Interesting
1903 Words
Nathan led Sera out of Luminère, both of them carrying multiple shopping bags emblazoned with the boutique's elegant logo. Sera kept glancing down at the bags, then back at Nathan, as if she still couldn't quite believe what had just happened.
"Where to next?" she asked, her voice slightly breathless.
Nathan scanned the mall corridor, his eyes moving from storefront to storefront. "Shoes," he declared. "You can't wear those old flats with your new dresses."
Sera looked down at her feet. The black flats she wore were standard issue from the Nashville estate—practical, plain, and showing their age. She'd worn them nearly every day for three years.
"I guess they are pretty worn out," she admitted.
"Pretty worn out?" Nathan raised an eyebrow. "Sera, they're falling apart. Come on."
He steered her toward a high-end shoe boutique called "Stiletto & Grace." The window display featured shoes that looked more like art pieces than footwear—heels adorned with crystals, flats in butter-soft leather, boots that rose to the knee in supple suede.
Inside, the store smelled of leather and luxury. Shoes lined the walls on backlit shelves, each pair positioned like a museum exhibit. A middle-aged woman in an impeccably tailored suit approached them immediately.
"Good morning. How may I assist you today?"
"My sister needs shoes," Nathan said simply. "Multiple pairs. Heels, flats, boots, sandals—whatever she needs to go with her new wardrobe."
The woman's eyes lit up. "Of course. Please, have a seat." She gestured to a plush velvet sofa in the center of the store. "What size are you, dear?"
"Um, seven," Sera said, settling onto the sofa with her shopping bags arranged around her feet.
"Perfect. I'll bring out some selections." The woman disappeared into a back room.
Sera leaned toward Nathan. "Multiple pairs? Nathan, I only need one or two—"
"You need at least one pair for every outfit we bought," Nathan interrupted. "That's twelve pairs minimum."
"Twelve?" Sera's voice rose. "Nathan, that's—"
"Not nearly enough, probably," he continued, "but it's a start."
Before Sera could protest further, the saleswoman returned pushing a cart loaded with shoeboxes. She began opening them one by one, revealing gorgeous shoes in various styles and colors.
"Let's start with these nude heels," she suggested, pulling out a pair of elegant pumps. "These are versatile—they'll go with almost anything."
Sera slipped them on hesitantly. They fit perfectly, and when she stood, they added three inches to her height. She walked a few steps, wobbling slightly.
"I'm not used to heels," she admitted.
"You'll learn," Nathan said. "They look great. We'll take them."
The saleswoman smiled. "Excellent choice. Now, let's try these black stilettos..."
For the next hour, Sera tried on shoes. Heels in every height and color. Ballet flats in soft pastels. Ankle boots in black leather. Strappy sandals that sparkled with tiny crystals. Sneakers that somehow cost more than a month's groceries.
With each pair, Nathan studied them critically, asked Sera if they were comfortable, and almost always said, "We'll take them."
The pile of shoeboxes grew. Ten pairs. Fifteen. Twenty.
"Nathan, this is insane," Sera whispered as the saleswoman went to get another selection from the back. "Twenty pairs of shoes?"
"You deserve them," Nathan said simply. "You spent three years wearing the same pair of flats every single day. Three years of being treated like you didn't matter, like you were invisible. Not anymore."
Sera's eyes welled up with tears again, but she blinked them back. "I don't know what to say."
"Don't say anything. Just enjoy it."
When they finally finished, the total came to forty-seven thousand, two hundred dollars. Nathan paid without hesitation, the NFC transaction completing in seconds. The saleswoman arranged for the shoes to be delivered to an address Nathan provided—a hotel he'd apparently booked while Sera was trying on dresses.
They left the store with Sera wearing a new pair of comfortable flats, her old ones discarded in the store's trash bin at Nathan's insistence.
"Okay, what's next?" Sera asked, starting to get caught up in the excitement despite herself.
Nathan grinned. "Jewelry."
The jewelry store, "Éclat," was smaller but even more luxurious than the previous shops. Glass cases lined the walls, each one illuminated to showcase the pieces inside. Diamonds sparkled under the lights. Gold gleamed warmly. Precious stones in every color caught and reflected the light.
A young man in a three-piece suit greeted them. "Welcome to Éclat. Are you looking for anything specific today?"
"Bracelets, necklaces, earrings," Nathan said. "Whatever catches her eye."
The jeweler's eyes gleamed. "Of course. Please, let me show you some pieces."
He began pulling out items—a delicate gold bracelet with tiny diamonds. A silver necklace with a sapphire pendant. Pearl earrings that seemed to glow with their own light.
Sera tried on each piece, admiring how they looked against her skin. But she seemed hesitant, uncertain.
Nathan noticed. "You're holding back. Why?"
"They're all so expensive," she whispered. "And I don't know... do I even deserve—"
"Stop," Nathan interrupted firmly. He took her hands in his. "Look at me, Sera."
She met his eyes.
"You are beautiful," he said. "Not just pretty—beautiful. And it's not about the clothes or the jewelry. That's already there. These things just help everyone else see what I've always known. So stop second-guessing yourself and start acting like the beautiful woman you are. Understood?"
Sera's breath caught. For three years, no one had spoken to her like this. No one had made her feel valued, wanted, important. She'd been a maid, a servant, a way to pay off a debt. Nothing more.
Now her brother was looking at her like she was precious. Like she mattered.
She nodded, unable to speak.
"Good," Nathan said. "Now, which pieces do you actually like? Not which ones you think you should get, or which ones are cheapest. Which ones make you happy?"
Sera took a shaky breath and looked back at the display. This time, she let herself really look, really consider. "The gold bracelet," she said. "And those pearl earrings. And... maybe that necklace with the emerald?"
"We'll take all three," Nathan told the jeweler.
"Excellent choices," the man said, carefully removing the pieces. "Would the lady like to wear them now?"
"Yes," Nathan answered before Sera could object.
The jeweler carefully fastened the bracelet around Sera's wrist, then helped her with the earrings. The necklace—a delicate gold chain with a small emerald pendant—went around her neck, settling just below the base of her throat.
Sera looked at herself in the mirror the jeweler provided. The transformation was remarkable. The jewelry added an elegance to her appearance, a sophistication that made her look years older and infinitely more refined.
"You see?" Nathan said softly. "Beautiful."
The jewelry came to eighteen thousand dollars. Nathan paid, and they continued through the mall.
Next was perfume. They entered a boutique called "Essence," where hundreds of bottles lined mirrored shelves. A sophisticated older woman helped Sera test different scents, spraying small amounts on paper strips, then on Sera's wrists.
"This one is floral, very feminine," the woman explained, offering one strip.
"This one is more sophisticated, with notes of amber and vanilla," she said, presenting another.
Sera sniffed each one carefully. Some were too strong, making her wrinkle her nose. Others were too sweet, almost cloying. But a few made her smile.
"I like this one," she said, holding up a bottle of pale pink liquid. "And this one." Another bottle, this time in a sleek black container.
"Excellent taste," the woman said. "These are both from our premium collection. Would you like the full sizes or the travel sizes?"
"Full sizes," Nathan said. "Two of each."
"Two?" Sera turned to him. "Nathan, one bottle lasts for months."
"Then you'll have backups," Nathan said with a shrug. "Plus one for the hotel and one for wherever we end up living."
The perfumes came to nine thousand dollars for four bottles. Nathan paid.
They moved to watches next. The watch boutique, "Chronos," displayed timepieces that were more mechanical marvels than simple accessories. The salesman, an elderly gentleman with a careful, precise manner, showed them pieces with visible gears, with diamonds on the face, with leather bands soft as butter.
Sera tried on a delicate rose gold watch with a white face and tiny diamonds at the hour markers. It caught the light beautifully, sparkling with every movement of her wrist.
"This one," she said decisively. "This is the one I want."
Nathan smiled. "Finally getting the hang of this, huh?"
She blushed but nodded. "Maybe a little."
The watch cost twenty-three thousand dollars. Nathan paid without blinking.
As they left Chronos, Sera was wearing her new watch, her new jewelry, and had reapplied her new perfume. She looked down at herself—designer clothes, expensive accessories, shopping bags from the most exclusive stores in the city.
"I feel like I'm dreaming," she murmured.
"You're not," Nathan assured her. "This is real. This is your life now."
They continued shopping. A boutique specializing in handbags—Sera picked out four, including a structured black leather tote and a smaller crossbody bag in burgundy. Twelve thousand dollars.
A lingerie store where Sera blushed furiously but Nathan insisted she needed basics. The attendant was professional and discreet, helping Sera select items while Nathan waited outside. Eight thousand dollars.
A cosmetics store where a makeup artist gave Sera a full consultation, teaching her application techniques while filling a bag with foundations, lipsticks, eyeshadows, and brushes. Fifteen thousand dollars.
By early afternoon, they'd accumulated so many bags that Nathan had to call the driver to come collect them and take them to the hotel. They met him at a side entrance, loaded up the sedan, and sent him off with instructions to return in an hour.
"Are we done?" Sera asked, looking slightly dazed.
"Almost," Nathan said. "One more stop."
He led her to a boutique near the center of the mall. "Accessories," was all the sign said, in simple gold lettering.
Inside, they found sunglasses, scarves, belts, hair accessories—all the small touches that completed an outfit. Sera picked out sunglasses in two styles, several silk scarves in different patterns, and a collection of hair pins and clips.
Nathan added a leather belt in black and one in brown, both with subtle designer logos. "You'll need these," he said.
Total: seven thousand dollars.
As the attendant wrapped their purchases, Nathan pulled out his phone to pay. He was holding the device over the payment terminal when someone walked past their counter—a tall man in an expensive suit, perfectly tailored, with designer shoes that probably cost more than a used car.
The man's eyes swept over Nathan, taking in his simple black shorts and white tank top. His lip curled in obvious disdain.
"Interesting," the man said loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear, "that they're letting just anyone shop here now. I thought this mall had standards."
He didn't wait for a response, just continued walking, his expensive shoes clicking against the marble floor.
The attendant looked embarrassed. "Sir, I apologize for—"
Nathan held up a hand, stopping her. His expression remained calm, but Sera saw something flash in his ice-blue eyes. Something cold and sharp.
- Writer
