Chapter seven: Size none

Adrian held Evelina's hand as they walked into the private section of the lavish store. As they passed the other customers, all eyes were on them and that was something Evelina was not prepared for. All her life, she had grown up in the shadows, never wanting to be seen. Now she had been thrust into the spotlight and she had no choice but to endure it... all for the sake of her father's café.

From the corner of her eye, she noticed Adrian's lips curl into a faint smile. It was obvious that he was enjoying all the attention they were receiving. Having Evelina hanging onto his arm meant his image would be repaired and the merger would continue as planned.

Together, they entered the store's private showroom, where various mannequins displayed elegant designer clothing. The saleswoman forced a polite smile as she pulled the curtains shut, separating them from the rest of the shoppers.

Turning back to Adrian and Evelina, she folded her hands neatly in front of her.

"Please, have a seat," she offered. Without another word, the two of them sat down on a plush white sofa that felt softer than anything Evelina had ever experienced.

"I'll bring out a few items for your..." The woman paused, once again looking Evelina up and down without hiding the disgust in her eyes. "...I mean, your fiancée."

"They'll be no need," Adrian interrupted as he stood and adjusted his tie. "I'll help her choose from the racks." The saleswoman's eyes widened. She clearly hadn't expected Adrian to take control of the appointment.

"But, sir..."

One stern look from Adrian was enough to silence her. She swallowed hard, nodded respectfully, and quietly disappeared behind the curtain.

The moment they were alone, Evelina finally allowed herself to breathe. Adrian walked ahead of her and immediately began pulling dresses from the rack as though he had done this countless times before.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Try this." He tossed a beautiful baby-blue dress toward her and she caught it instinctively. The soft fabric slipped through her fingers and for a brief moment, she couldn't help falling in love with it. However, the instant she looked at the size, she nearly had a heart attack.

"I can't put on this dress," she blurted out. Adrian stopped browsing through the racks and turned to look at her, his expression filled with annoyance. It seemed she was once again questioning him.

"And what is your reasoning?" he asked.

"Are you even seeing the size of this dress?" she replied.

Adrian simply stared at her as though she had spoken a language he couldn't understand. Realizing he hadn't even looked at the size, Evelina walked over to him and held it up.

"This..." she said, pointing at the tag.

"size three ... It do not get it." He answered so casually that he immediately returned to searching through the clothing rack, while Evelina stood frozen in complete disbelief.

"Are you insane?" she whispered fiercely, making sure to lower her voice so that no one on the other side of the curtain could hear them. Rolling his eyes, Adrian turned back to face her.

"What is the matter? You might be a bit round but I am sure it would fit." Adrian responded as he stared at Evelina and he could not help but to be drawn to her beauty. Evelina was unlike the slim sized women Adrian was used to dating, she was simply herself and that made her attractive.

"Would fit?" Evelina repeated, staring at him as though he'd completely lost his mind. "This is what models wear... and if you had taken time to notice, I am not exactly a model."

One look at her face told Adrian that she wasn't exaggerating. She was genuinely panicking. For a brief moment, an old memory surfaced. He remembered the first time his father had taken him shopping at a high-end boutique. Back then, one tailored suit had cost more than his mother earned in an entire year working as a waitress. He remembered how shocked he had been when he saw the receipt... and how his father had dismissed it as though it were nothing. Seeing Evelina act the same way as he did when he was younger, with the only difference being about money.

Letting out a slow, frustrated breath, Adrian closed the distance between them once more. This time, however, Evelina instinctively stepped back.

She didn't want another situation where he stood so close that she could feel parts of herself beginning to awaken again... feelings she had spent years burying beneath fear, responsibility and survival.

Fortunately, Adrian appeared too distracted by her stubbornness to notice her awkward reaction. Instead, he simply looked at her with growing impatience, completely unaware of the silent battle raging inside her.

“Look at it like this... I am a millionaire and I can get pretty much anything I like. I will have them get you a bigger size” he responded calmly.

But Evelina refused to accept it, so she crossed her arms over her chest in an act of defiance. She knew that stores like these did not cater for bigger women and she was not about to be made a fool of.

“I will not shop here,” she said firmly.

“What?” Adrian asked, shocked that once again, Evelina was going against his wishes.

“In fact, I'll be attending this interview wearing exactly these clothes,” she added confidently. Adrian stood there in disbelief. Was Evelina seriously prepared to attend a press briefing wearing jeans and sneakers?

“That is not going to happen,” Adrian replied as he closed the space between them with a single step. He looked down at her, hoping his towering presence would intimidate her, but it didn't. Evelina stared right back at him with a stubbornness he had never encountered before.

“It will... you need me at this press briefing.”

“No, I do not need you. I could simply replace you and...”

“No, you can't,” she challenged him, a bright smile spreading across her face.

Adrian was about to respond, but he stopped himself. The confidence radiating from Evelina was a clear indication that she had cards up her sleeve and he needed to be careful when dealing with her.

“I wonder what gives you the confidence to say that,” he asked.

“Well, for one, you've already called a press briefing. The paparazzi just took pictures of us kissing outside and now everyone in this store saw us walk in together. I wonder what would happen if you brought another woman to the press briefing... that would surely have people talking.”

Adrian knew she was right. The last thing he wanted was negative publicity.

“What is it that you want from me?” he asked, his voice low, sounding almost as though he was about to threaten her.

“I just want to attend this press briefing in clothes that I'm comfortable in,” she responded calmly, making sure she didn't provoke Adrian any further.

Adrian studied Evelina for several seconds before releasing a growl from the depths of his throat. He ran his hands through his hair, his frustration becoming more obvious by the second.

“Fine. I'll let you have your way, but if you think you can threaten me again, I assure you that I will have no choice but to tear down your father's café brick by brick... and then turn it into a strip club... do you hear me?” he asked.

“Sure,” she replied, knowing deep down that Adrian wasn't making empty threats. She knew the land on which her father's café stood was highly sought after. Over the years, multiple investors had tried to buy it, but her father had always refused to sell.

Adrian walked toward the curtains before pausing and turning back to Evelina.

“Well, don't just stand there... we have a press briefing to attend.”

Evelina hurried over to him. Adrian took her hand in his, and with his free hand, pulled back the curtain before leading her toward the exit.