Chapter 468: Shopping for Clothes

Soon, they arrived at a mall in Sparaville. Cecilia exited the car to shop, with Sven following. He abruptly stopped.

“Someone’s following us.”

Cecilia also halted. “Are you referring to Nathaniel’s bodyguards?”

They weren't far behind. Cecilia disliked being followed, but she expected it.

“No, unfamiliar faces. Let’s go shopping first.”

“Alright.”

Cecilia always trusted Sven. Calvin once claimed twenty ordinary men were no match for him. Sven had survived unimaginable hardships.

Inside the mall, Cecilia chose clothes for her family. The children and Martha were easy, but Nathaniel presented a challenge. He'd always worn expensive, tailor-made, monochromatic clothing—gloomy and cheerless. Cecilia deliberately selected inexpensive, brightly colored clothes for him.

“Sven, why don’t you pick out a couple of outfits too?”

Sven, at the door, was surprised but quickly declined: “That’s not necessary. Thank you.”

Cecilia pondered this. Remembering Sven's recent hometown trip to end his engagement, she wondered if he now had a girlfriend, making it awkward for her to pay. She hastily clarified, “Don’t misunderstand. Feel free to choose. As your boss, I’ll cover it. Even if your girlfriend finds out, she won’t mind.” As a woman, she understood the propriety of not buying clothes for men with partners.

An unusual expression softened Sven's usually cold face. “I don’t have a girlfriend. I declined because I’m already salaried.” He’d ended his engagement due to a lack of genuine feelings and his fiancée's betrayal.

Cecilia felt awkward. “Alright then.” Sven's refusal of her offer impressed her—a bodyguard rejecting his boss's generosity. She considered a significant bonus for him on payday.

After shopping, they headed to the underground parking lot. Sven helped load the purchases into the trunk. From a dimly lit corner, five or six men wielding iron rods emerged.

Sven's eyes narrowed. He told Cecilia, “Get in the car.”

“Alright, be careful,” she replied, entering the car.

The leader, seeing Sven's imposing figure and clean-cut appearance, underestimated him. He felt no fear.

“We’ve business with her. Stay out of it, or you’ll die.”

Sven ignored him, calmly finishing loading the trunk.

“Who sent you?”

The leader chuckled. “Does it matter?”

“If you don’t want to die, leave!” Sven repeated.

Sven unbuttoned and discarded his jacket. The leader was startled. “You want to die! Attack!” Their employers were powerful; killing someone wouldn't matter.

The men charged. Cecilia watched Sven dispatch them. In fifteen minutes, all six lay groaning, unable to rise.

Sven stepped on the leader's hand. “Speak. Who sent you?”

The man cried out, begging for mercy. “I don’t know. Only a secretary named Riley. Please, her number!”