Chapter 7

Abel felt a chill run down his back under Lazarus' stare, and he shook his head repeatedly. "No! Of course not! Ms. Steele was being considerate of you!"

Lazarus gave a cold snort and glanced at the untouched dessert on the table. "Next time, get the mille-feuille from that award-winning restaurant in advance."

"Why wait?" Abel piped up. "I'll get someone to make the arrangements right this minute."

But the moment the words left Abel's mouth, he regretted them. Lazarus' gaze was sharp enough to make it hard to breathe.

When they came out of the private room, one of Lazarus' men informed him that all the luxury stores had been cleared out and the latest clothing collections were ready.

Lazarus' gaze fell on Piper, who was standing beside the elevator on the phone. Her brows were faintly furrowed, and whatever the person on the other end was saying had clearly irritated her.

On the phone, Harvey's voice was grave. "Come over and apologize to Mom right away! You know she can't overexert herself or get upset. After what you did, she had another episode yesterday."

Piper sneered in silence.

These past few days, Harvey had been staying with Cecilia. Every time he opened or closed his eyes, he thought of Piper. He was convinced that she would eventually contact him and apologize. After all, she loved him. She couldn't possibly live without him.

But Piper hadn't replied to him since that day. When he tried to call her, her phone was turned off. Days passed without a word from her, leaving him with a pent-up frustration he couldn't release.

He wouldn't have even bothered reaching out first if Molly hadn't been sick.

At Piper's silence, he assumed she felt guilty after hearing that Molly was sick. She had probably reached her limit after all these days, regretted what she had done, and was too afraid of making him angry to answer his calls or messages.

"Head over to Ludlow Manor and keep Mom company. You can use this opportunity to get her to forgive you." There was a hint of condescension in Harvey's voice, as though he were granting Piper a favor.

So he wanted her to be a free caregiver again while conveniently giving Molly someone to vent her anger on.

What had hurt Piper most all these years wasn't being met with coldness whenever she tried to please Molly. It was that Harvey knew Molly would treat her badly and still sent her over to wait on her.

She had loved Harvey with her whole heart. She would rather suffer a little humiliation than put him in a difficult position. But if Harvey had even a tenth of the sincerity she had shown him, how could he bear to see her humiliated?

"That's your mother. Her being unable to overexert herself or get upset didn't start after you and I got together. She developed this illness after spending her whole life working herself to the bone for her husband and son," Piper retorted.

Harvey had no answer to that. "Dad isn't home, and I have to deal with company matters. You've always taken care of her in the past, and she likes the food you make."

Piper's voice remained calm. "There will always be more profits to chase, but you only have one mother. No matter how important the company is, it can't be more important than family. Isn't that right?"

Harvey had no reply to that. He'd said those very words to her before, telling her that as his wife, it was her duty to take care of his mother for him.

Piper used to be perfectly fine with it, but now she was using his words against him.

Harvey suppressed his anger and took a deep breath. "Piper…"

"And besides, isn't Cecilia there now?" Piper cut him off, her voice so calm it turned cold. "Mrs. Ludlow treats her like a daughter. I'm sure Cecilia's cooking is much better than mine."

Harvey didn't know what to say.

Piper gave a cold laugh. "Your mother will certainly be happier to see Cecilia than me. I'm sure she'll recover faster."

Having grown used to Piper's unquestioning obedience, Harvey suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of unease, as though something were quietly slipping away from him. He instinctively said, "You're the one who made Mom angry, and you're in the wrong. I'm giving you a chance to make things right."

Then he added a threat. "If you keep dragging this out, it'll be difficult for me to put in a good word for you with Mom."

"So don't." Piper wasn't the least bit interested in that. "I did nothing wrong. Why should I give up my own house for someone else? I hate having strangers in my home. She came over without even telling me and tried to steal what's mine. She brought this on herself. It has nothing to do with me!"

With that, she hung up. When she turned around, she saw Lazarus waiting for her with her coat naturally draped over his arm and a faint smile on his lips.

Piper's heart fluttered ever so slightly.

He really was fairer than most men, yet the sharp lines of his brows and eyes gave him the restrained elegance of a mature man. He stood tall before her, and his gaze seemed fixed on nothing but her.

Piper mocked herself. She was no longer at an age to be besotted with a handsome face. So why was she thinking these thoughts?

Thinking about the past now, she realized that Harvey could be confident in knowing that she would always be right there behind him. Yet from the day she left the Steeles, she no longer had the courage to turn her head around. She knew no one would be there waiting for her.

Lazarus stepped forward. "It's a little cold in the hallway. Put your coat on."

"Thank you."

Piper tried to shake off the unrealistic thoughts in her head and took the coat. Her fingers brushed against Lazarus' hand beneath the fabric. While her fingers were cool, his hand was rather warm.

The tips of her ears heated up, but she pretended not to notice. As she put on her coat, she asked, "What floor are the boutiques on?"

"The fifth."

Lazarus lowered his gaze to his fingers, the corners of his lips curving slightly.

The salespeople were already waiting at the boutique entrances. When they saw Piper, their smiles faltered. Why wasn't it Rosalie? Everyone knew that Rosalie was the only woman Lazarus accompanied on shopping trips.

Piper looked around and immediately spotted a black mermaid-cut gown. "I'd like to try this one."

The salesperson's smile became awkward.

It was the latest design that had arrived just yesterday and the only one in all of Gemdale. Naturally, it was reserved for Rosalie by default.

But since Lazarus had brought this woman to the boutique himself, the salesperson looked toward him. "Mr. Crane…"

With his back to Piper, Lazarus raised an eyebrow. His deep eyes narrowed slightly. "Didn't you hear Ms. Steele?"

Only then did the salesperson bring the gown over. "The fitting room is this way. Please come with me, Ms. Steele."

Piper felt a little bad about making Lazarus wait. "If you're busy, Mr. Crane…"

Lazarus chuckled softly. "I'm not. I'm free all afternoon."

She could only nod before following the salesperson toward the back. However, she hadn't expected to hear two employees quietly gossiping as she rounded the corner.

"I wonder how she managed to hook up with Mr. Crane. She just got here and already dares to pick Ms. Crane's clothes. She really doesn't know her place."

The other salesperson whispered back, "Keep your voice down. Didn't you see the look in Mr. Crane's eyes just now? Maybe Ms. Crane broke his heart, so he picked another woman."

"But Ms. Crane is the heiress of Clarion Group. How could he just give up on her like that? Besides, he has doted on her since they were kids. She can do whatever she wants, and he never gets angry. There's no way he'd let her go so easily.

"I bet he brought this woman here just to make Ms. Crane jealous. This woman didn't even bother finding out her sugar daddy's preferences and taboos before climbing into his bed, and she really thinks she's something. She's just another part of his little game. Once Ms. Crane finds out, she's got hell coming for her."

Piper stopped in her tracks.

Distracted, she was reminded by the salesperson, "The hem is dragging on the floor. This is a completely handmade, custom design. There are fewer than ten in the entire world."

The salesperson's face was full of disdain, convinced that Piper couldn't afford it and that Lazarus would never buy the gown for her.

Piper looked at the gown in her hands. If Lazarus had told her beforehand that it was made to Rosalie's measurements, she wouldn't have thought much of it. But finding out this way made her feel sick.

The warmth in her eyes gradually faded, though her voice remained as calm as ever. "Mermaid-cut gowns will naturally drag on the floor."

The salesperson rolled her eyes. "When it comes to couture pieces like this, our distinguished clients simply have them packed up if the size fits. Because you tried it on, we'll have to have it specially disinfected and serviced. Do you think this is some thrift shop?"

Piper wouldn't even have been allowed to touch it if Lazarus hadn't explicitly said so.

Piper's face revealed nothing. She turned and handed the gown over.

The salesperson sneered, thinking she had finally learned her place. "Next time, remember to find out more about your sugar daddy first. Don't end up getting yourself killed because you bit off more than you can chew."

Piper's lips curled into a mocking smile. She released the gown a second before the salesperson was ready. The salesperson watched helplessly as it dropped beside her hand and exclaimed, "What are you doing?"

Piper feigned innocence. "I gave it to you. You didn't take it."

She walked past the salesperson and headed back the way she had come.

Lazarus was sitting on the couch, his broad frame leaning back. His brown shirt was slightly wrinkled, making the muscle lines along his shoulders and arms even more pronounced.

Seeing her come out so quickly, he looked surprised. "Is something wrong?"

Piper's eyes were dark. "It wasn't the right size for me."

Lazarus' brows jumped. He was about to say something, but Piper had already strode away. At that moment, the salesperson came running out after her with the gown in her arms.

"Mr. Crane! She deliberately threw the gown on the floor!"

Unable to bear the responsibility herself, and still convinced Piper was some lowly gold-digger who had climbed into his bed, the salesperson pointed at Piper's back. "She dirtied Ms. Crane's gown—Ah!"

Abel twisted the finger she was pointing with, and the salesperson's face contorted in pain. But even at a time like this, she tried to be clever by saying, "I'm sorry, Mr. Crane! It's my fault for not taking better care of Ms. Crane's gown! Please forgive me."

Lazarus' expression was emotionless. "Abel, I don't want to see this woman again."

The salesperson was dumbfounded. "But Mr. Crane, it was that woman who—"

Abel swiftly covered her mouth, his voice turning ominous. "If you don't want a bullet through your skull, you'd better shut your mouth."

Lazarus immediately ordered his men to retrieve the surveillance footage from the boutique.

Piper hadn't even tried on the gown. If she had, she would've discovered that it was actually her size. He had personally called the brand's headquarters yesterday and had it custom-fitted according to her measurements, so she must've heard something before entering the fitting room.

A few minutes later, after hearing the two employees' conversation from the surveillance footage, the boutique manager broke out into a cold sweat.

"Mr. Crane, this is…"

Lazarus' eyes flashed with icy ruthlessness. "From this moment onward, none of the businesses under Clarion will be working with your brand again."

"Mr. Crane!" the manager cried out in a panic.

But Lazarus gave him no chance to speak. "I want to see an official apology to Ms. Steele within the next two hours."