Chapter 36
"Alright, let's go in," Sandra gestured to Ophelia, signaling her not to fear Darian and to get closer to him.
With a bite of her lip, Ophelia took the opportunity to loop her arm through Darian's, speaking gently, "Darian, I know I was out of line last night, and I am sorry. When we get back, I'll personally apologize to Rowan, okay?"
Darian shot her a chilly glance, his deep voice devoid of warmth. "No need."
He strode ahead quickly. Ophelia's attempt to link arms went unnoticed.
Watching the man march on without waiting for her, Ophelia barely managed to hold her smile in place.
"Darian!" Sandra fumed at his attitude.
Ophelia turned and gave Sandra a resigned, yet forbearing shake of her head, "Aunt Sandra, I'm alright."
Sandra sighed, "I hate to see you treated this way."
"It's alright, Aunt Sandra."
Ophelia pushed Sandra's wheelchair and quickly caught up with Darian, matching his pace and then plastering a placating smile back on her face.
Rowan used to have his supplies prepared in advance by Darian's orders. It was his first time shopping for them with his mom.
The little guy was thrilled as they made refined choices at the stationery store, purchasing a full set of everything they needed.
After getting stationery, Cecily decided to buy a few outfits for the little one, who had slimmed down recently. The clothes from Dorde hung loose on him now.
Soon, they left the children's clothing store, arms laden with bags, all feeling content.
For Rowan, spending time with his mom was just the best.
Walking arm in arm with Cecily, Aurelie chatted, "Cecily, now that Darian won't let you treat him, what about the boy?"
The mention of it weighed down Cecily’s heart, "We'll have to find another way."
"Yeah, there's always a solution. Cheer up. There's a new store that just opened over there. I checked it out the other day, and they've got some pretty nice styles. Let's go try on some clothes."
Cecily pursed her lips. She contemplated, then decided, since they were out, they might as well enjoy it. "Sounds good."
They browsed around the store and Aurelie pointed to a mannequin, "Cecily, what do you think of that one?"
Cecily followed her gaze to see a white dress devoid of any unnecessary flourishes. Its chiffon fabric floated lightly about a clean, sharp silhouette with a design that was simple yet elegant.
Several sales associates approached with enthusiasm. "Miss, you’ve got great taste. This dress is a hot new arrival in our store today, and it's a limited edition. You two have such amazing figures; it’ll look fantastic on you. Feel free to try it on!"
"Why don't you try it on, Cecily? You'd look stunning, don't you think, Griffin?" Aurelie pulled Rowan aside to watch.
Rowan nodded vigorously, "Yeah, Mommy would look really pretty in it."
"Go on then!"
Cecily couldn’t help but laugh at their playful banter; she then followed the sales associate to the fitting room.
After browsing around without finding anything she particularly liked, Aurelie and the little one sat in the lounge area waiting for Cecily to emerge.
"Auntie, auntie, isn't this dress gorgeous?"
The familiar voice rang out unexpectantly in the quiet, spacious boutique.
"It's beautiful. It'll definitely suit our Ophelia, don't you agree, Darian?"
Darian responded with a nonchalant affirmation.
Ophelia smiled graciously.
Aurelie shivered, stealthily parting the hanging clothes to take a peek.
And there they were: Ophelia in a crisp white shirt dress cinched at the waist, Darian in a clean-cut suit, and Darian’s mother seated in a wheelchair.
Aurelie felt a chill run down her spine and quickly scooped Rowan into her arms.
Seriously? How unlucky was it for them to run into them here of all places, especially considering the size of Silver Frost Capital.
Aurelie sneakily covered both herself and the little one with the hanging garments.
She couldn't let Darian see the child.
After scoping out the area, Aurelie noticed Rowan, clutching her tighter in his nervousness.
"It's okay, Griffin," Aurelie whispered soothingly. "When I say 'run,' head straight for the exit and find a place to hide. Your mommy and I will come for you soon."
Rowan nodded, understanding he mustn’t let Daddy see him.
Seeing that they hadn't come any closer and not wanting to look in their direction, Aurelie quickly let go of Rowan. "Run," she whispered urgently.
Rowan crouched, hurriedly weaved through the racks of clothes, and sprinted out the door.
Darian's brow furrowed as something caught his eye – a small figure dashed out in a blur.
As he stood there, puzzled, the fitting room door swung open.
Cecily emerged, donned in the dress in question.
The dress was a vision in white, with a V-neck cut and a silhouette boasting clean, sleek lines.
It was form-fitting, simple yet graceful.
Cecily, naturally fair-skinned, didn't look washed out in white; she seemed to radiate under the bright store lights.
Her dark curls rested casually on her shoulders, and the minimal makeup accentuated her striking features.
Darian's eyebrows shot up in surprise.
Ophelia and Sandra were momentarily stunned.
That dress... Wasn't that the exact one they had just been inquiring about the size of?
"Wow! Stunning! I knew this piece would be perfect for you," the sales associates couldn't help but exclaim, their eyes lighting up.
"Yes, absolutely gorgeous! You wear it even better than our in-house models."
"Miss, you look magnificent. It's as if this dress was tailor-made for you."
Aurelie couldn't help but rise to her feet and walk over to Cecily.
Cecily narrowed her eyes slightly. Upon seeing Darian and Ophelia, her concern for the dress' appeal took a backseat.
Griffin!
Aurelie took Cecily's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, along with a comforting glance.
Without seeing the little one in the store, Cecily caught on immediately and nodded subtly.
Ophelia's expression crinkled with disgust instantly.
How dare Cecily, of all people, look so fetching!
Damn it!
A hint of a melancholic smile involuntarily traced Cecily's indifferent face as her gaze swept over the trio.
Back when she was still married to Darian, Cecily sometimes hoped he would accompany her shopping, but he always declined, citing work as his excuse.
She had been so understanding, even chiding herself for being a bother.
Now, it seemed that Ophelia could whisk him away during work hours for a shopping trip without any concern – business must not be so busy after all.
Perhaps that was the difference between love and the lack thereof.
Cecily's lips curled into a faint smile, but just as quickly, the slight trace of bitterness vanished, and her expression reverted to its usual cool detachment.
Ophelia tucked away the icy coldness and jealousy in her eyes, swiftly adopting a different expression, as she briskly approached Cecily.
"Miss Cecily, what a coincidence it is to see you here."
Cecily took a step back, clearly rejecting Ophelia's advance.
"Upset that your hand didn't get hurt enough last time?"
The smile on Ophelia's face stiffened, and she halted in her tracks.
The incident at Dragon's Wok Restaurant had also reached Sandra's ears.
She let out a cold huff as she eyed Cecily.
"Cecily, you hurt Ophelia, and we haven't even come to you for that. Yet now you're the one bringing it up first?"
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