Chapter 563 Jacob: Nicole, I Don't Want to Make Things Difficult for You
Late that night, Nicole and Theron returned to their hotel.
As the engine died, Theron glanced at Nicole, who sat clutching an elegant shopping bag, lost in thought.
He knew she had encountered Jacob today.
Theron reached for the bag with feigned curiosity. "Let me see what shirts you bought for me."
Inside were two shirts—one charcoal gray, one black, both in sophisticated, understated colors.
He studied them for a long moment before asking softly, "Do you like me in these colors?"
Nicole snapped back to the present and gently touched the fabric. "These colors suit you perfectly," she said warmly. "I noticed you didn't have many in your closet, so I thought I'd pick some up."
Theron smiled. "I love them. Thank you."
He opened the car door as if to get out, but Nicole caught his sleeve.
"Why do you want to settle abroad? Is it because of me?" she asked quietly.
Theron looked at her—the way she anxiously gripped his shirt sleeve revealed her vulnerability beneath the strength others saw. She still cared deeply about the Windsor family and Jacob.
Ten years ago, Theron might not have been able to accept this, but now he could. He understood and felt for her completely.
Jacob wasn't just her former lover—he was family, a brother without blood ties. That's why Theron had chosen to settle abroad. Once they both had families and children, the past would fade with time and new life.
Theron gently touched her face, his gaze tender. "That's part of it. But if you ever want to return to Evergreen City, we can come back anytime."
Nicole nodded, and Theron grinned playfully. "Now can you let me out? I'm dying to try on those new shirts you bought me."
Nicole's cheeks flushed as she released his sleeve. They stepped out into the quiet hotel night, Nicole wrapped in Theron's navy coat. He stopped to take her hand, drawing her close to his side.
Nicole's heart melted. Every day with Theron might be ordinary, but each one was warm and comfortable. She found herself remembering Sarah's words from years ago—that she and Jacob had started too young.
That year, she had been nineteen and Jacob twenty. But at twenty-seven, she had met Theron. She couldn't measure the depths of her feelings for either man, but sometimes love wasn't about who came first—it was about the right person appearing at the right time.
Under the pale moonlight, their shadows stretched long across the pavement.
Saturday brought a dinner meeting between the Windsors and the Voss family to discuss the young couple's wedding plans.
Both families gathered in full attendance, with Jacob bringing his girlfriend along. Serafina's presence noticeably eased the atmosphere as Oliver and Donny found common ground in their conversation.
"I had no idea Mr. Windsor was so knowledgeable about antiques," Delphine remarked with pleasant surprise.
Oliver glanced at Sarah with a smile. "Nicole's mother is the collector."
Delphine immediately chimed in, "How wonderful that Nicole's parents share such a loving marriage! Theron, you'd better not spend all your time studying stocks—you should develop interests that align with Nicole's. That's how couples maintain connection."
Theron simply smiled without responding, though it was clear their marriage needed no such artificial cultivation of shared hobbies.
Jacob sat formally dressed, quietly observing the perfect couple. He knew there was no changing what had been set in motion—even Ondine's appearance couldn't shake their bond. He had given up hope, but some words still burned in his chest, demanding to be spoken. Perhaps it was his final act of defiance.
When Nicole excused herself to the restroom, she stood at the golden faucet washing her hands, water cascading over her delicate wrists. As she turned off the tap and looked up to check her appearance in the mirror, her gaze froze.
Jacob's reflection appeared behind her, leaning against the doorframe with that familiar quiet intensity. She hadn't heard him enter.
"Congratulations on your engagement to Theron," he said softly.
Nicole and Theron's wedding was set for Christmas, and soon after they would fly to Sovelan to begin their new life.
Nicole murmured her thanks.
Jacob continued, his eyes locked on hers through the mirror. "Serafina and I are getting married too—just before Christmas. As the eldest Windsor son, it's only proper that I marry first."
Nicole didn't look away, meeting his gaze steadily.
For a long moment, congratulations were all she could offer. What else could she say? Should she expose his pitiful game, call out his desperate competition, reveal that he simply couldn't bear being the one left behind?
Tears gathered in Nicole's eyes. After six years, neither of them could remain unmoved.
Jacob stared at those unshed tears, and for one wild moment he felt the urge to claim she still loved him, to steal her back. But reason prevailed, crushing the impulse before it could take root.
"I don't want to make things difficult for you," he said, his voice rough. "Once we're both married, everything will be settled. Our past can be buried for good. You won't have to avoid coming home anymore, Nicole. If you want to stay in Evergreen City, then stay."
Nicole's nose stung with emotion as she whispered his name like a prayer: "Jacob."
Jacob nearly shattered at the sound. His handsome features contorted as he fumbled for a cigarette with trembling hands, unable to light it. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard.
"Do you remember Vesper City?" His voice cracked. "I went there recently—went up to the third floor and pulled back the canvas. Your portrait of me was still there. Nicole, why couldn't you wait a little longer? Why couldn't you wait until I wasn't so consumed with work? Why wouldn't you believe that—"
He stopped himself. It was futile. They both knew that chapter had closed long ago, that there was no going back. But these words had festered in his heart, demanding release—he needed to tell her, to let her walk toward another man without regret.
Yes, he wouldn't make things difficult for her. He had loved her deeply, had hated her just as fiercely, but in the end, he still wanted her happiness. He wanted her never to shed another tear over a man, to always have family to depend on.
The past was always painful to revisit.
Nicole understood his meaning—this wasn't about making things difficult. This was goodbye. They each belonged to someone else now. From this moment forward, they would truly be strangers.
Just as Nicole opened her mouth to respond, footsteps echoed in the doorway. Serafina's slender figure appeared, and upon seeing Jacob's expression and Nicole's tears, she wished she could simply vanish.
Because the look on Jacob's face was one of soul-deep longing that cut straight to the bone.
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