Rhysand's POV
My first instinct was to ignore the message and continue with whatever I was doing, but Bridgette's words rang in my ears.
'If you care about him like you claim, then you won't leave him with two strangers by himself.'
"Shit! Just perfect!" I exclaimed and grabbed my suit from the arm of my chair before walking out.
The driver opened the door for me just in time for me to slip into the comfort of the car.
"Where to, sir?" He asked with a meek voice, and I showed him the picture Aaron attached to the message of him and his wife-to-be in a boutique.
All it took was a glance at the picture I flashed at his face, and he nodded and started the car. He was the only driver that had managed to stay with me for so long. I'd fired the others before him for their incompetence and slowness.
Dave, however, was so familiar with the city that he knew places with just a glance at their interior pictures, and he kept to himself. Even when he spoke, he spoke with so much meekness one would think he was wooing a woman.
We sped through the highway and got to the famous first-class boutique.
It was typical for Aaron to book the whole store for the number of hours he planned to spend there.
I cocked my head sideways before walking in. The store was empty, and Aaron was in a corner picking out a dress for Margaret, who was making her choice as well.
"How is he not seeing that they're here for the money?" I muttered under my breath as I walked to a sofa.
"Welcome, son." Aaron noticed my presence.
Margaret looked up and flashed a smile at me.
"You came." She seemed genuinely happy that I came for the fitting like it was some big deal to her. Her smile didn't look forced either.
I shifted my glance to the window.
"I just came for moral support," I uttered, and Margaret's face brimmed with even more smiles.
"How do I look? Your father says it's too flashy. What are your thoughts?" She asked, walking into the center of the boutique and away from my father, her hands spread sideways so I could take in her full frame.
A glittery white dress hugged her slender frame and was in contrast to her golden skin, limiting her glow.
"Uh... the dress is beautiful, but it's stealing the limelight because of its many glitters. It has a lot going on, and you should be the center of attention, not the dress, so I'd recommend you choose another." I replied cautiously.
She stood speechless for some minutes before finally voicing a word of thanks with a big smile and turning to Aaron, whose gaze was also on us.
"Your son is as gentlemanly as you are, Aaron. You did a good job at raising him." She remarked before hurrying to change the dress.
"I doubt that," I replied to my dad.
"Won't you pick some clothes yourself? Why are you sitting when everyone else is busy?" He asked, urging me to select an outfit for that day.
"My suits are from Armani," I replied.
"Why do you think I always shop here? This store has whatever you order in their store, and you can feel them and even try them out before you buy them. I will never understand the logic behind ordering clothes." He said, shaking his head as though I'd hit my foot against a stone or I'd done something pitiful.
"But you pay extra to have the store emptied because you want to buy some suits," I replied, and he pouted. He wasn't going to stop doing it regardless of how much I talked.
He was about to say a word when the first dressing room's door swung open and Bridgette walked out of it in a pretty peach dress.
For a second, my face lit up as I took her in.
The peach dress fit so perfectly on her curvy body, and its features complemented her skin. She looked like a model right out of a magazine.
I'd not seen her in a dress as seductive as this, and it was probably because she was an ambitious lady who was bent on her work that she resorted to pants most of the time. The few times she wore dresses, they weren't as clingy as this one.
"What do you think?" She asked Aaron, who looked at her like an actress who had walked out of the television.
"Oh my word, you look drop-dead gorgeous. Right, Rhys?" I choked on nothing at the sound of my name.
I shifted my gaze from her body the moment their gaze was on me.
"Uhmm, I guess it's something," I replied and stood from the sofa. I walked to the array of suits. I had to distract myself so that she wouldn't think I was looking at her.
"You know what? I think you're just doing all this for my father's money. Look at this—he booked the whole boutique just to bring you two shopping." I started when she walked past me. My voice was loud enough for her to hear.
"If it makes you feel any better, I'll be paying for the clothes I picked with my money. Not your father's money." She replied with a sassy voice.
"Nonsense!" Aaron called from behind. He heard everything after all.
"You will do no such thing! I called you all out here, and I will foot the bill myself." He declared.
She flashed me a smug smile and strutted to the dressing room with even more clothes to change into.
They were eating from Aaron's generosity and taking advantage of him. If only he would see it.
I clenched my fists. Maybe he didn't need to see it. I had to do whatever I could to push them out of the way. Once I could get my hands on evidence, Aaron would be the one chasing them away.
"Don't do whatever you're thinking of doing." Aaron's voice called from behind, startling me.
"What?" I replied with a hoarse voice.
"I know that look anywhere, son. And I know it's not a good look. And I saw the way you were staring at her daughter. You think she's cute, eh? You think you both will make good siblings?" He asked, brimming with smiles.
When did this man start smiling this much? I groaned inwardly. I have myself to blame for this. If I'd been close enough to him, maybe he wouldn't see the need to get another wife, and it certainly wouldn't be Bridgette's mother.
"What? Don't go saying this outside. I didn't look at her anyway. I was irked when I saw the dress on her. Does she think she's a Disney princess or something?" I retorted, frowning as the image of Bridgette in the dress flashed through my mind once more, and I hated to admit inwardly that she did look like a Disney princess. Okay, maybe not a Disney princess, but a princess.
"Whatever you say. I want you two to get along—that's the only way this will be easier. The marriage is happening, son. Whether you like it or not." He called out as he walked backward away from me, his hands spread wide.
I exhaled. I had to act fast to not only prevent the wedding from happening but also remove the lady that has become a constant thorn in my flesh from my life.