Chapter 47: Nicolass's kiss was feather-light, a tender gesture that carried the weight of reverence, as if he were handling a priceless artifact. This gentle exploration was a sensation Noelle had never experienced before. Her wide, expressive eyes reflected Nicolass's strikingly handsome features, and she asked curiously, "Nick, is this what kissing feels like? Could you stop being so gentle? It's ticklish, like I just ate Sichuan pepper."
"Shut up," Nicolas muttered, his composure cracking. Leave it to Noelle to obliterate any semblance of romantic atmosphere with her straightforward observations. Not wanting to risk her saying something even more outrageous, Nicolas leaned in again, effectively silencing her with another kiss.
When they finally pulled apart, their breaths lingered, mingling softly between them. Noelle's lips, now slightly swollen and glistening, looked even more enticing, while her pale cheeks carried a faint blush that gave her a cherubic glow. "Did you learn anything?" Nicolass's deep voice carried a teasing lilt, his thumb brushing over her lips in a slow, deliberate motion that made her shiver.
It was Noelle's first time experiencing something like this, and her heart was racing. Noelle caught his hand mid-motion, her bright eyes brimming with excitement. "Nick, this is the first time anyone's kissed me like this."
"Hmm… that much was obvious," Nicolas replied, smirking at her inexperience.
Noelle pouted slightly, her expression both frustrated and eager. "But I'm not sure I've got the hang of it. Nick, can I try again? Just to practice?"
Nicolass's sharp blue eyes flashed with amusement as he chuckled softly. "Not a chance. Today's lesson is over."
"Why?" The disappointment in her voice was palpable, her pout deepening. After all, Noelle was very smart. She could learn anything just by watching it once, but this time, she wasn't sure.
He glanced toward the office door, where his ever-discreet secretary, Bryan, stood awkwardly, trying to blend into the background. Nicolas gently pinched Noelle's cheek, pretending to be serious as he said, "Do you even know what shame is? Bryan's standing right there. Aren't you embarrassed? He definitely is."
Bryan, stoic as ever, silently cursed his boss: Nicolas, you're using me as a scapegoat, aren't you?
"Well, if he's embarrassed, he should leave," Noelle said matter-of-factly, sparing Bryan a brief, accusatory glance as if he were a glaring third wheel. Bryan's expression didn't flinch, though inwardly he sighed. "Miss Anderson, I promise, I'm the innocent party here."
The moment already ruined, Nicolas shrugged nonchalantly. "I'm not in the mood anymore."
Noelle huffed, her lower lip jutting out in a dramatic sulk.
"Alright, alright," Nicolas said, his tone softening as he pulled her closer. "Didn't you—" Her interest piqued again, and Noelle nodded eagerly. "Yes, I do! You want to hear why I don't get along with my family!"
Did Nicolas still consider Noelle as an outsider? He felt no need to hide the sordid details of the Sawyer family's inner workings. If anything, he wanted her to know exactly what she might face should she ever encounter his relatives.
"The current head of the Sawyer family, Braiden Sawyer, had four children: the eldest son, Marshall; the second son, Luciano; Nicolas, the third; and the youngest, a daughter named Shannon."
Noelle paused, a little puzzled by what she just heard. She looked up at Nicolas and asked, "Nick, so you have a sister? That's quite a busload of siblings."
Nicolas chuckled and gently pinched her earlobe, speaking in his usual unhurried tone, "Let me finish. Among the four children, Nicolas was the only one who wasn't the biological child of Marissa, the current matriarch of the Sawyer family. Of course, Nicolas wasn't some illegitimate child either. On paper, he was a legitimate heir with full inheritance rights. The complexity of this situation stemmed from the very beginning. Marissa was Braiden's first wife and the mother of his two sons, Marshall and Luciano."
Later, Marissa was presumed dead in a car accident. Braiden then married Amelie, Nicolass's biological mother, and together they had Nicolas, their third child. However, Amelie didn't have a happy life after marrying Braiden. Despite being his wife and the person whose financial support helped revive the Sawyer Group, Braiden remained distant and indifferent toward her. He clearly favored the two sons of his late wife Marissa and treated baby Nicolas as if he didn't exist. Amelie, who had severed ties with her own family to marry Braiden, suffered in silence, often crying herself to sleep while holding her child.
But as if fate were playing a cruel joke, Marissa, who had been declared dead, returned alive. Not only did she return, but rumors began circulating in the Sawyer family that Amelie had orchestrated the car accident to get rid of Marissa and marry Braiden. Many openly or covertly labeled Amelie as a shameless homewrecker who had usurped the rightful wife's place. With the entire Sawyer family standing by Marissa and without any support from her own family, Amelie was left isolated. Every day, she had to endure the sight of her husband rekindling his love with his first wife while being treated as if she didn't exist. Such a life would break any woman.
When Nicolas was five, Amelie passed away from severe depression. Braiden, showing no regard for appearances, remarried Marissa just days after Amelie's funeral. Marissa returned to the Sawyer family as its matriarch, visibly pregnant. This made it clear that she and Braiden had already resumed their relationship before Amelie's death.
Marissa gave birth to a daughter, Shannon. The three children from the "rightful" side got along well, but Nicolas was always the outlier. At one point, there was even a rumor that Nicolas wasn't Braiden's biological son, but rather the product of Amelie's infidelity. Braiden didn't bother to deny it and even considered removing Nicolas from the Sawyer family registry altogether. It wasn't until Amelie's lawyer presented her will, which included 30% of the Sawyer family's shares, that Nicolas was allowed to stay. That will not only secured Nicolass's position but also forced Braiden to keep up his façade as a kind and just patriarch.
At the time, Nicolas was too young to investigate the truth behind many questions. For instance, why had Marissa, who had been officially declared dead, suddenly returned alive? Why did rumors about Amelie plotting against Marissa emerge as soon as Marissa returned? And most importantly, was the entire situation a carefully orchestrated scheme? Did Braiden marry Amelie for love, or was it for the shares she brought from her family? As time passed, these questions faded into obscurity.
When Noelle finished listening to the story, she remained calm, her eyes glimmering faintly. Then she said with absolute certainty, "Nick, your dad's a piece of garbage, isn't he? Your mom was literally driven to death by him and Marissa's family!"
"You can't say that," Nicolas said with a faint smile, pinching her cheek lightly. His voice was cold, laced with a hint of sarcasm. "Everyone now sees your future father-in-law as a model husband who refused to abandon his first wife, while your poor, deceased mother-in-law is painted as a vicious and shameless mistress who tried to murder the original wife, only for divine intervention to save her from the flames?"
"No, no, this is all a scam!" Noelle puffed up her cheeks. "They tricked her into marriage. Once they got the funds and revived the company, they tossed her aside like trash. They even tried to get rid of you," she said. "What divine intervention! This was a setup! They wanted your mom's money, so Nick! Your dad's no good; you need to watch your back."
As she spoke, Noelle suddenly recalled the assassin they had encountered at Mount Dragoon. The memory struck her like lightning. Her eyes gleamed, and she turned to Nicolas. "Nick, do you remember the assassin at Mount Dragoon? I bet it was your dad who sent him. They're after your 30% shares!"