Prosperous Marriage: Married to My Brother-in-law
Chapter 23 The Warmth of Flavor_1

Chapter 23: Chapter 23 The Warmth of Flavor_1

At 7:50 AM, Julia Bluen got off the bus and walked towards the Cosmos Group, which was just a three-minute walk from the highway.

The Cosmos Group, a lighting manufacturer, was referred to as a "group," but it was, in fact, a sizable company with over a thousand employees. The office building, production workshops, employee dormitories, and canteen were all clustered together.

A white Honda sedan suddenly stopped beside Julia Bluen.

"Julia!"

A deep, familiar voice called out.

Julia Bluen’s step faltered, her pretty face darkened, and her almond eyes instantly frosted over with coldness. Then, she continued to step forward.

"Julia!"

Nicholas Coldwell hurriedly got out of the car. Dressed in a black, tailored suit, he looked even more handsome than usual. He quickly walked around the car, calling Julia’s name while blocking her path.

Stopping, Julia Bluen looked up indifferently at Nicholas Coldwell, whose status had changed overnight. Usually, Nicholas would ride the bus to work just like her, albeit on a different route. Three days ago, however, he had married the CEO’s daughter, and today, he was impeccably dressed and driving a car.

She offered a tight-lipped smile, tinged with mockery. Without saying a word, she let Nicholas feel the sting of her estrangement. Her eyes were ice-cold as she asked indifferently, "Manager Coldwell, may I ask what instructions you have? You’ve just gotten married—today is the fourth day, isn’t it? Aren’t you and your wife out on your honeymoon?" She particularly emphasized the words "your wife."

"We’re leaving today, for Hawaii, on the ten o’clock flight. It’s still early. Julia, I’m sorry, I..." Nicholas’s words were cut short by Julia Bluen.

"Manager Coldwell, I’m sorry, but I’m in a hurry. I have to go," Julia Bluen said indifferently, her attitude extremely distant, yet a faint smile still lingered on her lips, not letting Nicholas detect any sign of sorrow.

In the presence of a faithless man, she had to hold her head high, chest out, smile at the betrayer, and show through her actions that without him, she was doing even better!

Passing by Nicholas Coldwell, Julia Bluen moved on.

A large hand quickly reached out, grabbing her wrist and halting her in place.

Nicholas Coldwell suddenly stood in front of her, his eyes bearing down on her like a hawk’s, his grip on her wrist tight as he asked in a low, somewhat angry tone, "Julia, tell me, is Chris Bluen your father?"

Three days ago, during his wedding, Glades Horne, the eldest son of the Horne Family, had suddenly appeared and seemed closely connected to her. He even claimed she was the second daughter of the Bluen consortium, the youngest daughter of Chris Bluen. Everyone knew that Chris Bluen had one son and two daughters, and he adored his youngest daughter the most. However, due to her low-profile demeanor, few knew the mysterious second Miss Bluen.

The shocking news brought by Glades Horne had left him in a daze for the last three days, unable to savor any joy from his new marriage.

If Julia Bluen really was Chris Bluen’s youngest daughter, why had she hidden it from him? If not, what was her relationship with Glades Horne? Just the thought of any connection between Julia Bluen and Glades Horne was like a thorn in Nicholas’s heart, excruciatingly painful.

Towards Julia Bluen, he couldn’t claim to have no feelings at all.

It’s just... sometimes, to a man, feelings can’t outweigh the importance of a career.

"Does it matter?" Julia Bluen freed her wrist from his grasp with cold force, struggling to control her urge to lash out violently—her hand was itching to give Nicholas a hard slap on seeing him again. She was born into wealth, had seen plenty of men’s heartlessness, and hated heartless men the most. That’s why she had concealed her identity, hoping to find a reliable man who loved her for her, not her background. Yet who would have known...

Actually, she sought a boyfriend for true love, not to flaunt whose daughter she was. She was stubborn and didn’t want to live under the halo of her parents’ accomplishments. Was that so wrong?

Shaking her head, Julia Bluen reminded herself that none of this mattered anymore. The past belonged to memory. Now, her identity wasn’t merely that of the Bluen Family’s second daughter; she was also soon to be Mrs. Glades Horne. She had promised Glades to slowly accept reality, learn to adapt, and face the life that lay ahead.

"Of course it’s important. If I had known..." Nicholas’s words, initially blurted out, grew quieter under Julia Bluen’s cold, mocking gaze, until they faded away completely.

"Nicholas Coldwell, what I wanted was a man who wasn’t attracted to my background or my family’s wealth, who loved me for myself. I wanted a pure, unblemished love, free from any impurity. I thought I had found it, but who knew..." Julia paused, then swiftly changed tack. "Sorry, it’s time for work. The Chief Financial Officer should be in the office by now. I need to resign, so I won’t keep Manager Coldwell talking." With that, she turned and left once again, leaving Nicholas to stare at her beautiful yet distant retreating form.

Anything he said now would be superfluous.

She remembered a story from a popular magazine she had read in her youth. It told of a rich young master who concealed his identity to work as a laborer in a factory, where he fell in love with a pure girl who also loved him deeply. They were very much in love. However, the girl eventually couldn’t resist the lure of money and became the mistress of a wealthy man.

The betrayal of his love caused the young man great pain. He left the factory and returned to his family. After much turmoil, it turned out the girl had become his father’s mistress and was later abandoned by him. When she learned of his true identity, she was filled with regret. The rich young master told her that if she had only endured poverty with him a little longer, he would have given her a life fit for a queen, but alas...

That story now perfectly mirrored her reality with Nicholas Coldwell.

With a self-mocking smile, Julia Bluen now understood just how bitter the feelings of that rich young master must have been.

It wasn’t until Julia Bluen’s figure had vanished that Nicholas Coldwell came back to his senses. He hurriedly jumped into his car and drove off towards the office building.

He didn’t know what rushing into the company would prevent or what he could salvage; he was just acting on instinct, following his heart.

「Before long」

Julia Bluen, carrying the few personal belongings she had, walked out of the Cosmos Group, leaving the company where she had worked for more than three years. In another week, she would marry Glades Horne. As of today, she had completely and utterly severed all ties with her past and with Nicholas Coldwell.