Chapter 7 : Shopping for my own wedding I had no idea about..

"I'll take care of it, sir. Why don’t you go back home and get some rest? Your wedding is in two days,  you’ll need it," Mr. Green said, reaching to collect the files in front of Mr. Anderson.

"What’s the difference? It’s just another business deal, nothing major… you don’t have to worry about me," Anderson replied sharply as he leaned back in his chair.

"At least she’s the only one you have a heart for…" Mr. Green added, and Anderson shot him a look.

….…………………………………..

Mall

Lena moved smoothly through the aisles, pulling dresses and accessories off the racks. Without a word, she began piling them into Kristen's arms, causing Kristen to stagger back, unprepared for the sudden load.

"Hey, don’t lag too far behind," Lena called over her shoulder, barely glancing at Kristen, who was struggling to keep the dresses from slipping to the floor. As they turned a corner, Lena spotted a gleaming display of heels and strode over for a closer look.

She picked up a pair of white satin heels adorned with delicate crystals. Kristen raised an eyebrow as she glanced at them too.

“These might be the ones,” Lena said, holding them up to the light before pausing and eyeing Kristen from head to toe. "Actually, it looks like we have the same shoe size," she added thoughtfully, thrusting the heels into Kristen’s hands. "Why don’t you try them on? I don’t feel like slipping them onto my feet right now."

Kristen’s eyes widened. "Me? But…"

"It’s just a pair of shoes. What do you think I brought you here for? Try them on...I want to see how they look on someone," Lena said, eyeing her.

Kristen hesitated, but under Lena’s expectant gaze, she slowly slipped the heels onto her feet. Lena watched her with a puzzled expression.

"Well," Lena finally said, a strange glint in her eyes, "they look just right."

She turned to the attendant and said, "Have these prepared for immediate delivery. I’ll need them for my wedding..."

She grabbed a few items from the rack, and then a familiar voice whispered close behind her.

"Hey, beautiful."

She froze, recognizing it immediately. "Ryan…" she murmured, her eyes widening with a flash of fear as she stole a quick glance at Kristen, who was occupied with the shop attendant, distracted by the overflowing pile of bags she was arranging.

"Are you out of your mind?" Lena hissed under her breath, her tone sharp and low as she spun around to face him. Without waiting for an answer, she gripped his arm and pulled him aside with an urgent glare. "What are you even doing here?" she whispered harshly, scanning the store to make sure no one was watching.

Ignoring her questions, Ryan smirked and leaned in as if to kiss her, but she quickly tugged him toward the dressing room down the hallway. Once inside, she closed the door, her gaze blazing with frustration.

"You want some here?" he said, still leaning close, his smile dangerously casual.

"Is everything okay with you?" she shot back in a harsh whisper. "I told you not to get close to me in public. Are you trying to ruin everything?"

Ryan pulled away, clenching his fists tightly. "I want you to cancel the wedding. Run away with me… please, for us." He pulled her close, holding her tightly.

Lena looked at him with disgust and shoved him off her. "You must be out of your mind, Ryan! Do you think I came all this way, worked this hard, just to run out on my own wedding? God forbid! My parents, my friends, and practically everyone is here to witness it. The whole world expects to see me marry him, and here you are, telling me to abandon it all?" Her eyes flashed with anger as she straightened her dress, brushing his touch from her shoulder.

 ….…

Kristen struggled with seven bags, each one loaded with outfits and shoes. She cast her gaze around the store, trying to see if she could spot Lena. She strode down the aisle, looking worried, and asked every attendant she encountered, "Where is she?" she muttered to herself.

“Good afternoon, sir,” Kristen murmured, her voice laced with nervousness as she turned to see Max Ethan Anderson standing before her, his tall frame looming over her. She managed a small, shaky bow, clutching the shopping bags tightly.

Max’s gaze never met hers, instead, his eyes settled somewhere above her head. “Where is she?” he asked, his tone firm and unyielding.

“Huh…” Kristen stammered, swallowing hard. “I...I don’t know where she is…” She trailed off, her own eyes darting around, scanning the store aisles.

With one swift motion, Max grabbed her arm and pulled her to stand squarely in front of him. His eyes were sharp and intense as he leaned in. “Weren’t you supposed to be by her side?” he demanded. “Her safety was in your hands.”

Kristen, already overwhelmed, let the heavy bags drop to the floor with a thud, her own patience snapping. “Do I look like a security guard to you?” she shot back, her tone defiant. “How am I supposed to know where your fiancée doesn’t stay in one place? We were just here, right in this spot, 15 minutes ago, and…” She hesitated, realizing she’d probably said too much.

Max’s jaw clenched as he took a deep breath, looked away, and turned...

 ….…………………

Ryan’s grip tightened as he forced her back against the wall, his face inches from hers. “I won’t let you marry him,” he whispered fiercely, attempting to press his lips to hers. “You’re mine, Lena. Only mine.”

Lena twisted her face away, struggling against him. “You’re sick in the head, Ryan,” she hissed, her voice seething with disdain. “Get off me!”

He smirked. “I thought you loved my touch… every bit of it.”

Lena glared at him, her voice dripping with contempt. “I’m done with this... whatever this was. You're delusional if you think I’d throw everything away for you.”

Suddenly, a faint noise echoed. “Mr. Anderson, I’m pretty sure she’s around here somewhere…” The words drifted closer.

Panic flickered in Lena’s eyes as she shoved Ryan back. “He’s here for me... you need to leave, now,” she whispered urgently, her heart pounding as she glanced at the door.

“I came here first for you,” he replied. “I won’t leave until you give me answers and make up your mind.”

Lena’s hands trembled as she heard footsteps approaching, and she pushed him again, more forcefully this time. “There’s nothing to answer. Whatever we had is over, and if you care about either of us, you’ll go before he finds you here.”

….…………..

"I’ll check out the ladies' wig section," Kristen muttered. "You can go to the other side," she continued, pointing to the section across the store. She hoped he’d take the hint and follow her directions, but Max simply glanced in the direction she pointed, then casually returned to his phone and took a seat on a showcase sofa, and crossed his legs.

Kristen shot him a sharp glare her frustration simmering beneath her gaze. With an exasperated sigh, she turned and walked away.

After about 20 minutes

“Hey, baby…” Lena said as she rushed over. Max stood up immediately when he heard her voice, and Lena hugged him tightly, a grin spreading across her face as if she’d missed him all along. “I didn’t know you were coming here for me…”

“I’ve been here for almost thirty minutes, Lena. Where exactly were you?” Max asked, his brow furrowed.

“Oh, I…” Lena stammered, glancing around until she spotted Kristen rushing toward them. Quickly, she put on an air of irritation and pointed towards Kristen. “I was looking for your maid,” she said, shooting Kristen a pointed look.

“Me?” Kristen echoed, looking baffled. She barely had time to react before Lena rushed beside her and gripped her shoulder with a little too much force.

“Yes, you. Where did you go?” Lena said, her voice layered with feigned frustration. “I told you to stay close, but you vanished! I had to run all over this huge mall looking for you,” she added, punctuating her words with an exaggerated sigh.

“Huh?” Kristen replied, blinking in confusion, still processing Lena's unexpected shift in behavior.

Lena rolled her eyes and sauntered back over to Max, who was watching them both with a raised eyebrow.

“I don’t have to keep you waiting any longer, my love,” Lena said, slipping her arm through his and giving him a sweet smile. “Let’s get out of here. I’m already tired from all that running around.”

Kristen, left behind with a bag still slung over her shoulder, tried to hide her irritation, feeling the strain of Lena’s performance.

As they stepped out of the mall, a bustling crowd surrounded them, cameras flashing and voices calling out from all directions. Reporters pushed forward with questions, eager to get any detail they could from the high-profile couple.

“Mr. Anderson, how does it feel to be here with your fiancée today?” one reporter shouted.

Max remained silent, keeping his gaze straight ahead. But Lena, clearly reveling in the attention, took it upon herself to answer on his behalf, brushing her hair back. “He feels great, obviously!” she replied with a grin. “We’re here to enjoy a little time together before the big day.”

Another reporter called out, “Miss Meyer, soon to be Anderson, how are the wedding preparations going?”

Lena’s face lit up. “Exhausting!” she exclaimed, half-laughing. “But it’ll all be worth it. Only the best for us, right?” She gave a coy glance up at Max, who only nodded slightly.

In the midst of the crowd, Ryan stood hidden just far enough back, his gaze fixed on Lena as jealousy simmered within him. Watching her play up to the cameras beside Max felt like a betrayal that pierced him to his core. He clenched his fist, muttering under his breath, “I’ll make sure that wedding never happens, Lena. You’re mine… mine alone.”