Vincent didn't seem like the type to go for cheap stuff, and Chloe wasn't looking for anything too pricey. Trying to balance the two, Chloe decided to focus on what the CEO might want and led him into a high-end mall.
Chloe watched Vincent walk ahead. He kept moving without any intention of going into a store, and at this rate, they probably wouldn't buy anything.
Chloe sped up to catch up with him. She suggested, "Mr. Harrison, how about we check out a store?"
Vincent nodded and headed toward the nearest store, but a staff member stopped him at the entrance. "Sir, please queue over there."
Someone like Vincent, who usually had luxury brands catering to him at home, might not even know that buying a bag could mean waiting in line.
Chloe quickly pulled out the company's VVIP card. The staff's attitude changed immediately, and they were ushered into the VIP room.
The staff attending to VVIPs treated them like royalty, bringing out bags that regular customers had to wait months for. "Sir, Madam, feel free to choose."
Chloe felt awkward hearing this. She quickly clarified, "He's my boss."
Vincent frowned. Although he hadn't seen his wife since returning to the country over two weeks ago, he didn't want any misunderstandings. He rarely explained himself, but this time he did, "She's helping me pick a gift for my wife."
"Sorry!" The staff, who dealt with all kinds of people daily, usually wouldn't make such a basic mistake.
Seeing the two of them sitting together, looking as good as characters from an animation, and with matching temperaments, it was easy to mistake them for a couple.
Vincent didn't know what kind of bags girls liked, so he decided to buy them all. One of them would surely be to her liking. "Wrap these up."
Four bags, costing over a hundred thousand dollars.
Chloe then accompanied him to a high-end jewelry store. The sales associate led them straight to the Valentine's Day counter. "Sir, this necklace is our special edition for Valentine's Day this year. It would look beautiful on your wife."
Vincent replied, "Wrap it up."
The sales associate, delighted with such a customer, smiled at Chloe. "Madam, would you like to try it on?"
"He's my boss," Chloe explained patiently, though she felt exasperated inside.
She thought, 'Do these sales associates have vision problems? Is there anything in her and Vincent's behavior that suggests they are more than just boss and subordinate? She's clearly just a little assistant, cautious in front of the CEO, afraid of losing her high-paying job if she doesn't perform well. How does she resemble a CEO's wife in any way?'
Chloe glanced at Vincent. This time, he didn't explain, and his expression didn't change, but she could sense his displeasure.
They ended up choosing two necklaces, ringing in at another hundred grand, Chloe's heart pinched as she forked out the cash.
She worked tirelessly day and night to save up for a down payment on a house, and the money spent on a few bags and pieces of jewelry was more than her savings over the past few years.
Comparisons were a rage-inducer, no doubt.
After the items were packed, Chloe naturally took on the task of carrying them since Leo hadn't found a parking spot yet.
As they left the mall, Vincent, walking briskly ahead, coldly asked, "You haven't bought your things yet?"
Chloe gestured leftward. "What I'm after ain't in this joint. Gotta trek a few blocks that way."
"You lead," Vincent nodded, maintaining his lead.
Though the loot wasn't bulky, the boxes were. Chloe, laden with two bulging bags in each hand, resembled a walking Christmas tree, both ludicrous and fatiguing.
Lacking Vincent's gait, she soon lagged far behind.
After the staff mistook their relationship, Chloe felt that the CEO's attitude toward her had become much colder.
Perhaps he was worried about being mistaken again, or maybe he was concerned that she might get the wrong idea because of the misunderstanding. In any case, Chloe appreciated his awareness as a married man.
After walking for about ten minutes, they finally reached Chloe's destination, a boutique of a certain brand.
Elsa had wanted a teddy bear from this brand for a long time but never had the time to come to Girona.
Chloe ran to catch up with Vincent. She said, "Mr. Harrison, what I want to buy is inside."
Vincent nodded. "I'll wait for you outside."
Anxious not to keep the CEO hanging, Chloe aimed to snag Elsa's treat pronto before indulging in her accessories spree. But faced with the array of cute finds, her inner girlboss took over, meticulously selecting each gem.
Vincent, hardly one for waiting, lingered because Chloe had aided him in selecting presents for his spouse. By the roadside, cigarette in hand, he gazed through the glass, observing Chloe's accessory quest.
She hadn't looked this happy in the high-end stores. Now, her eyes were sparkling as if she were selecting rare treasures.
Mulling intensely, 'Do all women adore these knickknacks? Would my wife find them charming too?'
Vincent walked into the store, holding a fluffy little plush toy, trying to imagine his wife holding it.
But he couldn't quite remember what his wife looked like. In his deep memory, he vaguely recalled her having a sun-kissed face.
Glimpsing Chloe, their faces momentarily converged in his thoughts before he swiftly discarded the notion.
He didn't pay much attention to women's appearances, often forgetting them after a glance. When he thought of his wife and subconsciously pictured Chloe's face, he believed it was because Chloe was always around him.
Chloe noticed Vincent. With a smile, she asked, "Considering a plushie for the missus, Mr. Harrison?"
Uncertain, he replied, "Unsure if she'd fancy it."
Chloe reassured, "Mr. Harrison, oftentimes, it's the sentiment behind the gift that resonates with women. Your thoughtfulness will win her over, no matter the gift."
"Really?" His wife didn't even have his phone number saved. Would she like what he bought?
Vincent pondered hard. It had been a full year since they tied the knot, and he had been MIA since then, ghosting her like it was no big deal. Now, he could just swoop in with a single call and everything would be peachy? Nah, life wasn't that easy.
He figured he needed to up his game, splurge a bit more and make a grand gesture by fetching her himself.
"I'm gonna grab a few more things," he declared.
He chose carefully but wasn't sure what young girls liked, so he told Chloe, "Buy everything you girls would like."
Chloe was too shocked to speak.
Aware of Vincent's deep pockets, she knew he could buy out the whole damn store without breaking a sweat. But as his trusty assistant, it was her job to rein him in.
With gentle nudges, Chloe managed to talk him down from the overkill, though Vincent still ended up with a massive haul. Their shopping spree was so major that Chloe had to snag an extra suitcase just to house all the goodies Vincent had in mind for his missus.
The gifts were like sacred treasures, practically untouchable.