Chapter 5: Beautiful

"Sir, I'm serious. One dress in here costs more than a year's worth of meals at my campus cafeteria. Doesn't that seem like a waste?"

Keyla stood frozen in the middle of a luxury boutique dripping in gold accents and crystal chandeliers.

She wrung the hem of the wrinkled red dress Siska had given her. Her eyes swept across the row of price tags, the sheer number of zeros making her head spin.

Dominic didn't answer. He simply sat on the sofa at the far end, one long leg crossed over the other with casual arrogance, sipping the bitter coffee a boutique attendant had brought him.

"Pick whatever you like. Don't make me repeat myself," he said coldly, his eyes never leaving the phone in his hand.

"All of them? You mean I can pick more than one?" Keyla asked.

"Yes. Are you going to refuse?" Dominic finally looked up, fixing her with a sharp, intimidating stare.

Keyla bit her lower lip, the color draining from her face. "I'm not refusing, but everything in here is so expensive, sir. I don't have that kind of money. If I tried to buy any of this, I'd walk out of here a certified homeless person."

A beat of silence. Then—

"Pfft— Hahahaha!" Dominic's laughter broke free. A deep, rich sound, completely unguarded, filling the entire shop.

Marco, standing beside the sofa, nearly dropped the tablet in his hands. His eyes went wide, his mouth falling slightly open.

In all his years as Dominic's personal assistant, he'd never once heard the man laugh like that. The most he'd ever seen was a thin smile laced with menace, or a cynical smirk.

But here Dominic was, genuinely laughing — because of one naive little girl.

Keyla pouted, her eyes glistening with the threat of tears. She felt like she was being mocked. "Why are you laughing? I'm serious! My entire savings wouldn't cover one percent of a button on that dress!"

Dominic cleared his throat, though traces of amusement still lingered at the corners of his eyes. He looked at Keyla, who seemed caught between wanting to cry and wanting to be furious.

"What do you think carrying my last name is for? Counting change at the grocery store?" he said.

"Miss, please listen," Marco chimed in, stepping forward with a barely suppressed grin at Keyla's panicked expression. "You don't need to worry about money. Forget one or two dresses — if you wanted, Mr. Dominic could buy this entire boutique and every employee in it today, just for you."

Keyla's jaw dropped, her eyes blinking in disbelief. "Are you kidding? Buy the whole boutique?"

"I assure you I'm not kidding, Miss. If you stacked Mr. Dom's wealth, it could cover—"

"That's enough, Marco. You're rambling," Dominic cut in, raising a hand to silence him. He turned back to Keyla, still standing stiff as a board. "Pick something decent. You can't meet my parents wearing the garbage you've got on right now. And forget every piece of clothing you used to own."

Keyla hesitated. "But, sir..."

"Go now, or I'll pick the most revealing dress in this store for you myself," Dominic said, his face perfectly calm.

That did it. Keyla shuddered, images of the sheer, skin-baring gowns Clara wore in magazines flashing through her mind.

She hurried after the boutique attendant, who'd been waiting with a gracious smile.

"Fine, fine! I'll pick something myself!" she muttered as she walked away.

Once Keyla was out of earshot, Marco stepped closer to Dominic. "Sir, you seem to be thoroughly enjoying this. Does Miss Clara know you're out shopping with your new wife?"

Dominic's expression hardened, the cold aura settling over the room again. "She's too busy in her own little world, Marco. If she wanted me to be fair, she should've given me what was rightfully mine. But since she refused, that girl gets to enjoy it instead."

"But sir, Miss Keyla seems incredibly innocent. She's actually afraid of spending your money. Quite the contrast to Miss Clara, who can burn through a sports car's worth of cash in a single shopping trip in Paris," Marco said.

Dominic fell silent, his gaze drifting toward the fitting room where Keyla had disappeared. Something strange stirred in his chest. He knew he was betraying his commitment to Clara, but watching Keyla — so honest, so utterly clueless — awakened a protective instinct he'd buried deep down.

Before long, the fitting room curtain slid open. Keyla stepped out in an ivory silk gown that complemented her skin perfectly.

Her messy hair had been swept into a neat updo by the attendant. She looked like a lost princess, her cheeks flushed pink with embarrassment.

"How does it look? Does this dress suit me?" Keyla asked shyly.

Marco let out a low whistle. "Stunning. Sir, it seems Miss Keyla's taste isn't half bad."

Dominic rose from the sofa and walked toward her. He stopped directly in front of the girl, close enough that Keyla had to tilt her head back to meet her husband's eyes.

He straightened the collar of her gown, his warm fingers brushing against the smooth skin of her neck.

"Beautiful," Dominic whispered — a single word, but enough to send Keyla's heart hammering out of control.

"Thank you, sir..."

"Call me Dominic. Or at the very least, stop addressing me like I'm your boss," he ordered. He turned toward the register without waiting for her answer. "Marco, handle everything. We're heading to the main residence now. My parents must be dying to see the surprise I'm bringing home."

Marco nodded briskly, but managed to whisper to Keyla once Dominic had walked ahead. "Miss, my advice — take a deep breath. Because after this, you won't just be dealing with expensive dress prices. You'll be dealing with in-laws."

Keyla swallowed hard. "Are they scary?"

Marco gave her a thumbs-up and a cryptic grin. "Scarier than the ghosts at your stepmother's nightclub, Miss. Now come on — let's not keep our lion waiting too long."

Keyla drew a long breath, squeezing her own fingers together. She had no idea what awaited her in that house.

*

*

"What did you just say, Mother?! Married? Who is Dominic marrying?!" Clara shrieked, hysterical. The phone in her grip nearly slipped from her hand as her mother's voice crackled through the speaker.

"You're going to be absolutely shocked, darling. Dominic... he's marrying Keyla. Your own stepsister."

Boom.

It hit her like a bolt of lightning on a clear day. Clara's heart seemed to stop. The world she'd built on arrogance crumbled in an instant.

"Keyla? How is that possible? She's been locked up in the back of the house her whole life — she's not even allowed to see anyone!"

"I don't know how they met either! Has Dominic contacted you?" Siska asked, her voice edged with panic.

"No, Mother. Argh, that bastard Dom! He's ignoring me!"

"You need to go to your in-laws' house right now. Tell them everything so Dominic divorces that little slut before it's too late!" Siska commanded, deliberately stoking the fire.

Clara sneered, her beautiful face twisting into something terrifying. "Fine. I'm going."

She was certain her in-laws — people who prized dignity above all else — would never accept a nightclub pleasure girl as their daughter-in-law.

This time, Clara swore she'd destroy Keyla and humiliate her in front of Dominic's entire family.

***This work has been signed with NovelToon, and piracy such as reprinting without permission is strictly prohibited.***

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***