Chapter 20

I offered to take Carla to dinner, but she politely declined, saying she wanted to visit her family in another city.

“Take care of yourself, Carla,” I said, “and make sure you stay close to your bodyguards.”

Zephyr had assigned three werewolves from the Silverclaw Pack to protect Carla. It might seem excessive, but considering the lengths Rowan would go to silence her, it was a necessary precaution.

“Please take care of yourself as well, Mrs. Cole.” She smiled. “I really hope you’ll be happier with Mr. Lloyd.”

I only gave her a smile in return. For now, at least Zephyr was able to make me feel safe and sound.

I then got into the car with Zephyr, and I waved my hand toward Carla as a goodbye.

“I still feel bad for her,” I said as the car pulled away from the courthouse.

Zephyr looked at me. “Samantha, you don’t have to feel guilty for something you didn’t do. Carla suffered because of Rowan, not because of you.”

I lowered my head. “I know, but it’s hard not to feel responsible in some way. If only I had had the courage to stop Rowan back then, maybe—”

“Stop right there,” Zephyr interrupted me, “You’ve been through enough. Don’t add guilt that isn’t yours to bear.”

“You already did the brave thing by leaving your scum husband. That’s more than enough, Samantha.” Zephyr repeated, “It’s more than enough.”

I bit my lower lip, trying my best not to shed tears. After being in the courtroom for hours, those words were the last thing I needed to hear.

I whispered under my breath, “I’m enough.”

Zephyr nodded and patted my back gently. “You are enough.”

As the car drove away, I noticed that it wasn’t heading back to Silverclaw Manor. I looked at Zephyr curiously. “Where are we going?”

Zephyr smiled slightly. “You’ll see.”

A few minutes later, we stopped in front of a boutique of high-end luxury bags. My eyes widened when I recognized the store. “Zephyr ... why are we here?”

He turned to me with a knowing look. “I remember seeing one of your interviews back in the day. You talked about your love for collecting luxury bags.”

I blinked, surprised. “You ... saw that?”

I didn’t even remember that interview. However, I did have a soft spot for high-end bags.

Zephyr nodded. “You looked so passionate when you talked about it. But I noticed you don’t have any of them with you now.”

My expression turned somber. “I sold them all when I married Rowan. He said they were a waste of money and sold them to help with his financial problems.”

“Nonsense.” Zephyr seemed like a hot plate of anger whenever we talked about Rowan. “There’s no such thing as wasting money if it brings you joy. He said that because he didn’t have enough money in his pocket.”

He opened the car door and got out, then walked around to open my door. “Come on, let’s forget about court for now.”

I hesitated. “But Zephyr, I don’t have any money on me.”

“Who asked you to pay?” Zephyr raised an eyebrow. “Just pick whatever you want and don’t worry about money as long as you’re with me.”

Really ... I didn’t understand how I could have such a perfect mate like him.

I took his hand and stepped into the shop. The scent of leather and floral perfume filled the air, relaxing every muscle in my body.

The luxurious interior was immaculate, with glass displays, plush carpeting, and lighting that made the handbags look like works of art.

I felt a sense of nostalgia as I looked around, remembering how I used to visit places like this every week before I married Rowan.

“Welcome to Maison Luxe,” a senior assistant greeted me warmly. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw me. “Oh, Miss Samantha?”

I was taken aback when the assistant recognized me. I looked her in the face and said, “Audrey?”

The assistant smiled and nodded. “Yes, it’s me, Audrey. I can’t believe you remember me, Miss Samantha.”

“No, it’s actually the opposite, I thought you wouldn’t remember me,” I said.

“Your face is not easy to forget, Miss Samantha,” Audrey replied with a polite smile. “You were one of our most loyal customers some years ago. It’s been a while since we’ve seen you here.”

I gave her a shy smile. “Yes, well ... a lot of things have changed since then.”

The assistant seemed to sense something wrong in my tone and quickly changed the subject. “It’s wonderful to have you back, Miss Samantha.”

She continued, “Let me show you our latest collection. I think there’s a piece you’ll absolutely adore.”

I looked back at Zephyr as if asking for his approval.

Zephyr gave me a small nod, his lips curling into a reassuring smile. “Go ahead,” he said quietly. “Take your time.”

I turned back to Audrey, my heart warming at Zephyr’s words. “All right, let’s see what you got.”

The assistant led us to a private area of the store where the most exclusive pieces were displayed. “This just arrived from our spring collection,” Audrey said, lifting a sleek bag in a rich emerald green with gold accents. “It’s a limited edition, only five in the world.”

My eyes widened as I admired the bag. I gently ran my fingers over the smooth leather. “It’s beautiful.”

Zephyr, standing a few steps away, spoke up. “Do you love it?”

I hesitated, glancing at the price tag. It was more expensive than I had imagined. “It’s beautiful, but ... maybe I should look at something else.”

Zephyr sighed, stepping closer. He whispered next to my ear, “Samantha, I didn’t bring you here to look at price tags. If you love it, it’s yours.”

Zephyr turned his head to Audrey. “She’ll take this one.”

Audrey nodded and smiled professionally. She recognized Zephyr’s face because he had been one of the top 100 richest men in the world for years.

She was actually quite curious as to why I had suddenly appeared with Zephyr Lloyd, but she decided to keep quiet and do her job instead. “Of course, Mr. Lloyd. I’ll have it wrapped for you right away.”