Loving The Temperamental Adonis
Chapter 191: Buying him a gift

Chapter 191: Buying him a gift

Seeing that the securities were more than serious in preventing her entry, Mia knew it was time to leave. The last thing she wanted was to bring more attention to herself by staying and trying to reason with the guards. She didn’t need a second warning to grasp that they were refusing her access due to her choice to support Neil over being with Owen, whose company was a major investor in the malls of Mirage Mesa. Owen’s influence in the state ran deeper than most realized, leading her to question how he had gained such wealth and power in just five years.

Meanwhile, Rayne was growing increasingly frustrated as the men blocked Mia’s path. She had been looking forward to this day, only for these men to deny her friend entry? That was unacceptable to her. Rayne was about to confront the security guards again by threatening them with her family’s influence when she felt Mia’s gentle touch preventing her from taking any action and causing a bigger scene, especially with the onlookers recording the situation on their phones.

"Let’s go, there are plenty of other shopping options in Mirage Mesa," Mia suggested as she guided her friend who was glaring at the men back to the car. The Velvet Labyrinth wasn’t the sole mall in the city. They visited another mall, less fancy than the first but still offering high-end dresses. This time, the security did not stop her from entering, but the patrons in the mall didn’t fail to surprise her by pointing fingers at her yet again and whispering among themselves.

"Rayne," Mia said softly, "Am I the only one who’s noticing people are staring at me more than they should?"

Rayne looked around and noticed it for the second time. She’d thought people were staring at Mia at the first mall because of the securities who’d refused her entrance, but it seemed that wasn’t the case here; they were staring for another reason. "Perhaps they are staring at you because of the rumors. You’ve gone viral after that press conference, everyone’s talking. Just ignore them as long as they don’t approach us and say shit."

Mia ignored them and focused on other things, but despite her efforts to ignore them she couldn’t help but overhear some of their whispered words as she passed by a group of women standing by a boutique.

"I can’t believe she still has the guts to show her face here after what she’s done. Tsk, such level of shamelessness should be rewarded."

"If I were her, I’d never show my face in public again. I’d get plastic surgery done and change my appearance and identity, because moving to another country would never help after such disgraceful act. Disgusting!"

"She’s an embarrassment to womanhood!" Another person whispered but due to the silence that had fallen in the mall after her appearance, Mia heard them clearly but pretended like she didn’t. How was breaking up with someone an act of shamelessness? And how was standing up to bring justice to her Neil an act of disgust? Elite ladies, Mia thought in disbelief, at times could be insensitive when they’d ran out of drama to gossip about and someone to bully.

"Who are you calling an embarrassment to womanhood?" Rayne demanded, about to confront them but Mia was quick to pull her back and away from the women who knew nothing but gossip. "They are not worth our time, let’s go." Only then did Rayne let them off and allow Mia to pull her away while she glared at the women who looked about to flee as they’d heard words about the Wallace household daughter being a skilled martial arts fighter.

The last thing they’d want was to get beaten by her, thus they hurried away under her flaying green eyes that shot daggers at them even though she was being pulled away by the friend who they’d been insulting.

As they wandered through the mall, Mia’s eyes scanned the array of high-end stores and designer boutiques, pushing aside everything else that might ruin her day out. They wandered off to the quieter side of the mall where the atmosphere was grand, with marble floors gleaming under the soft golden lighting. Luxurious displays adorned with the latest fashion trends lined the walkways, drawing in shoppers with their allure.

As they continued their exploration, she caught glimpses of women browsing through the racks of designer dresses and expensive accessories. Despite the attention she received upon entering the mall, Mia remained composed, her determination firm as she concentrated on her mission to find the ideal gifts for Neil and a stunning dress to wear for Rayne’s father’s birthday party in two weeks.

Mia noticed a men’s boutique across the way, with a display of male attires and suits visible through the window. Her eyes lit up immediately, ready to suggest they check it out first to Rayne, when Rayne’s phone suddenly rang. She quickly answered, her expression lighting up as she spoke into the receiver.

"Hey, Max! Yeah, we’re at the mall. Mia and I are just browsing around we haven’t found a dress yet," she said, her voice filled with excitement. "Oh, you’re already here? That’s perfect! We’re on the other side. Meet us near the fountain,"

Mia watched as Rayne’s eyes sparkled with anticipation as she spoke to her boyfriend. Rayne had informed her about Max joining them in the mall an hour ago when they left the first mall but Mia had thought he had changed his mind but it seemed he hadn’t, he’d finally made time to shop with her after a long time of giving her excuses of why he couldn’t go with her to the mall.

After ending the call, Rayne turned to Mia with a wide smile. "Max is already here! He’s waiting for us near the fountain," she exclaimed, her enthusiasm contagious.

Mia hesitated for a moment, she couldn’t go with Rayne to the other side when she’d already seen what she wanted in this boutique, beside she wouldn’t want to be a third wheel between them, not to mention her dislike towards Max made her even more reluctant to join them.

"I think I’ll pass," she replied politely, her tone gentle. "I’d rather continue shopping on this side of the mall where they are less crowd, go have fun with him. I’ll be fine."

Rayne nodded understandingly as she thought Mia was avoiding the attention. "Alright. You do your thing," she said, reaching out to give her friend a warm hug. "Just give me a call once you’re done, and we can meet up to show each other what we’ve picked."

Mia returned the hug, a sense of gratitude washing over her for having such a supportive friend. "Thanks, Rayne. I appreciate it," she said sincerely, her voice soft but genuine. "Have fun with Max, okay? I’ll catch up with you later."

With a final wave, Rayne hurried off towards the fountain, her steps filled with excitement. As Mia watched her friend disappear into the crowd, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of loneliness wash over her. However, she quickly pushed aside her emotions and turned her attention back to her shopping, determined to make the most of her time alone.

She walked into the men’s boutique, and immediately her eyes fell on a display of diamonds cuff gleaming under the golden light. One in particular caught her eyes, and before she could think, she was already approaching it. It was an elegant cuff adorned with intricate designs and a single sparkling diamond that had a hint of gray and somewhat dark blue.

The cuff seemed to shimmer under the soft mall lighting, casting a mesmerizing glow that captured Mia’s attention and reminded her of Neil’s eyes and his priceless gleaming white smile.

With a sense of certainty, Mia reached out to touch the cuff, her fingers grazing over its smooth surface. As she touched it, an image of Neil’s face flashed to her mind, the sound of his voice, his deep laughter, his caresses and his warm kiss. And in that moment, she knew that this was the perfect gift for him; a symbol of their enduring bond and shared memories.

As Mia admired the cuff, one of the mall assistant approached her, a welcoming smile on her face but upon recognizing who Mia was, the smile disappeared and was replaced by a strong disdain she wasn’t supposed to show to customers. And for the sake of being polite to their customers, she said,

"Ma’am, that diamond cuff is crafted from one of the rarest diamonds on earth," she remarked, her tone tinged with impatience. "I’m not sure if it’s within your budget. Perhaps you’d like to explore our other cuff collections, that one in your hand especially is way pass your class."

Undeterred by the assistant’s rude remarks, Mia met her gaze with unwavering confidence. "I appreciate your concern, but I assure you, I know exactly what I’m looking for," she replied calmly, her voice carrying a sense of superiority. "I’ll take the cuff and that blue tie." She pointed towards the blue tie showcased above the cuff that had also caught her attention.

The assistant hesitated for a moment, seemingly taken aback by Mia’s resolve, but she nodded and retrieved the cuff and tie for her. Even though she’d seen the videos of Mia Harrison that had been leaked trending online days ago, she couldn’t show her dislike towards her in her working place, however that didn’t mean she wasn’t going to put the shameless woman in her place.

Thus, when Mia wasn’t looking, the assistant retrieved her phone and secretly took pictures of the cuff and tie along with Mia, before she proceeded to escort Mia to the counter while posting it online with the caption, "Mirage Mesa’s whore has seemed to catch another man!"