Page 72 of The Devil's Fire

“That’s something you should be proud of. You’re very talented.” His eyes looked intently into mine, almost making me blush by it.

“And how would you know?”

“I’ve seen your sketchbook. You have a very creative mind.”

My expression fell.

“How much did you see?” I questioned, and a small, self-satisfied smirk crossed his face at my reaction.

“All of it.”

I groaned in embarrassment as I remembered just how many full pages I have of him.

“Of course, you have…” I muttered and he gave me a wink.

We came to a stop in front of a tall building with massive double doors. Fancy writing in large gold cursive letters in French was on the glass doors.

“You’re going shopping?” I turned to look at Damiano.

“It’s for you. You need a dress for tomorrow.” Damiano suddenly frowned and grabbed his phone from his pocket. “I need to take this. Go inside and see what you like.” He picked up the phone and walked away to talk.

Shrugging, I went inside and stopped by the door to look around.

It was a boutique of sheer elegance, where gold and white intertwined to create an atmosphere of opulence. Gilded accents and mirrors caught the light, while crystal chandeliers twinkled above. Luxurious items were displayed in gleaming cases, and plush seating was waiting to swallow you whole.

“Excuse me, can I help you with something?” I was met with a pair of blue eyes of a fair skinned woman with bright red lips.

“I’m looking for an evening gown. Can you show me where you have them?” I smiled. It didn’t go unnoticed that she was looking unimpressed by how I was dressed.

“Sure.” With a forced smile, she guided me to the back of the boutique, where I saw rows of dresses hanging from racks. She stood to the side and raised a brow at me. I let out a small sigh and went to have a look when I realized she wasn't going to help me out.

A smile broke out on my face when I saw a familiar dress.

“I think that might be out of your price range.” I looked over my shoulder, and she scrutinized me from head to toe.

“Why do you think that?” I slightly tilted my head with a smile, even though I wanted to roll my eyes.

I didn’t like people like her; a type that will only help you if you screamed of money. Was she expecting me to come in a gown before she would be nice?

“That dress is a limited edition by Jacinta. Very few boutiques were fortunate to have her designs. Not that I would expect you to know who she is.” The laugh that escaped her lips was a blend of amusement and superiority.

It made me frown.

“Oh, I’m familiar with her.” I said and looked back at the dress. Quite familiar, actually, since I came out of her vagina. I wanted to say but held my tongue.

My mother's designs always made me proud whenever I saw them in boutiques, and this dress was even more special, which was why it was a limited edition. It was the first dress we worked on together that would be sold in other boutiques and not just our own.

When we worked on the dress, we explored hundreds of sketches, envisioning variations like a shorter style or a sweeping, trailing gown. In the end, we found a middle ground; the front of the dress tapered to mid-thigh in a graceful curve, while the rest cascaded into a sweeping train behind.

It was a stunning, elegant gown that I was proud of being apart.

“Look, I think we’re both wasting our time here…” The sounds of footsteps made her suddenly stop talking. Damiano approached us with his usual stone-faced expression.

“Mr. Bellavia, it's so nice to see you again!” She beamed with an incredibly bright smile. I scowled when her entire attitude and posture changed. He ignored her, didn’t even spare her a single glance, and I couldn't help but feel satisfied.

“What’s wrong?” Damianoasked, and a frown creased his face when he saw the displeased look on mine.

“Nothing…” I muttered, but quickly found a smile and pulled the dress out to show it to him. “What do you think? I helped my mom make this dress. It even has my initials!”

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