Warning: If It Doesn't Fit, Don't Force It

A Maybach eased into the Blackwood Plaza, pulling up at the SVIP entrance.

"Mrs. Blackwood, good morning."

The mall manager hustled over right away, flanked by uniformed staff.

Sophia gave a slight nod, handing off her Hermès Birkin to the attendant who stepped up.

Anna had never seen anything like this, so she hung back half a step behind Sophia, feeling totally out of her element.

Her outfit—maybe fifty bucks tops—stuck out like a sore thumb in all this opulence.

The manager's eyes landed on Anna, a flicker of surprise crossing her face, but she snapped back to her polished smile in a heartbeat.

The SVIP lounge door slid open without a sound.

This three-hundred-square-foot haven was a private shopping salon, custom-built for the elite crowd.

Anna's eyes went wide as saucers, her jaw practically on the floor as she gawked around.

So this was how the rich shopped—no rubbing elbows with the regular folks.

Sophia clocked her reaction, the corner of her mouth tipping up just a touch.

"Everything ready for the season's new arrivals?" She settled into the center of the sofa, her voice casual and measured.

"Absolutely." The store manager, decked out in her power suit, crouched down and swiped through her iPad.

"I've curated these based on what you usually go for."

Sophia took the iPad, her fingers drifting across the screen.

Anna watched her moves and mimicked them on the sly, trying to look like she belonged.

Sophia leaned over. "Anna, pick out whatever catches your eye. We'll have them delivered later."

"Whoa, these dresses are gorgeous." Anna got hooked in an instant.

But then she spotted the price tags and sucked in a sharp breath.

"These are insane."

Even the simplest ones ran five figures, and some hit six.

Just a few scraps of fabric?

Sophia smiled lightly. "Ethan sent me to bring you here so you could stock up. Price doesn't matter—go with what you love."

Anna figured that made sense.

Spending her own brother's cash? That was just par for the course.

Besides, if she didn't blow it, that woman would anyway. Might as well be her.

Feeling a whole lot better about it, Anna's gaze slid to Sophia's outfit and accessories.

That getup screamed money, especially the diamond necklace hugging her neck.

"I'll take this one, and that..." Gone was the hesitation; she tapped out over a dozen pieces on the iPad.

"Right away." The manager shot a look to one of the sales associates, who jumped into action.

Less than three minutes later, eight staffers filed in like a drill team.

They wheeled in racks loaded with the exact dresses they'd just picked.

Anna popped up, all eager. "I gotta try this one on."

Sophia sipped her tea from the sofa, all grace, her eyes flicking toward the fitting room.

Three minutes in, Anna shuffled out, fiddling with the hem.

Her fingers clutched the skirt tight, her voice barely above a whisper. "Feels kinda off."

She'd picked this dress on purpose—it was a dead ringer for the one Sophia had on.

But Sophia? Her curves filled out the top just right, her figure all sleek lines and killer legs, pale and straight, making everything look effortless.

The dress itself? Pretty basic on its own.

On Anna, though, the V-neck hung loose over her flat chest.

She just couldn't pull it off.

Anna tugged at the hem, trying to make that stupid neckline less ridiculous.

Sophia set her teacup down and rose, circling behind her. Her fingertips grazed Anna's shoulder, lingering on the strap.

"Looks great overall. Just needs a little tweak here."

She nodded at the sales associate.

The associate got the hint and stepped forward to help.

"No thanks!" Anna waved her off. "I don't think this one's for me."

With that, she spun around to duck back into the fitting room.

But Sophia piped up. "You're right—fit's everything. If it's not working, don't push it."

"Maybe it shines on someone else, but that doesn't mean it's right for you."

She let out a soft laugh. "Lucky for us, it's just a dress. Wrong fit? Swap it out. Not like it's people..."

Anna froze mid-step, whipping back to lock eyes on that stunning face.

She knew exactly what the woman was getting at—a straight-up warning.

Sophia left it hanging there and switched gears. "I spotted a few others that'd suit you better. Give those a whirl later."

Anna ground her teeth and stormed back into the fitting room, slamming the door.

Bang!

The sales team exchanged awkward glances.

For the next hour, Anna went on a full-on spree, grabbing anything and everything, fit be damned.

Clothes, accessories, bags, shoes—she shopped like a pro.

Sophia just watched from the sidelines, nursing her tea, flipping through a glossy mag. After all, it was Blackwood money on the line.

She was the pampered bird in the Blackwood cage, soaking up their luxury, but she couldn't take a dime with her.

Victoria controlled the purse strings.

Sophia got a measly few grand a month in pocket change. Luxury buys? Only through the family account.

Every swipe, Victoria knew about.

Sophia had toyed with the idea—snag high-end stuff, flip it quietly, pass off fakes.

But the house was full of Victoria's plants, and her jewels and bags had their own keepers.

Sneaking around for some hidden cash? Good luck with that.

Looking back, Ethan's return wasn't all bad.

At least with him around, she had a shot at going legit. And pinching cash off him? Way easier than off Victoria.

***

Victoria stared at the spending alert on her phone, her brows furrowing deeper by the second.

One afternoon, and Sophia had dropped over a million at the high-end shops.

That was a first.

So all that sweet, dutiful act was fake? Ethan shows up, and suddenly she thinks she's got backup, drops the charade?

Victoria punched in Sophia's number without a second thought.

Sophia was idly scrolling her feed when "future mother-in-law" lit up the screen.

Not a shocker. She hit accept, her voice all soft respect. "Mom."

"What the hell's going on?" Victoria jumped right in. "Over a million in one go?"

Sophia kept it gentle. "Mom, Ethan asked me to take Anna out shopping."

"She's brand new here, everything's a thrill to her. She liked it all, and well, we kinda overdid it."

Victoria went quiet for a beat. "..."

But she fired back quick. "That girl's got no restraint—doesn't mean you don't?"

"Sure, Blackwoods can afford it, but money doesn't grow on trees..."

Sophia took the lecture like a champ.

You bite the hand that feeds? Nah—that was her playbook for surviving under their roof.

Besides, Victoria's barbs were nothing compared to the crap she'd eaten while mooching off them.

"You're right, Mom. I should've reined it in."

"I figured Anna saved Ethan's life, so I didn't wanna cramp her style. But next time, I'll watch it."

Victoria smirked to herself, scoffing. "Saved his life? Please."

"If she'd brought him straight home, that'd be the real hero move."

"That father-daughter duo stashed him away in some backwoods hole, let my boy suffer all this time..."

She caught herself halfway, clamping down. "Whatever. Just keep an eye on her. No more wild spending."

"Got it." Sophia curved her lips slightly.