Chapter 61: A Beautiful Girlfriend
Mysa’s heart raced with embarrassment as she glanced at Draven, who stood beside her in the dressing room, his expression unapologetic. She took a deep breath, trying to muster some semblance of composure.
"Draven," she hissed, "what were you thinking? Now we have to face Zinnia and Diva together."
Draven chuckled softly. "Relax, Mysa. It’s not a big deal."
She narrowed her eyes playfully. "Easy for you to say. What will Zinnia and Diva think?"
He shrugged nonchalantly. "I don’t care what they think. They already love you."
Mysa sighed, shaking her head. "You are impossible."
"And you love me for it," he teased, flashing her a charming smile.
Despite her embarrassment, Mysa couldn’t help but smile back. Draven always had a way of lightening her mood, even in the most unexpected situations.
"Alright," she said finally, straightening her shoulders. "Let’s just get this over with."
Draven stepped aside, gesturing for her to lead the way. "After you, my queen."
Rolling her eyes, Mysa opened the dressing room door and stepped out into the boutique.
Zinnia and Diva turned toward her expectantly, their faces lighting up when they saw her.
"There she is!" Diva exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement. "We were starting to think you really fell asleep in there."
Zinnia smiled warmly at Mysa. "How did it go, dear? Did you find something you like?"
Mysa glanced at Draven, who stood beside her with an amused expression. Taking a deep breath, she nodded. "Yes, I think so."
Diva’s eyes narrowed playfully as she noticed Draven standing beside Mysa.
Her eyes widened with mock surprise as a mischievous grin formed on her lips. "Well, well, well," she teased, her tone lighthearted yet teasing, "didn’t know we were interrupting something so intimate."
Zinnia turned to see Draven standing beside Mysa, her eyebrows raising in surprise. "Draven? When did you get here?"
Diva jumped in, her grin widening. "That too in the changing room with Mysa."
Mysa felt her cheeks flush as she lowered her head shyly.
Draven chuckled, his demeanor unapologetic. "I couldn’t resist sneaking in to see Mysa in these beautiful dresses."
Diva feigned shock, her hand over her heart. "Oh, my God, see, Mom, your son isn’t that much of a gentleman as you say."
Draven rolled his eyes playfully. "Give me a break."
Zinnia burst into laughter, stepping forward to place a comforting hand on Mysa’s shoulder. "Honey, it’s okay. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. You two are about to get married, so we understand."
Draven nodded in agreement, turning to Mysa with a reassuring smile. "See? I told you it’s not a big deal."
Zinnia’s expression turned teasing as she narrowed her eyes at her son. "Oh, it is. You are not supposed to see your bride in her wedding dress before the wedding. My mom would always say that it brings bad luck."
Draven sighed dramatically. "Please, Mom. Life already made us suffer so much. Let’s just focus on positive thoughts now, okay?"
Zinnia chuckled, relenting. "Fine, fine. Now tell me, which dress did you two finalize?"
****
After finalizing the wedding dress, the four of them exited the mall, their steps light with excitement. Mysa felt a wave of relief wash over her, glad that the stressful decision of choosing her gown was behind her.
As they neared the entrance, the bustling crowd around them made it difficult to navigate.
Mysa was lost in thought, her mind drifting to the upcoming wedding, when someone suddenly bumped into her.
"Oops, sorry!" the stranger mumbled, their face obscured by a hood.
Mysa instinctively reached out to steady herself, and in that brief moment, she felt something being slipped into her hand.
The person quickly disappeared into the crowd, leaving her standing there, bewildered.
Draven noticed the commotion and turned to her, concern etched across his face.
"Are you okay?" he asked, his eyes scanning her for any sign of distress.
Mysa forced a smile, nodding curtly. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said, though her fingers tightened around the small piece of paper now in her hand.
Draven frowned slightly but didn’t press further. "Alright. Just making sure."
Zinnia and Diva were engaged in their own conversation, unaware of the brief encounter.
Mysa took a deep breath, her heart racing with a mix of curiosity and dread. "I need to use the washroom," she said, trying to keep her voice steady.
Draven gave her a reassuring nod. "Sure, we will wait here."
She hurried off, weaving through the crowd until she found the washroom.
Once inside, she locked herself in a stall and leaned against the door, her breath coming in quick bursts.
She opened her hand to reveal the note, its edges crumpled from her tight grip.
With trembling fingers, Mysa unfolded the paper and read the hastily scrawled message: "Pretty nice fiancé you got there. Too bad you won’t live long enough to marry him."
A chill ran down her spine, and her heart pounded in her chest. Her first instinct was to reach out for help.
She quickly snapped a picture of the note and sent it to Clave, her fingers shaking as she typed out a brief message: "Just got this."
Within moments, her phone buzzed with a reply from Clave: "Don’t worry. As I said, those are mostly empty threats."
Mysa sighed, feeling a small measure of relief. She trusted Clave, but the fear still gnawed at her.
She took a few deep breaths, trying to steady herself before leaving the stall.
She washed her hands, splashed some cold water on her face, and gave herself a final, determined look in the mirror.
Stepping out of the washroom, she spotted Draven, Zinnia, and Diva waiting for her. Zinnia's eyes lit up with a warm smile as she approached.
"Mysa, I almost forgot to tell you," Zinnia began, her tone cheerful, "tomorrow, I want to introduce you to the new assistant I hired."
Mysa forced a smile, pushing the fear to the back of her mind. "That sounds great, Zinnia. I look forward to meeting them."
***
A new day dawned, filling the mansion with the warm, golden light of morning. Mysa and Draven sat together in the sunlit living room, enjoying a quiet moment over coffee.
Zinnia entered with a spring in her step, a smile brightening her face.
"Good morning, you two," she greeted. "I want to introduce you to Noah, the new assistant I hired. He officially got the job after a rigorous interview with Clave. You know how your father is."
Mysa and Draven chuckled. Clave would actually do a thorough background check for every person his wife would hire.
Mysa and Draven exchanged curious glances as a tall, well-dressed man stepped into the room.
Noah exuded confidence, his blue eyes sparkling with charm. He extended a hand first to Draven, then to Mysa, who were standing now.
"Noah, this is my son, Draven, and his fiancée, Mysa," Zinnia said proudly.
"Nice to meet you both," Noah said, his grip firm. He turned to Mysa, his smile widening. "I have heard a lot about you, Mysa. Zinnia tells me you are the heart of this house."
Mysa smiled politely, feeling a bit flustered by the compliment. "Thank you, Noah. It's nice to meet you too."
Draven tightened his arm around Mysa’s waist, his eyes narrowing slightly. "So, Noah, what brings you to our family business?" he asked, his tone friendly but with an edge of protectiveness.
Noah leaned back casually, his gaze lingering on Mysa a little longer than necessary. "I am just here to make things easier for Zinnia. And, of course, to get to know everyone." He winked at Mysa. "Especially the beautiful ladies of the house."
Mysa blushed, feeling Draven's arm tense around her. She glanced up at him, seeing a flicker of jealousy in his eyes.
She placed a calming hand on his bicep, trying to reassure him.
Zinnia, oblivious to the tension, clapped her hands together. "Noah, why don't you chat with them while I deal with some paperwork in the study? Mysa and Draven, you should talk to Noah about the way you want your wedding to be planned, okay?" with that, she went away.
Noah nodded and turned to Mysa with a flirtatious grin. "You know, if I had a beautiful girlfriend like you," he said, his voice dropping to a playful whisper, "I would kill her."