Chapter 42: Chapter 42 Okay with my life
She didn’t much care for this feeling of a stranger intruding into her life, only for her mood to be swayed by him.
She finished her breakfast swiftly.
Alana set down her chopsticks and dabbed her mouth with a tissue.
"I’m full. I’ll be heading back now."
The man also set down his chopsticks. "I’ll see you off."
“No need, I..."
Alana instinctively tried to refuse, but the man’s tone and manner brooked no argument. "I’ll fetch the car."
Recalling how long she’d waited for a cab last time, Alana swallowed her refusal.
This time, she certainly didn’t want to be late for work and have her wages docked again.
*******
Once again, she found herself in Stephan’s car.
The man asked casually, "Where to?"
Alana gave him the company address.
Stephan glanced at her. "Not going home to change?"
Alana had wanted to go home to change, but if she made the trip, she’d certainly be unable to reach the office in time.
“I’m afraid of being late."
Stephan snorted in amusement.
She was quite the rule-abiding sort.
However, he didn’t take her straight to the office. Instead, they arrived at a shopping centre.
Alana was puzzled. "What are you bringing me to the shopping centre for?"
He replied, "To help you pick out some clothes."
Alana declined, "It’s unnecessary. I’m perfectly fine as I am."
Stephan retorted, "Well, you should have said so earlier if you wanted people to notice you hadn’t changed your clothes all night."
Alana choked on her words.
Right, she’d been bested by him once again.
She hadn’t changed all night, having exercised for most of the day. Not only did her clothes reek of sweat, but she’d also had a bit to drink that evening, leaving them smelling of fermented alcohol, even more unpleasant.
Even she couldn’t stand the smell on her own body.
Were it not for fear of attracting the attention of some beast who might take liberties with her, she would have stormed into his bathroom to scrub herself clean from head to toe.
Moreover, turning up at the office in yesterday’s clothes would certainly give people cause for speculation.
She recalled how rumours had spread like wildfire at work the very next day after she’d simply gone to a bar for a night shift...
Biting her lip, she conceded helplessly, "The clothes counters in shopping centres are rather pricey. I’ll just buy from some street vendors instead. Their clothes are cheap, a hundred dollars gets you two or three outfits."
He’d spent thousands on a single dress for her last time, and she still hadn’t repaid him.
Upon hearing she could buy two or three outfits for a hundred dollars, Stephan fought the urge to roll his eyes. He stepped straight out of the car and pulled the girl out.
“Come with me."
Alana stubbornly shook her head in refusal, shaking it like a rattle.
“No way! I refuse to shop at those overpriced department store boutiques!"
Stephan laughed in exasperation. He’d never met a girl so stingy.
“Shall I pay for it?"
At this, Alana immediately ceased her resistance.
If he was footing the bill, it seemed acceptable.
So she simply said, "Thank you."
*****
Stephan led Alana into a designer clothing boutique within the shopping centre.
She glanced around the boutique, which was filled with designer labels.
Each piece likely cost upwards of ten thousand dollars.
“Forget it, let’s find another place."
Not wishing to take undue advantage of the man, she turned to leave, only to have her wrist seized. Without a word, he led her inside by the hand.
Alana gazed at her hand, tightly clasped in his, and felt her cheeks flush involuntarily.
How could he... hold her hand so naturally?
As if they were a perfectly normal couple...
Alana tried to pull her hand free, but to no avail. She could only resign herself to it.
Stephan held the girl’s soft, delicate hand. Hmm, he found the sensation of their skin touching rather pleasurable.
“Just have a look around. Pick whichever one you like."
Alana spoke timidly, "Just find the cheapest one."
Stephan snorted with amusement. The cheapest?
What was she saying?
When buying clothes for a woman, there was no such thing as choosing the cheapest!
Stephan beckoned to the shop assistant.
“Bring out your most expensive dress."
Alana’s eyes dilated?
Did he face hearing problems?
She’d clearly said to pick the cheapest one.
Spotting a potential big spender, the shop assistant scurried over with a beaming smile.
“We’ve just received a new collection of dresses, all beautifully fresh and elegant styles that would perfectly suit your girlfriend’s taste. Shall I bring them all out for her to choose from?" Since Stephan was still holding Alana’s hand, the shop assistant naturally assumed they
were a couple.
Upon hearing the shop assistant refer to Alana as his girlfriend, Stephan couldn’t help but let a faint smile curve his lips.
This was the second time he’d been mistaken for her boyfriend.
The first time had been at the hospital.
The second time was here.
It seemed, not only did he not mind, but he felt a slight thrill.
Upon hearing this, Alana’s cheeks instantly flushed crimson.
Mistaken for boyfriend and girlfriend again.
She tried to pull her small hand free from his tight grip.
But unexpectedly, his grip tightened.
Stephan cast a glance at her, his eyes lingering on her alluringly flushed cheeks, and couldn’t help but find it amusing.
What’s the big deal about being mistaken for a couple?
What was there to be shy about?
Besides, just because it wasn’t true now didn’t mean it couldn’t be true later.
Having been misunderstood, Alana felt awkward explaining to the shop assistant.
She merely glared at him stubbornly. "Let go of me!"
Stephan spoke up, "I’ve bought you clothes. Now you won’t even let me hold your hand?"
“Then I don’t want the clothes!"
The girl turned fierce again.
Stephan chuckled softly, slowly releasing her hand.
Though he felt rather reluctant to let go.
He rather enjoyed the sensation of holding her hand.
The shop assistant moved swiftly, promptly fetching several new dresses.
Stephan glanced over the selection and chose a pink halterneck style for her.
“Go and try it on."
Alana hesitated before taking the dress.
Out of habit, whenever she went clothes shopping, her first instinct was to check the price tags to gauge how expensive the items were.
Upon seeing the price tag of over seventy thousand, her eyelid twitched.
Was this thing encrusted in gold or something, to be so bloody expensive?!
Biting her lip, Alana glanced at Stephan. "Over seventy thousand."
That was more than her annual salary.
At that price, he probably wouldn’t want to buy it for her.
It wasn’t too late to change her mind.
“Go and change it."
Seeing the girl holding the dress without moving.
Stephan spoke coolly, "Or would you prefer me to help you change into it myself?"
He deliberately emphasised the word ’personally’.
A touch of levity.
Alana couldn’t help but flush slightly, her heart pounding with unease.
“You... truly agree to cover the cost of this dress costing over seventy thousand dollars?"
She feared there might be a catch, that she might be foolishly taken advantage of without even realizing t.
Besides, she found it hard to believe the man before her was genuinely being so generous. There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world, is there?
He must have ulterior motives, scheming something else!
Stephan snorted with a smirk. "I’m not so shameless as to deceive a young girl fresh out of school."
Seeing the girl remained unmoved,
the man couldn’t resist taking her arm, intending to lead her to the fitting room.
Alana flushed instantly and sidestepped him. "No, I’ll change it myself..."
With that, she clutched the skirt and dashed decisively towards the fitting room.
Stephan watched Alana’s slender figure retreat in haste.
He thought to himself, as expected, with a certain slightly rebellious woman, a bit of coercion was necessary to make her behave properly.
Before long, Alana emerged wearing the dress.
The moment she emerged, a chorus of gasps of admiration filled the room. The pink dress truly suited her perfectly.
The halter neck design accentuated her slender neck and delicate collarbone. The delicate pink hue made her skin appear even fairer.
A delicate blush beneath her fair complexion, like a plump, juicy peach.
Mature and alluring.
Stephan could scarcely take his eyes off her, utterly captivated by her stunning beauty.
His taste in dresses was impeccable; each one he selected brought him a fresh visual delight when she wore it.
Unconsciously, he found himself staring at Alana for a long while.
His gaze grew deep and intense, fixated upon her like a predator eyeing its prey, utterly unapologetically aggressive.
Alana felt thoroughly uncomfortable under the man’s direct, unflinching gaze, as if she might be devoured whole at any moment.
Her fingers nervously twisted the hem of her skirt as she asked uncertainly, "Does it not suit me?"
“If it doesn’t suit me, I’ll go back to the changing room and swap it."
Before she could finish speaking, the man produced a black gold card and handed it to the shop assistant. "This one. Charge it."
The shop assistant, holding the black gold card reverently, took it away with a delighted smile to process the payment.
The transaction was completed so swiftly that even Alana hadn’t had time to react. Seventy thousand dollars swiped in an instant.
This man clearly wasn’t your average Joe when it came to money.
The dress was purchased.
Stephan promptly tossed her soiled clothes into the bin before taking her hand once more.
“Let’s go."
Alana glanced at the dirty clothes in the bin, muttering to herself.
There was no need to throw them away, they could be washed and worn again.
But before she could say anything, the man had already led her away.
They returned to the car.
She said politely, "Thank you, Mr Hudson, for your generous gift of the new dress."
Stephan shot her a glance. "How would you like to show your gratitude?"
She gritted her teeth, refusing to be drawn in.
“Just a simple ’thank you’. Nothing more."
The man’s thin lips twitched. "Those two words, ’thank you,’ are nothing but empty words to me."
What he desired went far beyond mere words.
Alana bit her lip, fully aware of what the man desired, yet she feigned ignorance and chose to remain silent.
Stephan gave her a long, lingering look, said nothing, and pressed the accelerator to drive away.
The car soon arrived at the entrance of Alana’s company.
She offered him another thank you before unbuckling her seatbelt to exit. Suddenly, her wrist was seized by the man.
He stared at her, his gaze intense.
His voice was low and rich with allure.
“Alana, about what I said before, think about it, about becoming my girlfriend.”
“Become mine, and clothes, dresses, handbags, you may buy whatever you please."
Stephan assumed Alana would succumb to the temptation and agree.
But he had underestimated her resilience.
She stated plainly, "I refuse. I’ve no interest in your trinkets. I can afford clothes, dresses, and handbags myself, it’s merely
a matter of price. To me, they’re merely garments to wear and bags to carry. I’m not fussy. When I can afford it, I buy myself something a bit pricier; when I can’t, I buy something cheaper. Either way, I’m okay with my life.”
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