Chapter 9

The hand around her neck was firm but not forceful, just enough to prevent her from breaking free without causing her pain. Nicole rested her fingers on Jacob's hand. She narrowed her eyes lazily. "Right back at you." "You!" Jacob's grip tightened, leaving visible red marks on her neck. "We're not the same…" Suddenly, there was someone knocking at the door. The butler said, "Mr. Blake, Mrs. Blake. Mr. Blake Senior asked the two of you to come down for lunch. You can continue your discussion after the meal. It's best not to keep the rest waiting." Jacob didn't respond. The two of them continued to confront each other in silence. After a few seconds, the butler spoke again. "Mr. Blake?" "I got it!" Jacob answered irritably. "Ten minutes. We'll be down in ten minutes." It was only after hearing the butler leaving that Jacob released his grip from Nicole's neck and stood upright. In an instant, his eyes were cold and indifferent again. He buttoned up his sleeves, which had been torn apart. He exuded a cold demeanor that could keep others away from him. It was as if he was someone else earlier. Nicole sat up. She smoothed her skirt as she slid off the desk. She looked up at Jacob as she tried to stay steady on her feet. "What's different?" She slowly straightened up. Her voice filled with mockery, "Are you so special that when you cheat, it's considered a blessing to women?" Since they entered the study, Jacob had not gained the upper hand in their argument. He finally came to realize that this seemingly innocent wife of his—or rather, his soon-to-be ex-wife—had likely been acting dumb all along for the past three years. He adjusted his collar and let out a cold laugh. "Whatever. I'm not interested in your love life." Jacob quickly glanced at Nicole before shifting his gaze forward. "We're getting divorced at the courthouse next week. Don't you pull any tricks." With that, he strode out of the study without looking at Nicole. Nicole shrugged. She wasn't bothered by the fact that Jacob needed to assert himself about the divorce. It didn't matter to her. She had been listening to his statements for three years. If she could make money off this situation, it would be all the better. She left the room a step behind him and saw him standing at the stairs. He frowned as he was replying to a message on his phone. Nicole had no interest in prying into his private affairs, but she couldn't help catching a glimpse of his text as she passed by. "Mr. Blake, should we arrange a meeting with that contact?" Jacob was still typing his reply, and she could barely make out the complete sentence. "There's no need, locate…" Sensing her glance, Jacob looked up and shot her a warning look. Nicole rolled her eyes before walking down the stairs ahead of him. She had no interest in his dating life. When she went down, the dining table was already filled. There were two adjacent seats left open for them. One was next to Sarah, the other at the corner of the table. The arrangement was obvious. Sarah tried to conceal her annoyance when she saw Jacob and Nicole coming down together. She forced a sweet smile and turned to Jacob. "Jacob, why are you so late? Everyone's been waiting for you!" She pouted and leaned toward the empty seat beside her, clearly ready to snuggle up to him the moment he sat down. However, to her dismay, Nicole sat in the seat next to her. As she took her seat, Nicole politely turned to Sarah and said, "Could you move your hand? You're in my seat." Sarah froze. The sweet smile on her face vanished, and anger surged within her. Yet, she couldn't openly vent her fury because of the occasion. She could only clench her teeth and force a smile. "Ms. Barnes, are you sure you're not mistaken? Your seat is at the other table. This is Jacob's seat." Nicole's expression remained as she casually dismissed the comment. "Why? Is his name written on it, or does the chair have DNA that's similar to his?" Sarah was left speechless and fuming. Her face turned red with frustration. She glanced at Jacob for help, but he remained indifferent. His attention was entirely on Nicole. It was Anson across the table who couldn't stand it any longer and decided to intervene. "Nicole, don't you understand the rules? Jacob is your husband and a man of this family. How can you let him sit in the corner?" "Don't you know that the corner seat is always for the youngest and least important member of the family?" Nicole pointed to the little boy sitting next to Kellie. "Isn't he the youngest? Why isn't he sitting in the corner?" Tom Cyrus was about five or six years old. He was Kellie's son from a ridiculous marriage abroad. After the divorce, he followed Kellie back and was pampered by Emily into a little bully. Hearing this, Tom shouted angrily at Nicole, "I won't sit there! That's for outsiders like you! I'm the eldest grandson. All the wealth will be mine someday… Hmph! Kellie quickly covered his mouth. She panicked as she glanced around at everyone's expression. She explained hastily, "He's just a child. Don't take him seriously!" Seeing the situation escalate, Emily quickly redirected the conversation back to Nicole. She reprimanded her with a haughty tone, "Even if he's the youngest, he's still a member of the Blake family. Besides, he's just a child and needs someone to take care of him during meals. "Can't an adult like you sit in the corner? Shame on you!" Nicole found it amusing. "How young is he? He's six years old, and someone has to feed him? Why bring him out in the first place? You should breastfeed him at home instead!" Debbie slammed her spoon on the table. Her face darkened. "How dare you speak like this to me!' Nicole settled comfortably into her seat and leaned back. "Jacob, are we going to eat or not?"