Willow watched Hansel's figure as he walked away. Today, she noticed for the first time that he drove a Porsche, wore a custom Armani suit, and had a Patek Philippe watch on his wrist. She glanced down at the cake in her hand, her expression becoming more thoughtful.
Meanwhile, Miranda wasn’t at school because she had gone out shopping with Mindy, having requested leave from her classes. Since that day’s lessons were mostly just recaps and summaries of last week’s group project, which Madison and Sebastian could handle on their own, her professor swiftly approved her absence.
Tomorrow was the book signing event, and Mindy hadn’t attended a formal event like this in years. She rummaged through her wardrobe repeatedly, feeling that none of her existing outfits seemed quite right. It wasn’t that they were unwearable, but they just lacked that special touch.
Lionel looked at her with sincerity in his eyes. “Honey, you look beautiful in anything, truly!”
But this time, Mindy didn’t respond with her usual smile at his sweet words.
Miranda quickly understood. “Mom, let’s go buy something new! With all the shopping malls in Elgerson, we’re bound to find something you’ll love!”
Mindy’s eyes lit up. “Yes, yes, let’s do that!”
Lionel scratched his head, looking puzzled. “Huh? Why didn’t my compliment work this time?”
At the Luxus Emporium, the family of three rode the escalator up. They watched as the luxury brand stores on the first floor gradually disappeared from view, revealing the mall’s expansive layout.
Mindy couldn’t help but marvel, “This mall is huge!”
The clothing stores were on the second and third floors, but they missed the right stop and ended up on the fourth floor. Mindy’s attention was soon caught by a book display nearby, so the family decided to get off on this level.
They stood before a storefront with the sign “Luxus Emporium Rendezvous,” which looked like a bookstore but wasn’t quite an ordinary one. It combined a bookstore, café, and light dining space all in one. As they entered, the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, followed by a section offering meals.
The space inside featured book displays, a reading area, a lounge area, and a selection of creative products for sale. What caught Mindy’s attention most was a promotional wall near the entrance displaying a poster of the book Seven Days.
There were bold words like “Best-seller,” “Popular,” and “In Demand” plastered all around it. Inside the reading section, Seven Days occupied the prime spot on the central book display. Most of the readers in that area were holding copies of it.
Even though Warren had already told her on the phone how popular the book was, seeing it first hand left Mindy in awe.
She blinked a few times, turning to her daughter with a slightly dazed expression. “Is that… really my book?”
“Of course!” Miranda laughed, then decided to buy a copy on the spot and handed it to Mindy. “Here, flip through it. That should make it feel real.”
Mindy opened the book, leafed through a couple of pages, and then looked up with a smile. “It really is my book!”
Their main goal that day was to buy outfits, not just for Mindy but for Lionel as well.
“Me?” Lionel was taken aback, waving his hands in protest. “I’ve got clothes to wear. I don’t need anything. You two go ahead.”
“Dad, you’re accompanying Mom to the book signing event tomorrow. What if one of her readers asks who you are? You’re the man behind the mystery author, the inspiration for the ultimate villain in her stories! Don’t you think you should look the part?”
“Well… that does make sense.”
“So, are we buying you something new?!”
Lionel nodded immediately. “Yes, we are!” He didn’t care if he embarrassed himself, but he certainly couldn’t let his wife down.
They then took the elevator down to the third floor, heading straight to the men’s clothing section.