembling fingertips. The subtle shake in her hands betrayed the unease she couldn’t quite shake off, as if her body refused to accept the fact she had just forced herself to push him away.
She didn’t want to push him away, but the moment Nick leaned in, her mind was assaulted by the words Brandon had drilled into her. The curse of those words echoed relentlessly, growing louder with every passing second. Her body, as if on its own accord, reacted before she could even process it, and she instinctively pushed him away.
Noelle didn’t know how to face Nicolas anymore. She felt the push she had given him earlier must have hurt him, and that thought made her uneasy. She never wanted to make him sad.
As she lowered her head, feeling lost and full of regret, Nicolas quickly composed himself.
Noelle’s push, full of rejection, left Nicolas momentarily stunned. The surprise was accompanied by a sharp, almost unbearable ache in his heart, like a needle pricking it, causing a sour, painful sensation.
But Nicolas had been through so much in the past. His harsh experiences had taught him to quickly regain his composure, no matter the circumstances.
Seeing Elly babe’s helpless reaction, Nicolas understood that she was still trapped by the influence of the organization behind her. But even so, now that he had chosen to love her, no matter how hard or painful it might be, he would stand by her side. He would never turn away.
After taking a deep breath, Nicolas’s eyes softened with warmth. He didn’t close the distance between them again. Instead, he kept a half–meter of space and asked with a gentle smile, “Elly babe, is this distance okay?”
“Nick,” Noelle heard Nicolas’s voice and quickly lifted her gaze to meet his.
When Noelle saw Nicolas’s affectionate smile, she was a little taken aback. She had expected him to be upset, or even angry with her, but he was calm, as if nothing had changed at all.
“What’s wrong?” Nicolas asked with a smile, his tone soft as he looked at her.
As Noelle stood before him, lost in thought, her beautiful eyes fixed on him without blinking, Nicolas couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming urge to reach out and gently pinch her soft little face. However, just as he raised his hand, he thought of Noelle’s resistance just now.
He was uncertain about the kind of relationship he was permitted to have with her. He didn’t want to push her into a difficult spot, nor did he want to see that flustered look on her face again. So, he reluctantly lowered his hand, which had instinctively risen, and clenched his fists tightly instead.
“Aren’t you angry that I pushed you away just now?” Noelle stared at Nicolas and asked. She was a bit upset. Still, when it came to Nicolas, she couldn’t help but view things from his perspective.
At that moment, she couldn’t help but think that if she had been the one to try and kiss Nick, only to be sullenly pushed away by him, she would have been furious.
“Why would I be angry?” Nicolas’s heart ached with a touch of bitterness, but his expression remained calm in front of Noelle. Although his heart was filled with bitterness, Nicolas was still very calm in front of Noelle.
He smiled softly, his voice gentle as he said, “Elly babe, you pushed me away. I must’ve done something to upset you. Honestly, I was too forward earlier. We just met, and I came at you so suddenly. I didn’t scare you, did I?”
Seeing the slightly apologetic expression on Nicolas’s face, Noelle suddenly felt a wave of guilt wash over her as if something heavy was pressing down on her chest. She quickly shook her head and said, “No, Nick, you didn’t do anything wrong!”
If it were her, she would want to kiss him, too. But… Brandon had explicitly told her not to kiss Nick.
Noelle desperately wanted to explain, to make Nicolas understand, yet she knew she couldn’t reveal anything about the laboratory or Brandon.
With a heavy heart, she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue. The unspoken explanation tasted bitter in her throat.
She shook her head with a sigh, her voice soft and defeated. “No, nothing.” Noelle lowered her gaze, her lips parted as if she wanted to say…
Chapter 171
…something more, but the words faltered, caught somewhere between her heart and her mouth.
Nicolas watched Noelle in silence, his gaze dark and filled with an ache he couldn’t quite conceal. There was a loneliness in his eyes. But as if to mask the pain, the corners of his lips lifted in a soft, almost imperceptible smile. His handsome face quickly morphed into a perfect mask once again, hiding the emotions beneath. With a charming smile, he smoothly shifted the…