Seeing how her eyes moistened the very moment he blurted out the question, George was taken aback to speak further.
He was at a loss for words; thus, he swallowed hard. He only wanted to persuade Stella, but she took it too seriously that his action instantly hurt her.
George stepped forward to coax the woman, who froze on her feet, feeling humiliated. Yet, before he could reach her side, Florian emerged in one of the fitting rooms and spoke with a hint of mockery.
"Drop your act, Stella. They prepared the dress for Krishna, and you knew that very well. Yet, you insisted on trying it."
Those words were actually a total blow to Stella. She was his wife, but he never put up such consideration to what she would feel after he revealed her facade. Moreover, he no longer cares to give her face in the presence of strangers!
Standing by the corner, the three store assistants lowered their heads, pretending to be deaf the entire time. They would only move once called out.
Stella turned around and watched her husband scanning his reflection in the full-body-sized mirror.
"The inner shirt is too big for me. I need a smaller one."
"Right away, sir!" A store assistant sprang to her feet to get another shirt for him.
Meanwhile, Stella was still in a trance, staring at her handsome husband. However, she was only ignored, as usual.
'When did he get in here!?'
After Florian left last night, he ignored her calls and messages. Then this morning, she sent another text to her husband, reminding him about their dress fittings for tomorrow night's banquet.
However, the same as last night, Florian ignored her.
'It could be because Krishna was also coming?'
He actually came without her noticing his arrival. With that thought, Stella gripped the skirt of the gown. Indeed, she tried on the dress even though she was fully aware the gown was reserved for Krishna.
She lied to the store assistant that there was a misunderstanding and the dress was supposed to be for her. She was persistent that the poor employee could not stop her from taking it out of the hangar.
When she arrived a while ago, she heard the store manager instructing someone about the dress Mr. Graham reserved for Krishna.
Thus, she did it intentionally, thinking the store manager was referring to her husband. However, she was wrong. Mr. Graham, who ordered the dress, was actually George, which shocked her!
'Is George serious about Krishna? Does he even know she is a vixen?'
"George…" Stella called out to him in a hoarse voice. She ensured she sounded pitiful after she felt embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I thought it was Florian who reserved the dress and…."
She was prepared to put up an endless act and would not be tired the entire day. She was daring because she was well aware that she was George's weakness. He says no to her even once.
In fact, George had pampered her more than her own husband. Thus, she is brave to instigate a facade against Krishna.
"Hello, good morning!"
"Anna!" Krishna was delighted to see Anna entering the VIP lounge.
Honestly, she was already suffocated with the invisible tension creeping in her chest, watching Stella squeezing tears as she was embarrassed when her husband humiliated her in front of the people in the room, who were strangers except for George and Florian.
Having Anna in the room, she breathes with relief. With her around, it can restrain Stella from putting up more drama. She believes Anna would protect her as the new face of her company.
Unless Anna sides with Stella because of George, in the end, Anna's business partner matters the most.
To her surprise, Anna walked up straight to her and pulled her to the side. She did not spare a look at Stella, who was wearing the dress that was supposed to be hers. She wondered what Anna had in mind.
However, Anna proceeds to do her work. With a tape measure in her hand, she began to get her vital statistics, then announced the numbers to her secretary to list them on her TAB.
"Hmm… Your waist is less than one inch. Have you gone on a diet these past two days?"
Anna fired this question after she took her waist measurement, which astounded her. This morning, George scolded her for not taking care of her figure. Now her frustration with having no proper breakfast dissipated.
"Umm, I only had a light breakfast this morning," she said timidly.
"Alright. As long as you won't starve yourself, that's fine," said Anna with a smile. Then she sounded teasing. "However, we have a problem right here. Please lift your arms."
Krishna followed Anna's instructions. She lifted her arms without minding which part of her body to measure next.
"Your bust was really huge. I need to adjust the initial measurement I put on the dress."
"Oh." Krishna was supposed to be proud that she had ample natural breasts. It's just that it got even more significant after she gave birth, and today, she couldn't pump the milk out. Unlike yesterday, Donny brought her a pump breast machine so that she could donate her breastmilk to the Mother and Child Care Foundation, founded by Anna's mother-in-law.
She was happy that even her son George could not have them; it would not just go to waste. Instead, there were children she could save. Children whose mothers died gave birth or mothers who had difficulty lactating and producing breast milk.
"Alright. We're done. Come back after lunch tomorrow to have a final fitting of your dress."
Anna sounded, interrupting her fleeting thoughts toward pitiful children who lost their mothers after giving birth.
"Oh. I will not try it today?" she asked, still dazed.
"I still had a few things to modify the dress." Anna shook her head and explained. "I thought I would not make it, so I didn't show Mr. Graham my latest design. I still had a few things to modify. But I can finish the dress by tonight. Then tomorrow, you can wear it."
"I see." She nodded and did not ask further. Standing next to George, her job is to look pretty; thus, she would not complain but accept what dress her boss will provide her. Besides, she trusted Anna. "Thank you, Anna."
"Hummed. Then, if nothing else, I'll return to my workplace." After she bid goodbye to Krishna, Anna turned to George and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Graham. The dress meets your requirements. You would not be disappointed."
"Very well then." George nodded with satisfaction, even though he didn't see the dress yet. He trusted Anna and acknowledged her as one of the most talented designers in the world.
Anna left without looking at Stella or sparing a minute to check on her if there was a need to adjust her desired evening gown for tonight.
When Anna returned to her office, she walked straight to a secret room where she worked on her best designs, which no one on earth had seen.
Scanning the diamond dress, she fished out her phone from her trouser's pocket and dialed a particular contact.
"Hello?" On the other line, a woman who seemed to have just woken up from her deep slumber answered timidly. Her eyelids fluttered, then squinting her eyes to see the room clearer, searching for a figure beside her. However, she was left alone on the bed.
She sat up and scanned the entire bedroom. It was a mess like a hurricane had just passed by. Clothes were scattered everywhere, and even the furniture had moved from its original place after the wild night, which had just ended a few hours ago.
'Alec Graham Pereira! You've overdone it!" The woman's chest filled with frustration. She reached for her waist as it ached from being attacked all night. She gently rubbed her bottom as she continued to listen to Anna.
"She tried to ruin my dress."
Anna sounded that shot her senses to be fully awake.
"What did you say?! That murderer bitch?"
"Yeah. She snatched Krishna's dress. I'm glad I haven't revealed its entire design. So no one has seen the full skirt yet."
"Hmm…"
Hearing this, the woman, none other than Camilla, had a wicked grin playing on her swollen lips.
"Do you have another dress that has the same design?"
"Yes, I have. A lady of a distinguished family in Geneva ordered this dress. Since I only plan to make three, two haven't been sent out yet."
"Can I have one with a full skirt? I'll pay for the damage."
Anna was not a person who would destroy another woman. However, there was an exemption when this person deserved to be slapped in the face.
"No problem, you need not do that," said Anna. Then she added, "I will modify it so my client would not complain about why I produce more dresses of the same design. But are you?"
Anna trailed off her words, putting a trail on her complete sentence, which it's difficult for Camilla to understand.
"Huh! Does she want some games? Then I will satisfy her tomorrow night!"