Page 95 of Knot Heirs: Serenity's Reign

She arched an eyebrow. "The Vale corporate cards work just fine at department stores."

"But they don't offer the discretion we need." He guided her toward a section of evening wear that probably cost more than her former apartment's yearly rent. "Besides, I enjoy seeing quality draped across your skin."

The comment, delivered with such casual possession, sent an unwelcome heat blooming across her chest. She busied herself with examining a midnight blue gown to hide her reaction.

"This would complement your eyes," Darius said, his fingers trailing along the fabric of an emerald silk dress. The gesturewas innocent enough, but something in the deliberate way he touched the material made her think of those same fingers tracing paths along her bare skin.

"Too ostentatious," she replied, proud that her voice remained steady.

He chuckled, moving to a rack of more streamlined designs. "Perhaps something more... strategic, then. This one." He selected a black column dress with a tasteful slit and an unusual golden pattern that caught the light when it moved. "The color will help you blend into shadows if needed, while still commanding respect in the boardroom."

Serenity blinked, surprised by his practical assessment. "You've given this thought."

"I give everything thought where you're concerned." He lifted the hanger, bringing the fabric close enough that she could feel its quality. His knuckles brushed against her collarbone as he held it near her face. "Your safety. Your position. Your... satisfaction."

The last word hung between them, charged with meaning.

"Is that what this is about?" She kept her voice low, aware of the staff pretending not to watch them. "Keeping me satisfied so I don't make trouble for your plans?"

His eyes darkened slightly. "My plans and yours align more than you're willing to admit, Serenity. The Vale Empire needs stabilizing. The Castellano family can provide that structure."

"And I'm just the convenient Omega heir that makes it all neat and tidy?"

"There's nothing convenient about you," he said, his voice dropping to a register that made her inner Omega stir uncomfortably. "You're the most inconvenient, stubborn, brilliant complication I've ever encountered."

His fingers lingered on the dress fabric, inches from her skin. The action seemed innocuous to any observers, but Serenity felt the heat of his proximity like a physical touch.

"Try this one," he said, selecting another gown in a deep crimson that matched the flecks in her eyes. "And perhaps this." He added a sleek pantsuit that somehow managed to be both professional and undeniably sexy.

"Shopping with the enemy," she muttered, accepting the garments despite herself. "Not how I planned to spend my afternoon."

His lips curved. "Is that what I am? Your enemy?"

The question hung between them, surrounded by luxury that felt both foreign and strangely familiar—a reminder of the world she'd inherited but hadn't yet claimed.

"I haven't decided yet," she answered honestly, meeting his gaze directly. "Enemy, ally, something else entirely. The jury's still out."

"Then consider this research," he suggested, his fingers brushing against hers as he handed her another selection. "Know your enemy... intimately."

The word choice wasn't accidental; nothing Darius did ever was. And despite all her training and determination, Serenity couldn't ignore how her pulse quickened at the promise in his eyes, even as her mind struggled to maintain focus on the mission ahead.

The attendant escorted Serenity to a private dressing room, a veritable sanctuary of champagne-colored velvet and gilt-edged mirrors. The spacious enclosure was designed for the boutique's most elite clientele—people like Darius Castellano, whose mere presence commanded the best of everything.

Serenity slipped into the crimson dress, the silk sliding over her skin like water. The fabric hugged her curves perfectly, as if it had been crafted specifically for her body. She turned to assessherself in the three-panel mirror, adjusting the thin straps on her shoulders.

That's when she caught his reflection.

Darius stood in the doorway, having quietly entered the dressing room without her noticing. The lock clicked softly behind him, but the sound rang in her ears like a gunshot. His gray eyes held hers in the mirror, intense and unwavering, containing a hunger that made her breath catch.

"I didn't invite you in," she said, her voice steadier than she felt.

"You didn't have to." His gaze traveled down her body, the heat of it almost tangible. "The dress is perfect. As I knew it would be."

Serenity's financial training had taught her to assess value dispassionately, but there was nothing dispassionate about the way Darius looked at her—as if she were something precious and rare that he intended to possess completely.

"Is this how you typically shop with business associates?" She raised an eyebrow, trying to maintain the calculated precision in her tone despite the quickening of her pulse.

"There's nothing typical about you, Serenity Vale." He moved closer, each deliberate step narrowing the distance between them. "Or about what's between us."

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