The ssages went out, but there was no reply from Connor Quinn’s end. Complete silence.
It wasn’t until the next morning that Moira Sloan saw his reply.
He’d replied at two in the morning with two simple words: I don’t.
Moira had actually expected such a reply.
But when she received the definitive answer, she couldn’t help but be utterly shocked.
’A man in his early thirties, and he doesn’t even have one decent outfit to his na.’
’Just how broke was he?’
The thought of him being broke led her to think about his family situation.
He was an orphan, and he and his sister relied on each other.
Thinking about his family made Moira’s mind wander, and she rembered their chance encounter at the hospital.
His sister seed to be ill and urgently needed a lot of money for an operation.
Moira pursed her lips at the thought, her slender fingertips typing on the screen: Do you have ti today?
This ti, Connor Quinn’s reply was instant: Yes. What’s wrong?
Moira: I’m taking you to buy clothes.
’She couldn’t have him showing up in rags and embarrassing her.’
They agreed on a ti, and Connor Quinn drove to pick her up.
Moira got in the car and opened her phone’s map app. She searched for a few brands she knew, but each search ended in disappointnt.
Finally, Moira put her phone away and turned to Connor Quinn. "Are there any malls with designer n’s stores here?"
"There aren’t any," Connor Quinn replied.
Moira asked, "What about sothing with at least decent quality?"
"Probably not," Connor Quinn said, his expression unchanged.
Moira said no more, slumping into her seat, utterly dejected.
’You can’t make bricks without straw.’
’Even with all her money, she couldn’t buy sothing that simply wasn’t there.’
’The Emperor’s New Clothes?’
Seeing Moira’s silence, Connor Quinn glanced over at her. "Should we check downtown? They should have so there."
It was only an hour and a half drive from Everwood County to downtown via the highway.
Hearing this, Moira nodded imdiately without much thought.
’It wasn’t like she had a choice. She was capable of telling a little white lie now and then, but she couldn’t perform magic and pull an outfit out of thin air.’
Neither of them spoke on the way to the city.
Connor Quinn wasn’t a talkative person by nature, and Moira simply didn’t feel like speaking.
As they got off the highway, Moira glanced at the toll display before lazily looking away.
Connor Quinn had been right; downtown did have a few dedicated n’s clothing stores.
They were a far cry from what Atheria had to offer, but at least they were decent.
They picked a store and went inside. The mont they stepped through the door, two salesclerks greeted them enthusiastically.
Connor Quinn was clearly unused to this kind of atmosphere. His brow furrowed, and he exuded an icy chill.
Moira, on the other hand, was quite accustod to such effusive greetings.
’Shopping is a woman’s nature, and spending money is a primal awakening.’
Once the salesclerks realized Moira was the one in charge of the shopping, they stopped hovering around Connor Quinn and focused all their enthusiastic attention on her.
Moira appreciated the enthusiasm, but she wasn’t easily swayed.
She let them talk while she did her own browsing.
Finally, Moira pointed to three suits. "Have him try on those three."
The salesclerk followed her finger, her eyes crinkling into a smile. "You have excellent taste. Those are all from our new collection."
Moira arched an eyebrow, a faint, mocking smile playing on her lips. "Not the third one. That’s from last year’s collection."
The salesclerk’s expression stiffened at her words.
Moira paid her no mind, simply tilting her chin toward Connor Quinn, who was standing nearby. "Go try them on."
Connor Quinn ca forward, took the clothes from the clerk, and went into the fitting room.
As Connor Quinn went inside, Moira found a plush chair, sat down, crossed her legs, and scrolled through her phone.
A mont later, Connor Quinn erged, having changed.
’You had to admit, so n were just born to be clothes horses.’
When she saw Connor Quinn appear before her, dressed impeccably in a suit, Moira’s eyebrow twitched, and a flash of stunned admiration lit up her eyes.
’Yes, stunned was the right word.’
’It was a complete reversal of his usual temperant and aura.’
The salesclerk couldn’t help but gush, "Sir, you look so handso in that suit! Your girlfriend has excellent taste."
Moira wasn’t fond of the word ’girlfriend,’ but she didn’t dispute the rest of the complint. A smile touched her lips as she said, "Go ahead and try on the other two."
After he had tried on the next two suits, Connor Quinn waited impassively for Moira to make her decision.
Moira chuckled and stood up. With a magnanimous wave of her hand, she swiped her card to pay.
All three suits. She signed up for a mbership, and with the discount, the total ca to thirteen thousand.
As they left the store, shopping bags in hand, Moira noticed Connor Quinn’s expression was grim.
’She knew what he was thinking. It was just his male pride acting up.’
Moira stopped and looked at him, a slight curve to her red lips. She decided to be direct. "Feeling uncomfortable about this?"
Connor Quinn’s gaze dropped, his jaw tight. He didn’t say a word.
Moira launched into a confident explanation. "You’re helping out this ti, so it’s only right that I cover the costs. If there cos a day when you need my help, you’ll be the one paying. That’s just how the world works, understand? When you ask soone for a favor, you don’t expect them to pay for the privilege, do you?"
Hearing Moira’s explanation, the tension in Connor Quinn’s expression eased slightly.
Just as Moira finished speaking, an eager, familiar voice rang out from behind her. "Connor, what are you doing here?"
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