Prosperous Marriage: Married to My Brother-in-law

Nicholas seemed to have brushed off Glades Horne's retaliation, as if he'd tossed it beyond the clouds.

Julia Bluen had ignored Diana Powell, so Diana turned with a smile to greet the young woman beside Julia. "Miss White, you look truly beautiful tonight." Her tone was fawning from the start, clearly indicating Miss White's extraordinary status.

Miss White smiled and replied, "Thank you."

"Miss White, how about we go sit over there and talk?" Diana Powell suggested obsequiously.

Miss White glanced at Julia Bluen and politely declined Diana Powell's invitation. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Coldwell, but I'd like to spend more time with Julia. As you said, it's rare to see her at a Wine Party like this." With that single sentence, she underscored Julia Bluen's distinguished standing—a status Diana Powell couldn't hope to match, which made Diana inwardly fume.

This Miss White was, after all, the daughter of a high-ranking official. Her parents, elder brothers, uncles, aunts, and sisters-in-law were all prominent government or military figures. She was a young lady from a powerful family, giving people ample reason to curry favor with her.

Everyone Julia Bluen knew well possessed an enviable status, each one far beyond Diana Powell's reach.

At this moment, Nicholas was regretting his past actions so intensely it felt as if his insides were turning green.

"Julia, let's go sit over there, have something to eat, and chat," Miss White said warmly to Julia Bluen, then affectionately took Julia's hand. She led her to a nearby sofa, leaving Diana Powell standing there, ignored. Miss White hadn't even acknowledged Nicholas from beginning to end.

"Damn Julia Bluen!" Diana Powell cursed quietly, her voice filled with resentment. Turning her head, she saw Nicholas staring, transfixed, at Julia's retreating figure. A surge of anger rose in her chest, and she forcefully pinched the back of Nicholas's hand. Nicholas winced, snapping back to his senses. "Diana?" he murmured.

"What are you staring at? Do you want to glue yourself to her?" Diana hissed through clenched teeth, her words laced with acidity. "Nicholas, she's the second daughter of the Bluen Family consortium, high and mighty! You're just an employee; you can't possibly aspire to her, especially since... you abandoned her!"

Julia's elegance and Nicholas's obvious captivation with her were like a double-edged sword, ruthlessly stabbing at Diana's pride. Even though she had lured Nicholas away from Julia with her wealth, Diana still hated her. Deep down, she knew Nicholas's declarations of love were just words, not from his heart. But she was madly in love with him and endured it. As long as Nicholas belonged to her, she considered herself Julia's victor. So what if she was the Second Miss Bluen? Wasn't she still abandoned by her man? Wasn't she still Diana Powell's defeated rival? What good was her tall, stunning beauty? Diana, with her own ordinary features, had still managed to ensnare the handsome Nicholas.

"Diana, let's go get something to eat too. Don't let those people upset you," Nicholas quickly cooed, his arm snaking around her waist, pulling her close as they walked. He kept up a stream of placating words to soothe her.

The sight of him acting like such a subservient husband struck Julia as the most fitting retribution.

While Diana was distracted, Nicholas couldn't stop himself from stealing glances at Julia Bluen in the crowd. Seeing so many men's eyes on her, he felt a sudden, violent urge to gouge them out. He desperately wanted to pull Julia into his arms, to keep her beauty all to himself.

However, Nicholas hadn't forgotten that the attendees of this Wine Party were people he normally wouldn't have the chance to meet. Even while surreptitiously watching Julia, he was also busy networking with other company CEOs, trying to solicit business for Cosmos. Leveraging his status as the son-in-law of the Cosmos Group, people generally showed him some courtesy and didn't give him the cold shoulder, engaging him in a few strained pleasantries.

Diana, meanwhile, was constantly showing him off to the other society ladies, boasting about his handsome looks and capabilities.

By the time the Wine Party was halfway through, Nicholas had consumed a fair bit of alcohol and was slightly tipsy.

Gazing at Julia through his drunken haze, she appeared even more breathtakingly beautiful, almost too sacred to approach. Regret washed over him like a relentless tide, threatening to drown him. His heart felt as if it were being devoured by a thousand ants; the pain was excruciating. He longed to be near her again, to stand by her side once more. With his talent and looks, he was her match. Being with Diana felt like a beautiful flower planted in cow dung. But Diana always clung tightly to his arm, giving him no opportunity to get near Julia. Desperate for a chance to approach Julia, he continuously urged Diana to drink, hoping to get her drunk—or at least drunk enough that she'd need the Restroom. The moment Diana was out of sight, he could go to Julia.

With this plan in mind, Nicholas exploited Diana's affection for him, whispering sweet nothings to her with tender devotion. Soon enough, Diana mentioned needing the Restroom. He could hardly contain his eagerness but managed to mask his delight, feigning concern as he walked her to the Restroom door. The instant Diana went inside, he spun around and made a beeline for Julia Bluen, who was some distance away.

Miss White, who had been sitting with Julia, ran into some acquaintances and left Julia by herself. When Nicholas approached, Julia was sitting alone on the sofa, a cocktail in hand from which she had only taken two small sips. She didn't dare drink more; she had low alcohol tolerance and got drunk easily.

She leaned back against the sofa, her almond-shaped eyes scanning the crowd. When she spotted Glades Horne not far off, her heart softened. Glades was encircled by several company heads, but his gaze would still cut across the room to find her every few minutes. Whenever their eyes met, she would return a look that conveyed, "You focus on your work; I'm fine."

The members of the Windsor Family were continuously making toasts with their guests. Though ostensibly a birthday Wine Party, it was so heavily permeated with a commercial atmosphere that it felt more like a business reception.

"Julia."

Suddenly, a voice she recognized—one she no longer wished to hear—sounded beside her. It was Nicholas.

She turned her head, gave the tall, handsome Nicholas Coldwell standing beside her a cool glance, then averted her eyes again, responding icily, "What is it?"

"Julia," Nicholas gazed at her intently, his eyes filled with a desperate, lingering affection. Seeing her so radiant tonight, his heart and his eyes were completely captivated by her. "Can we talk?" His voice was soft, as tender as it had been when they were still dating. Truthfully, during those three years, he had treated Julia quite well. If it weren't for his burning ambition and impatience for success, he would never have brought himself to abandon the Julia he genuinely loved.