Chapter 17

As Celia and Kylie were on the way, Celia casually mentioned that Owen had called her earlier. 20 minutes later, they arrived at Central Pavilion. Owen was already there, standing not far from Entrance One. He wore sunglasses, a baseball cap, and a mask, and was on the phone. When he spotted Kylie and Celia, he waved enthusiastically. The three of them made their way to a café, ordered three coffees and some desserts, and waited for the drinks to arrive. During the wait, Owen handed Kylie a bag containing her documents and phone. He looked at her closely, studying her expression. "Here's your stuff. Your phone was broken, but my assistant got it fixed." "Thanks." Kylie took the bag from him. Noticing her pale complexion, Owen frowned. "Kyls, are you okay? You don't look too well. Did yesterday's incident cause you a lot of trouble?" "No," Kylie smiled faintly. "I just haven't been sleeping well. I'm a little tired." Owen's deep gaze locked on hers. "Kylie, if there's something you don't want to talk about, I won't push it. But we're friends, so if there's anything I can do to help, just let me know." Kylie's heart warmed at his words. "Okay. Thank you, Owen." Owen had postponed his shoot yesterday, so he still had to work today. He handed Kylie a few shopping bags, each marked with Ghezad's logo. "My assistant picked these up for you yesterday. You were in such a rush this morning, I didn't get a chance to give them to you." Before Kylie could protest, he added, "It's just a few outfits—consider it an apology gift. I'm in a hurry, so I'll leave first." He paid for the coffee and dessert before heading out of Central Pavilion. Celia turned to Kylie and said, "You've got no thoughts on this? Are you really just going to tie yourself to one person forever?" Kylie looked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?" "Owen has feelings for you. Didn't you notice?" Kylie chuckled. "Don't be ridiculous. The entertainment industry is full of stunning women. Why would he have feelings for someone like me?" "Those 'stunning' women are just makeup and filters. Take off their makeup, and they wouldn't even come close to your level. "You've got natural beauty, medical expertise, and a great personality. It's only natural that Owen likes you. Not everyone is as blind as Samuel, mistaking a pearl for gravel." Kylie didn't respond as her eyes were fixed on something outside the window. Celia followed her gaze and froze. "Is that Iris? What bad luck! And who's the woman sitting with her? Do you know her?" "That's Samuel's mother," Kylie said. "So... Your future mother-in-law?" Celia's eyes widened. She looked worried. "My mom always says that the relationship between a mother-in-law and a daughter-in-law is the hardest to handle. "A husband's attitude sets the ceiling of a marriage, but the mother-in-law sets the floor. "Samuel already has his issues with you, and now his mother seems to like Iris—she's got her claws in deep. Doesn't that make things harder for you? "Kyls, have you really thought this through? It's not too late to walk away from Samuel. I know you want to treat Mr. Vance Senior; you could keep treating him and earn the Vance family's goodwill. "If you ever run into any problems later, you can always reach out to them for help." Kylie lowered her gaze and took a sip of her coffee. "There's nothing to think about. I've made up my mind. I've come this far—I won't back down now." "You…" Celia sighed. "If we weren't friends, I'd think you were just trying to marry into wealth. I'd be judging you so hard right now." "Sounds like you're judging me now, though." Celia gave her a dramatic eye roll. "Yep, I totally am." After finishing their coffee, Celia pulled Kylie along to shop. "Are you sure you're not going to nap before your night shift?" "I can't sleep now. I'll nap later. But you're in Seaville now, not the sanctuary. This is an international city, and you've barely got any decent clothes. Come on, let's go get you some new stuff." They browsed through the first floor, then took the escalator to the second floor, heading straight for the women's fashion section. "Kyls, this dress would look amazing on you—" "Kylie?" A cold voice cut through the air. Kylie turned, only to meet Iris's sharp, disdainful eyes. Iris scanned Kylie from head to toe. And as her gaze lingered on the Ghezad bags Kylie was holding, she snorted. "Look at you, all high and mighty. A country bumpkin like you is out shopping like this now? What do you think Samuel is, your personal ATM?" Kylie wasn't one to care much for designer brands, but Celia worked in Zouk Lounge and had seen enough to know the brands Iris was carrying. Celia glanced at the luxury items in Iris' hands—high-end clothing and expensive jewelry. The Dale family might be wealthy, but they weren't at the point where they could let Iris waste money like this. Unless... Celia smirked and leaned toward Kylie. "Kyls, since Samuel gave you a black-platinum card, you should make full use of it. "If you don't spend it, he'll just end up wasting it on a mistress instead." "Who are you calling a mistress?" Iris snapped and glared at Celia. Celia shrugged nonchalantly. "Whoever reacts must be the mistress." "You—" Ignoring Iris's glare, Celia linked her arm with Kylie's. "Let's go. Some people really bring down the level of this brand. We should check out other stores." Iris watched them walk away and scoffed. She held up the black-platinum card, flaunting it. "Nice try, but Samuel's black-platinum card is with me." Kylie paused for a moment and glanced back at Iris. "Looks like you're the one treating Samuel as an ATM." "And so what? Go ahead, tell him." Iris' face glowed with pride. "Too bad. He'll never believe you! Are you jealous? You think he'll give you a black-platinum card? How cute. "Country bumpkins like you should stick to the wholesale markets. This mall's not for you." Kylie smiled softly. Her face was serene despite the jabs. "Iris, what do you say we have a little competition?" "A competition?" Kylie's smile widened while her eyes gleamed with mischief. "Let's see who can max out their card first." "Are you serious?" Iris held the black-platinum card with a smug look, staring down at Kylie like a proud peacock. "Fine, let's compete! "I don't know where you get the nerve, but I guess carrying a few Ghezad shopping bags has made you forget you're just a country bumpkin." Celia was completely surprised—she never imagined Kylie would challenge Iris to a spending contest. In a voice low enough for only the two of them to hear, Celia whispered, "You can't compete with Iris. That's Samuel's black-platinum card she's holding." Kylie smirked as a glint of mischief flashed in her eyes. "I have Samuel's black-platinum card too. Same card, same person. I'm dying to know—how different can they really be? Aren't you curious too?"