SHOPPING FOR TROUBLE

Lena’s POV 

I was lying on my bed, lazily scrolling through the school portal on my new laptop when a bright red notification popped up.

Final Week of Lectures: Next Week

One-Month Academic Break Following Final Lectures

I sat up slowly, rereading the message twice to make sure I wasn’t imagining it. A whole month. No early morning rushes, no constant pressure. Just time.

A big, genuine smile spread across my face. I immediately dialed Kendra.

She picked up on the second ring.

“Babe!” I said excitedly before she could even speak. “Have you checked the portal? Next week is the last week of lectures… and then we have a full month break!”

Kendra screamed so loudly I had to pull the phone away from my ear.

“Yes! I just saw it! A whole month, Lena! We can actually breathe! Sleep in, watch movies, maybe even do something fun for once!”

We spent the next fifteen minutes laughing and making silly plans — talking about staying up late, eating junk food, and finally having time to just exist without stress. For the first time in forever, I felt hopeful.

The call had barely ended when Adrian’s name appeared on my screen.

I answered with a soft, “Hey.”

“I want to take you shopping tonight,” he said, straight to the point. “I need you to have dinner with me and my family this weekend.”

My breath caught.

“Dinner… with your family?”

“Yes,” he replied. There was a slight tension in his voice. “My father wants to meet you properly. Be ready in an hour. My driver will pick you up.”

He hung up before I could say much else.

I sat there for a moment, heart beating fast. Meeting his family felt big. Serious. Like he was really claiming me as his. But the way he sounded… he seemed a little tense about it.

I walked into the living room where Cleo was doing his homework.

“Hey, baby brother,” I said, sitting beside him. “Adrian just called. He wants me to have dinner with his family this weekend. He’s taking me shopping now to get a dress.”

Cleo looked up, eyes wide with surprise and excitement. “His family? Like… his dad and everyone?”

“Yeah,” I said, smiling nervously. “It feels like a big deal, right?”

Cleo grinned. “That means he’s serious about you. Don’t embarrass me. Wear something nice.”

I laughed and pulled him into a quick hug. “I’ll try my best.”

Exactly one hour later, Adrian’s car was waiting downstairs. I kissed Cleo goodbye and hurried out.

The moment I slid into the passenger seat, Adrian pulled me close and kissed me deeply, his hand resting possessively on my thigh.

During the drive to the luxury mall, I told him about the upcoming break.

“After next week, we have a full month off,” I said, unable to hide my excitement. “No lectures. No rushing. I can finally rest properly.”

Adrian’s grip on my thigh tightened slightly. “Good. You’ll be spending most of that time with me.”

We arrived at the high-end shopping center. Adrian took me from boutique to boutique, buying whatever caught his eye. I tried on several dresses, stepping out of the fitting room each time to show him.

He was quiet and intense, watching me with dark, hungry eyes. But when I stepped out in a stunning deep emerald green dress that hugged my curves perfectly — elegant yet seductive with a tasteful slit — his expression shifted.

“That one,” he said, voice rough. “You look like you belong to me in that dress.”

He paid for everything without hesitation.

On the way back to the car, he suddenly pulled me into a quiet corner, pushed me gently against the wall, and kissed me hard, his hand sliding under the new dress to squeeze my ass possessively.

When we reached my apartment building, he stopped the car but didn’t get out.

“I have something urgent to handle,” he said. “I’ll drop you here.”

He leaned over, kissed me deeply one last time, then gave my ass a firm, possessive spank as I stepped out of the car.

“Be ready for this weekend, Lena. My family is… intense.”

I watched his car disappear down the street, heart racing with a mix of excitement and nervous butterflies.

Meeting his family felt like stepping into a whole new world.

And I wasn’t sure if I was truly prepared for it.