Mr. CEO's Substitute Bride-Chapter 1052 - 1048: Planned to Marry Her When She Grew Up

Even though she really wanted to drink, Beatrice Hargrave shook her head with a look of disdain and said, "No."

"Try it. In the entertainment industry, not being able to drink is a disadvantage." Nicholas Croft continued to coax her, bringing the wine glass to Beatrice’s face.

"Really?" Beatrice pretended to be puzzled as she glanced at the red liquid in front of her.

"Of course,"

Nicholas raised an eyebrow, with a trace of a smile in his eyes, took a sip from the wine glass as he closely watched Beatrice’s reaction. After a pause, under Beatrice’s gaze, he slowly poured the dark red liquid into his mouth...

Watching Nicholas place the now-empty wine glass on the coffee table, Beatrice sighed softly, resting her hands on both sides of her body, her small feet swinging idly.

Looking at the slippers adorned with Angry Birds on her feet, once her favorite, she felt nothing special about this "long-lost reunion" now.

Seeing Beatrice’s disappointment, Nicholas once again picked up the bottle and poured more wine. He elegantly swirled the glass in his hand, leaned back on the sofa, looked at her cold little face, and said with a teasing smile, "Bea, do you want to try it?"

Beatrice turned her eyes, still supporting herself on the sofa, glanced at the wine glass in Nicholas’s hand, and shook her head again.

"No, it must be really strong."

"What, you haven’t tried it abroad?" Nicholas raised an eyebrow, finding it hard to believe that a child raised abroad hadn’t come across wine.

Upon mention of abroad, Beatrice lowered her eyes, her thick lashes covering the emotions in her eyes, "No, I’m very careful."

What Beatrice said was true. Living as a girl in an unfamiliar environment, having learned a lesson at home, she never stepped foot inside a nightclub during her three years abroad.

Noticing the sadness in Beatrice’s voice, something in Nicholas’s heart was struck. It had been three years, and he didn’t know where his Lara was now, whether she was sent elsewhere for a long sentence or...

Taking a deep breath unintentionally, Nicholas scooted closer to Beatrice, his long arm wrapped around her shoulder, prompting Beatrice to instinctively turn and look at him.

When their eyes met, Nicholas said, "Bea, let uncle take care of you, alright?"

"But what about my sister?" Beatrice murmured, wanting to understand his intentions before reclaiming Uncle.

"Bea, I’ve told you, there’s nothing between Hannah Hargrave and me," Nicholas sighed helplessly.

"But the media keeps saying you’re together, and you haven’t clarified it."

When Beatrice brought up the issue, Nicholas’s expression turned serious, his dark eyes reflecting solemnity. "Bea, if I told you that I didn’t clarify my relationship with Hannah Hargrave due to selfish reasons, would you think I’m selfish?"

"Why?" Beatrice furrowed her brow in confusion, unable to understand the connection between failing to clarify and selfishness.

With sincerity, Nicholas said, "Do you know why uncle takes care of you like this?"

Beatrice instinctively shook her head.

"Because..." Staring into Beatrice’s clear eyes, despite the harshness of the truth, Nicholas spoke, "because uncle once dated a young girlfriend."

"The one who looks like me?" Beatrice interjected, and Nicholas nodded. "Yes, uncle loved her dearly, but she was too young back then. Uncle planned to wait for her to grow up a bit before marrying her, but..."

At this point, Nicholas paused, his furrowed brow reflecting his pain.