Chapter 5 How Dare You?
Molly’s POV
I couldn’t shake my curiosity about Giovanni. When I saw Nora, I didn’t hesitate. “What exactly is he up to?” I asked, my voice edged with suspicion.
She looked uneasy, glancing around as if afraid of being overheard. “I don’t know much about his personal life,” she said finally. “Just rumors, something about a woman and a son. But we need to leave now. Don gave us only two hours.”
Don.
The way she said it made my pulse quicken. “Don?” I repeated. “What do you mean? Is he… some kind of mafia boss?”
I tried to sound casual, but dread crept into my chest. Those kinds of men were known for their ruthlessness. If Giovanni had fallen into that world, I needed to find a way out—fast.
Nora bit her lip, her eyes flickering with fear. “Let me just find you something to wear,” she said, avoiding my gaze. “There are emergency dresses in the car.”
It was clear she didn’t want to talk about him. But I couldn’t stop pressing. “And the two men from last night?” I asked. “The ones who—” I couldn’t finish the sentence.
Nora sighed. “Honestly, Molly, I don’t know. Don told me to follow him when he carried you out of that place. I have no idea what his bodyguards did afterward.”
Her words sent a chill through me. Who exactly had Giovanni become?
Still reeling, I nodded. “Fine. I’ll change.”
Nora drove us to the largest mall in Chicago. The moment I stepped out of the car, the dazzling lights and glass storefronts made my head spin. It had been years since I’d been anywhere like this.
Once, I had been a star, dressed in designer gowns, bathed in stage lights. Now, I felt like a ghost walking among the living. My reflection in the shop window looked older, wearier, but still recognizable.
“Don said you should buy all your daily necessities,” Nora said, pulling out a sleek black card. “We’re using this.”
My eyes widened. “A black card?” I whispered. Giovanni had always been comfortable, but never this wealthy. What had he done to reach this level?
A quiet unease settled over me. If he had turned to something dark… why help me?
“I don’t need much,” I murmured. “I have money in my account. No need to spend his.”
Nora smiled as if I’d said something foolish. “Don will be upset if you don’t use it. You should consider yourself lucky, Molly. Not everyone gets to spend from his card.”
Her words sparked a bitter thought. Giovanni had hurt me once, but maybe using his wealth to rebuild myself was a small, poetic revenge.
“Fine,” I said with a sigh. “Let’s go.”
The store Nora led me into gleamed with gold accents and marble floors, one of those luxury boutiques where even the air smelled expensive.
“What are you looking for here?” a young attendant asked sharply as I browsed a rack of dresses. Her tone was icy, suspicious.
I gave her a cool smile. “Last I checked, this was a store, not a bar. So yes, I’m looking to shop.”
Nora stifled a laugh, but the attendant didn’t find me amusing.
“Do you realize how expensive everything here is?” she sneered. “You probably can’t afford it.”
I froze. The humiliation hit like a slap. But before I could speak, Nora stepped forward. “Excuse me? And what makes you think she can’t?”
The woman crossed her arms, smirking. “Please. Birds of a feather flock together. If you could afford it, you wouldn’t be wasting my time. Now leave.”
The anger rose hot and fast in my chest. I wanted to walk away, but her smugness rooted me in place.
“Let’s just try another store,” I whispered to Nora, my throat tight.
But Nora shook her head. “Don specifically told us to shop here. If you’d prefer, I can call him and have the shop closed just for you.”
I blinked. “You’re joking.”
She wasn’t.
Trying to salvage a shred of dignity, I focused on the display. “I’ll try these on,” I said, selecting a blouse and a pair of trousers.
Before I could move, the attendant, Melody, according to her name tag, snatched the clothes from my hands.
“Don’t touch these,” she snapped. “They’re far too expensive for someone like you.”
The words echoed through the boutique, sharp as a whip. Heads turned. My face burned as a few shoppers began whispering.
And then, another voice, cruelly familiar. “Well, look who it is.”
A second attendant approached, smirking. “Beauty without brains. You’re still alive?”
The color drained from my face. I didn’t need to ask how she knew me. My scandal had been plastered across every tabloid once.
Melody’s grin widened. “You mean she’s the fallen singer? The homewrecker, Molly Campbell?”
The words hit like stones. Shoppers’ eyes darted toward me, some with disgust, others with morbid curiosity.
Melody stepped forward, her rage bubbling. I saw her hand rise, too fast to react, but Nora lunged in front of me, taking the blow meant for my face.
“Nora!” I gasped, grabbing her arm. Fury overcame my fear. “How dare you hit her?”
Melody’s eyes glinted with malice. “It was meant for you, homewrecker!”
Her voice boomed through the store as other customers lifted their phones, recording the spectacle.
My pulse thundered. My skin prickled with humiliation.
“This is what happens to people like you!” Melody spat. “You don’t deserve to show your face in public!”
She raised her hand again. I couldn’t move. I was too shaken, too numb.
But before her palm met my cheek, a strong arm caught her wrist mid-air.
The sound of his voice sliced through the tension like lightning.
Giovanni growled, his tone cold and dangerous, “how dare you?”
The entire store fell silent. And in that instant, I realized, Giovanni Dawson wasn’t just a man anymore. He was a storm that could shatter worlds.