Chapter 20 A One-of-a-Kind Apology Gift
Seeing the situation, Aaron stepped in front of them. "Forget about the price tag. The whole shopping fiasco is solely on the Abbott family. Consider the dress my treat, a gesture of apology for the ordeal," he stated firmly.
Hearing this, Aviana got excited and quickly handed the dress to Susanna, pushing her into the fitting room.
After a while, Susanna emerged wearing an off-shoulder champagne evening gown. The room was filled with expressions of awe and approval as everyone's faces lit up at the sight. Aviana praised Susanna's figure, affirming the dress suited her perfectly. Even Aaron, known for his usual reserve, appeared spellbound by the ensemble.
Before Susanna and Aviana could come to a conclusion, Aaron took charge, turning to the sales clerk and Elaine with a decisive nod, proclaiming, "This is the one."
Susanna always felt uneasy around Aaron. She was about to protest when Aviana cut in, "In that case, thank you, Mr. Abbott."
Susanna was displeased and was about to speak up when she felt Aviana's firm grip on her wrist and saw Aviana winking at her. Reluctantly, Susanna went back to the fitting room to change out of the dress with the help of the sales clerk. Once out, she didn't say anything more and just wanted to leave with Aviana as quickly as possible.
Aaron watched Susanna's departing figure thoughtfully. Elaine, who had been silent for a while, suddenly complained, "Aaron, why are you defending Susanna? I was so embarrassed today."
Aaron snapped back to reality, his tone icy. "If this happens again, you can forget about entering any Abbott family stores. I mean it."
"Aaron, how can you treat me like this? I have shares in the Abbott family too," Elaine retorted, indignant.
"Because I call the shots in the Abbott family now. You haven't contributed anything, and I won't tolerate you dragging us down. Also, the cost of that dress will be deducted from your dividends." With that, Aaron ignored Elaine's protests and left the store.
Elaine, seeing everyone had left, stomped her foot in frustration and immediately called Erica. "Erica, guess what? Susanna made it to the finals."
"Really?" Erica, who was busy working, paused and quickly checked Facebook for the finalists' list. Sure enough, Susanna's name was there. Her expression darkened. "I can't believe she got so lucky."
Making it to the finals of the H.F. International Design Competition was no small feat; it required real talent.
"Erica, Susanna came to the store to buy an evening gown. I wanted to teach her a lesson, but Aaron showed up and helped her. He even bought her the dress for the event," Elaine continued.
"What?" Erica's brows furrowed. She couldn't let Susanna shine in this competition, or Aaron might start paying more attention to her.
"Erica, what do we do now? Susanna's playing the long game, and Aaron's not as biased against her anymore."
"Don't fret, I've got it all under control." Erica ended the call, her eyes flashing with determination. She was resolute in her mission to keep Aaron by her side. This extraordinary man belonged with her, and she wouldn't let anyone sway him. Studying the list of finalists with a sly grin, she muttered under her breath, "Susanna, you're in for a real lesson."
As Susanna and Aviana exited the bustling mall, they strolled side by side, Aviana asked, "Susanna, what do you think of the Abbott Group's CEO?"
Susanna paused when she heard Aviana's question. "Aviana, why do you ask?"
"Oh, nothing. Just curious. Today, he made Ms. Elaine Abbott apologize to us to protect the customers. It seems like he has principles."
Susanna knew Aaron was always like that at work, never showing favoritism. That's why the Abbott Group had grown so quickly.
Ever since Aaron's car accident three years back, Aviana harbored a lingering prejudice against the Abbott clan. Despite Aaron's prior close ties with Erica, he married someone else after he recovered. Now, Erica insisted on marrying only Aaron. However, given Aviana's lack of direct interaction with Aaron, it was likely he wouldn't even recognize her presence.
Both lost in their thoughts, they didn't mention Aaron again on the way home.
Back at home, Susanna looked at the two dresses, her gaze settling on the champagne-colored one thoughtfully selected by Aaron. In truth, she preferred this elegant option—it was beautiful and tasteful, perfectly suiting her style without revealing too much skin. Nevertheless, the fact that Aaron had chosen it made her hesitant to wear it. Despite this internal dilemma, she couldn't deny the satisfaction and amusement she felt at how Aaron had effortlessly put Elaine in her rightful place earlier.
On the weekend, Justin took Susanna to a styling studio for makeup. When it came time to choose a dress, Justin suggested the champagne-colored one because it was more conservative.
Susanna wasn't comfortable in overly revealing dresses, so she ended up wearing the one Aaron had chosen. She and Justin arrived at the awards gala hotel, where many cars were parked, and reporters were waiting outside.
As Susanna reached for the door handle, her eyes caught sight of Aaron's car pulling up. A gasp escaped her lips as surprise washed over her. She certainly hadn't anticipated his presence at the gala!
As Aaron's car pulled up, the reporters' cameras eagerly swiveled in his direction, ready to capture every moment. The door swung open, and Aaron emerged, exuding a mature and dashing aura clad in a sleek dark suit. Following him, a pair of elegant high heels gracefully stepped onto the pavement, heralding Erica's arrival in a stunning white gown.
Seeing Erica get out of Aaron's car made Susanna's heart tighten, but she quickly composed herself. Given their family backgrounds, it was normal for them to appear together.
Meanwhile, Justin opened the car door. As soon as his face appeared, a reporter shouted, "Zachary is here!" Other reporters quickly swarmed the car.
Zachary was usually very low-key, rarely appearing in public outside of his acting roles, and seldom did ads or interviews.
Justin raised an eyebrow and quickly helped Susanna out of the car, holding her hand as they hurried into the venue. Despite their speed, they couldn't avoid the reporters' questions. Justin shielded Susanna and quickly got them inside. The security guards then blocked the reporters from entering.
Inside, Susanna let out a sigh of relief. "Justin, why were all those reporters chasing you?"
"They probably mistook me for a movie star. What else could it be?" Justin was used to using this excuse, as the truth in entertainment news was often hard to discern, so there was no need to worry too much.
Just as Susanna began to relax slightly, a tingling sensation crept up her spine, alerting her to an unseen observer. Instinctively, she glanced up and found herself ensnared by a pair of intense, unwavering eyes that seemed to pierce through her. Swiftly averting her gaze to evade Aaron's stare, she hurriedly made her way to her designated seat.
Aaron stood there, his eyes turning cold when he saw the man next to Susanna. Erica walked over. "Aaron, what are you looking at?"
