Owned By My Ex's Mafia Uncle

Chapter 9

[Elena's POV]

I sat in that thought for a second, then stepped out of the car.

He knew where Mr. Jackson and my mother were.

And the image of those bodies on the ground from last night... the two men he killed... it was getting sharper in my mind.

I gave up the idea of running. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't outrun the tall driver shadowing me.

We stood in front of the most famous mall in the city. My mom once brought me Christmas shopping here when I was a kid. But after we went bankrupt, I spent every spare second working.

High-end stores like this became a fantasy. Thrift shops and charity stores were more my territory.

"You've been standing here for ten minutes," Mr. N's driver said, a little amused. "It's not like you're getting dressed for fashion week."

I glanced up at him. His brown eyes and those tiny freckles near his nose made him look younger, but his tone was laced with impatience.

I didn't blame him.

"Sorry...sir, uh, Mr. Driver..."

"Caleb," he corrected.

I nodded. "I thought you'd go by something like Mr. C. Isn't that what guys like you do?"

He blinked in surprise, then chuckled - just once. For a second, he looked genuinely cute. But the moment passed quickly, like a rainbow fading from the sky.

He quickly cleared his throat and without warning, Caleb nudged me through the doors of a luxury boutique.

I looked down at my coffee-stained uniform and felt like a stray dog in a palace. The sharp suits and sleek dresses made me shrink into myself.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flicker of distaste on one of the saleswoman's faces - just a flicker before she plastered on a polite smile.

I knew that look.

I'd worked enough customer service jobs to recognize the difference between forced kindness and real warmth. I took a step back, ready to leave, but Caleb waved me forward.

"Just pick something before they start charging us for breathing." he said, turning away as his phone rang.

As he walked off, the saleswoman who'd looked down on me said something in a low voice to her colleague, a blonde with ginger undertones in her hair. Then she walked off.

The second woman hesitated, then approached me with a warm smile.

"Can I help you with something?" she asked, then added kindly, "The restrooms are on the second floor, just so you know."

I got it - she didn't think I was here to shop. But at least she wasn't openly rude.

I glanced at her name tag - Harper - then pulled out the black card Mr. N had given me.

"My..." I hesitated. I didn't want to say owner. I didn't want to say buyer either. "...My boss wants me to pick out a new outfit."

Her gaze landed on the card. For a second, her eyes widened in surprise.

Then she smiled more genuinely. "Of course. What would you like to try on?"

I pointed to a sleek black dress hanging on a nearby rack. "That one. Could I try it, Miss Harper?"

"Of course. What's your size?"

I shook my head and said, "No need. That one will fit."

Years of sketching people for art class since I was a child gave me a good eye for proportions.

The fitting room was bigger than my bedroom. I changed quickly, trying not to think about the fact that the dress probably cost more than my yearly salary.

When I stepped out, Harper's eyes lit up.

"It looks like it was made for you."

I turned to the mirror. The dress hugged my body in all the right places - elegant, understated, powerful. My instincts were right. I always had an eye for pieces that worked.

Just then, the brown head saleswoman - the one with sharp voice - walked over. She looked me up and down like I'd stepped in something.

"Why is a café waitress trying on a limited edition piece?" she snapped. "This isn't a charity store."

I turned my head away, but Harper tried to defuse the situation.

"It's not what you think, Jenny. Her boss - "

"She's a waitress!" Jenny hissed. "I've never seen a café boss send their staff to try on luxury pieces. What if she ruins it? Are you ready to cover the damages out of your paycheck? Because I'm not."

Harper's face flushed red with embarrassment. I opened my mouth, ready to buy the dress just to shut them up and leave -

Then I heard a voice behind me.

"I love that dress," the girl said. "Jake, will you buy it for me?"

"Of course, babe," Jake answered smoothly. "We're seeing Uncle Noah tomorrow, remember? You'll need something appropriate."

I turned.

Caroline and Jake!

They looked just as surprised to see me as I was to see them.