“My room?”
“Yes, like my room.”
She was surprised by his words but didn’t say anything. The thought of this room being hers made her more suspicious. “You sure?”
“Yes, I’m sure,” she quickly replied, not wanting to accept the idea of staying in the room with him, alone.
“Okay then, if this is what you want, cool by me.”
“If you need anything, don’t hesitate to let me know,” he said, making to leave, but she stopped him.
“My clothes, where are my clothes?” she asked, and he gulped nervously, suddenly remembering what he had done.
They were staying in the suite when Christian noticed Mrs. Bree carrying an old bag filled with some things. She was holding it alongside them.
“What’s that?” he asked.
“Mrs. Clarisse’s belongings.”
“My wife’s belongings?” Christian eyed the bag once more, unsure if he had heard correctly. He took the bag from her, opened it, and pulled out the clothes inside. They were old and shabby. “Is this all?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Leave,” he dismissed Bree without returning the bag.
He dialed a contact on his phone.
“Good afternoon, sir.”
“I need the best dresses, the latest collections, for my wife.”
(End of flashback)
“Why don’t you go shower? I’ll have one of the maids bring the dresses,” he suggested.
“Okay, thank you so much,” she said, grateful, and headed into the bathroom.
A few minutes later, Clarisse stepped out of the bathroom, dripping wet, wrapped in a white towel. The water had been refreshing, and she had enjoyed her bath.
“Ah!” she gasped, startled to see a figure sitting like royalty on the chair in the corner of the room, not far from the bed. It was Christian. She had expected him to be gone by now, but the door had opened and closed, so she assumed he had left.
She instinctively covered her chest with her hand.
‘What a pervert! What’s he still doing here?’ she thought, glaring at him.
“What… what are you doing here?”
“I had to wait,” he replied calmly.
“Huh?”
“To get your opinion on this,” he said, pointing at the clothes on the bed. That’s when Clarisse noticed the different dresses scattered on the bed, each in a variety of colors.
“Check them out. See if there’s one you like.”
She looked at the dresses and then back at him. “These aren’t my clothes.”
“I know.”
“You promised to return my clothes,” she said, her stress evident. She didn’t want to be indebted to him or receive any more attention from him.
“I did?” he replied, clearly not remembering.
“Are you going back on your word?”
“I’m a man of my word, Ari. I said I’d return them to you, I didn’t promise a specific time.”
“So where are they?”
“I’ll give them to you, but not right now.”
“Why?”
He sat down properly, his words momentarily stuck as he observed her, standing before him, her wet body glistening. The water dripping from her hair traced down to the middle of her chest, causing him to swallow hard.
“There are things that might be precious enough that we can’t let go of, but we need to accept them as memories later on.”
“That’s for me to decide.”
“Sure. And that’s why I’m preserving them for you as closet memories.”
“What?!”
“Go pick a dress, baby girl,” he said, looking away, unable to keep his eyes on her any longer-she was too tempting.
“I’m not picking anything or wearing anything until you give me my clothes.”
“Are you sure about that?” he asked, his gaze drifting slowly from her thigh to her chest, then up to her eyes, seductive and unwavering.
His stare felt like it was peeling the towel from her body, making her skin crawl with discomfort. The last thing she wanted was him looking at her like that, so she had no choice but to hurry and pick a dress, gritting her teeth in frustration.
“Aren’t you going to leave? I want to dress.”
He raised his hands in surrender and walked out of the room. The moment he closed the door behind him, he smirked in victory. Inside, Clarisse was left fuming, gritting her teeth. “I hate him,” she muttered to herself.
Clarisse strangely felt her heart melt, yet heavy at the same time. She smiled with teary eyes as she stared at herself in the mirror. She looked so beautiful in the new dress. She hadn’t imagined it would fit her this way, nor did she ever think she’d end up wearing a new dress. It wasn’t oversized, it wasn’t dirty or shabby; it was beautiful, well-fitted, and she couldn’t help but like and admire it.
There was a time she had desperately wished for one-a time she thought she’d be a Cinderella, waiting for a prince to come, wishing for a new dress and shoes for her sore feet. But those hopes vanished, those wishes becoming unreachable dreams. Yet, here she was again, standing in front of the mirror, feeling it all come to life. It felt so different this time, so unreal, that she couldn’t trust it. Not even the moment she put it on.
What pain would come if I wait for the inevitable? What heartache would follow if I await the inevitable harsh words? There’s no betrayal if there’s no trust, no disappointment if there are no expectations, she thought to herself. But at the same time, she was scared-scared that she would get swayed, scared that she would fall for the moment. But she made up her mind. Even if it ends as it always does, she would appreciate the moment.
She whispered this to herself, rubbing the fabric of the beautiful dress against her skin.
Bree B. knocked gently on the door. She knew Christian would be busy in the study, but she couldn’t wait to tell him what she needed.
“Come in,” his deep, vibrant voice called, and she stepped inside.
She bowed slightly in front of him.
“What is it?” he asked.
“I came regarding what we discussed earlier, sir, about my leave.”
“Ah,” he leaned back in his chair. “That’s right. When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow, sir.”
“And about the new person?”
“He’s ready, sir,” she said, gesturing to the new man who entered. He seemed to be in his mid-fifties, and he bowed before Christian.
Christian smiled. “Are you stalking me, old man?” he asked, scoffing, while Bree B. gave the man a questioning look.
She silently asked, Do you know each other? The man just smiled.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.