Luna's Payback: Claiming My Fate!

32:

Veronica had been feeling uneasy for a while now. Javier had been staring at her non-stop, his gaze never leaving her. Not wanting to make a fuss and grateful for all his help, she looked at him and smiled.

"Wow, Dr. Javier, you're really staring at me. Do I look that good? I bet I do, right? Well, of course, I look amazing today because I'm using Mrs. Beatrice Romanov's face," she joked.

Javier snapped back to reality and scratched his head. "Sorry about that. I was just really surprised. It feels like my Luna came back to life. The staff did an amazing job. The money I paid was worth it. They captured Beatrice's look perfectly," he said, clearly impressed.

They were walking inside a high-end shopping mall, and she had no idea where they were headed. They just kept wandering around this luxurious and sophisticated place.

"Yeah, they're talented. They really nailed Beatrice's look. I actually feel embarrassed around you. I didn't expect your wife to be this beautiful. I feel like I'm not worthy to use this kind of face. If your Luna were still alive, and you put us side by side, I'd look like her maid. And now, here I am, using her face," she exclaimed, still in disbelief.

Javier frowned at her and stared intently. "Hey, I don't want to hear that. Don't be too hard on yourself, Veronica. You know, each of us has our own kind of 'beauty.' Maybe you’re not beautiful to some people, but I'm sure there's someone out there who would appreciate your beauty. 'Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,' as they say. Besides, beauty is only skin deep. What truly matters is the goodness inside. Look at your demon of a husband—he tricked you with his angelic looks, but deep down, he has the heart of a devil," he said.

She shrugged. She understood his point, but she knew deep down that her beauty as Veronica was just ordinary. She wasn’t a head-turner, nor did she have the kind of beauty that would leave a lasting impression.

“I’m just being honest, you know? Maybe I’m not ugly, but compared to the face I’m wearing now, I’m nothing. Your wife’s face is stunning. She looks like a goddess.”

“I’m curious about what you really look like, Veronica. I haven’t seen the real you,” he suddenly said, catching her off guard.

She never expected those words to come out of his mouth. He? Curious about her real appearance?

But the old Veronica was a weak woman. Not beautiful. Defeated. She didn’t want to remember her old self. Veronica Albert-Fuentebella was dead.

She shrugged again. “What’s the point, Javier? That Veronica is gone. The old me was a woman whose disappearance from this world wouldn’t be remembered or affect anyone. See? I vanished, and life went on. I’m just nobody, not beautiful. You don’t need to see what I used to look like,” she said, not intending to sound self-pitying, just stating the truth.

Javier felt a pang in his heart. He didn’t like the words he heard from her. Angelo had inflicted deep wounds and insecurities on this woman, and it would take a long time for her to regain her self-worth and love herself again.

"No one's a nobody in this world. If you're thinking that, I'm here. You have me, right? And not just because you're using my Luna's face. You have me, and I have you. Also, I'm sure your family and relatives are worried about you. If you ever change your mind and want to let them know your real situation, I’ll understand. We can go to them," he said, fully supportive.

Veronica looked away. Javier was being too kind to her. It frustrated her because, in her eyes, he seemed perfect—such a stark contrast to her worthless husband.

But she didn’t think she would change her mind. She didn’t want to put her family’s lives in danger. As long as Angelo and his family were alive, her family couldn’t know she was still alive. She was certain that Angelo’s camp would find out if they did.

They continued walking inside the huge mall, and she accidentally caught her reflection in the glass wall of a shop.

Wow, modern technology really is something else. She looked so beautiful, so elegant. She truly captured Beatrice Romanov’s look.

Now she looked like a foreigner. She wasn’t wearing makeup, but she had semi-permanent makeup, so she knew she looked great even when she just woke up. She didn’t need to do her eyebrows, apply foundation, or put on lipstick anymore. Her lips had color, and she had semi-permanent BB cream. Even her nails looked like they belonged to a supermodel.

Javier read her thoughts. “You’re not far off in height from Beatrice. And no one will remember her exact height. That’s too much. My late wife was a bit fairer than you, so keep up with your weekly drip sessions. Nick will take you to the center. Her eye color was different too, so you’ll need to wear contact lenses.”

She suddenly felt nervous, realizing there was so much she needed to learn about his late wife. “What about her voice? I’m sure ours are different. Her habits? The way she talked? Her favorites? Oh my God, I didn’t realize this.”

She wanted to feel disheartened and overwhelmed. They stopped walking, and he held her shoulders, giving them a reassuring squeeze. “Don’t worry too much. I’ll hire you a personal trainer to teach you everything you need to know—about business, the pack, our family members, Beatrice’s habits, and how she carried herself. We won’t go into battle unprepared. We’ll need a few months for you to fully master the persona of my Luna.”

She nodded. It made sense—Javier wasn’t likely to be foolish. He wouldn’t be a doctor, businessman, and Alpha leader if he were careless and didn’t know how to plan.

“Where else are we going? I’m getting tired and hungry.”

He laughed at her tone. “I like that. You’re getting comfortable with me. We just need to stop by Beatrice’s favorite boutique, and then we’ll have dinner.”

She didn’t complain and simply followed him. They arrived at a boutique with many staff inside but no customers. The shop’s name was difficult to pronounce because it was in a different language. Even before they entered, she could already smell the luxurious scent of that women’s store.

“What are we doing here? I’m sure everything here is expensive,” she whispered softly into his ear.

“You need clothes. Shoes. Personal items for women. Accessories. Skincare. Makeup. You don’t want to borrow Beatrice’s clothes forever, right?” he whispered back into her ear.

Her eyes widened. “B-But this is too much. You’ve already spent so much at the salon earlier. Can we just go to a department store instead?”

“This store offers quality. I trust that everything we spend here will be worth it. Besides, you’re going to copy Beatrice’s style, right? This is where she shopped.”

She grimaced when she saw the price of a simple blouse on the rack. He called the attention of the staff there.

It seemed that his late wife was indeed a regular customer, as they immediately recognized and greeted her. “Please help my wife and give her suggestions on what would look good on her and what she should buy. Get her a full closet of clothes—basics, formal, casual, and for special events. Swimwear and undergarments too. Pick out good sandals and shoes. The best skincare and makeup set for her skin type. You know her style and preferences anyway. I’ll just wait here,” he ordered like a king.

The staff couldn’t be more eager to assist, and it seemed like nearly all of them gathered around her, pulling items from the racks and shelves. Javier sat down on a large couch, picked up a magazine, and began reading again.

"Mrs. Romanov, this will look great on you. I’m sure you’ll like this. This collection just came out..." said one of the staff while showing her some sexy lingerie and undergarment sets.

"Do you still have perfume left, Mrs. Romanov? We’ve restocked your favorite scent; it just arrived from France..."

"You’re definitely going to rock these sunglasses, Mrs. Romanov! Your face shape is perfect for this frame," another staff member told her, showing her an elegant pair of sunglasses.

"I’ve picked out the latest dresses for you. If you like them, you can try them on in the fitting room. But I’m sure they’ll all fit you—why not? You’re so sexy," one staff member gasped in admiration, though she could hardly see their face due to the pile of clothes draped over their arms.

"Mrs. Romanov! I’ve got eight pairs of footwear for you. They’re all in your size. I’m sure they’ll look great on your smooth feet. I’ll help you try them on so you won’t have any trouble," another one added.

Other staff members acted like her personal shoppers, selecting items for her, especially the two women assigned to her skincare and makeup.

She felt dizzy, unsure of whom to talk to or listen to first. When she entered the dressing room, they all followed her in, as if they were accustomed to her presence.

They helped her take off her clothes and try on the items they had selected—shoes, jewelry, perfume, and many more.

My God, is this really how rich people live? Beatrice Romanov must have been quite the shopper. But then again, there’s nothing wrong with that since Javier works hard and they’re wealthy.

Suddenly, the Fuentebella family crossed her mind. She was certain they had never experienced a shopping spree like Beatrice Romanov’s. Their jaws would probably drop if they saw how much she was spending.

The Fuentebella family always tried hard to look rich, especially Maria and Anne. They wanted to appear wealthy all the time—social climbers. They’d probably burn with envy if they found out how Javier was shopping for her now.

She couldn’t help but smirk. “Do you like all of them, Mrs. Romanov?” the staff asked in unison.

She wasn’t knowledgeable about these kinds of things since she was just a simple woman. And honestly, everything they picked out for her was beautiful. Besides, Javier wanted her to mimic his late wife’s style and mannerisms, right?

“U-Ugh, yes. I like all of them.”

Javier heard her and stood up from his seat. “Alright, we’ll take all of them.”

It took almost half an hour for them to finish tallying her shopping. She was shocked when she heard the total—twenty-two thousand dollars! What the f**k!

But Javier remained completely cool and handed over his black card, something she had never seen before. “We’ll leave this here. I have a person that will come by later to pick up all those shopping bags.”

“Thank you so much for shopping, Mr. and Mrs. Romanov,”

As soon as they stepped outside, she immediately confronted him. “Are you out of your mind?! Twenty-two thousand dollars! What the hell!”

He just laughed mischievously. “So what? Anything for my wife. Aren’t you hungry? Come on, let’s have dinner before heading home,” he said with a wink, guiding her away.

She was left speechless, overwhelmed by a mix of emotions. But it was the last thing he said that truly shook her.

What did he just say? Did he just call her his WIFE?!