Rain arrived at the boutique just in ti, eting her Aunt lanie, who had co with Rico. Without wasting a mont, Rain whisked her aunt away and began picking out clothes—daily outfits, casual wear, formal attire, and much more.
"Rain, this isn’t necessary! Look how expensive all these things are. It’s too much. I don’t need all this!" her aunt protested, but Rain brushed her off.
"I’m only getting you a week’s worth of clothes, Aunt," Rain replied with a playful pout. "Co on, try everything on and choose more. Trust , it’s better to pick what you like, or you’ll end up with a walk-in closet stuffed with random things!" she added with a grin, whispering to Aunt lanie about how her father-in-law had done that to her closet.
"You see, Alexander brought us here, and it wouldn’t feel right to turn down his kindness. Please, make my husband happy and get everything you need." She then signalled the manager, who imdiately ca over to assist her aunt.
While Aunt lanie was in the fitting room, Rain sat beside Alexander, who had been quietly watching her from the couch.
"I’m going to lt under your gaze," she teased, and Alexander simply smiled, pulling her closer. Rain comfortably leaned on his shoulder, her eyes drifting to the dressing room where her aunt was trying on clothes.
"You know, my aunt is the reason I’m where I am today," Rain said thoughtfully. "When I was twelve, she secretly gave the money she had saved without my father knowing. My stepmother didn’t want to continue high school, and my father refused to support , but Aunt lanie made sure I did."
"Your aunt is a remarkable woman," Alexander said softly.
Rain’s eyes welled up as she whispered, "Yes, she is. During senior high, I caught her skipping in buying things she needed despite the money my father gave her every month. She was saving it all so I could continue on to college. That’s when I pushed myself even harder. I applied for and got a scholarship, and took on part-ti jobs."
"And you’re a remarkable woman too," Alexander praised as he patted and then kissed her head.
Rain smiled, feeling a warmth she rarely experienced, especially after years of hearing nothing but harsh words in the Clayton household.
"Ah, I guess I was lucky to have Clifford back then—he was great at managing my money. He managed to double or even triple what I asked him to keep for ," she added with a grin, half-expecting Alexander to join in the praise. But he said nothing.
Curious, Rain shifted to look at him. "No praise for Clifford? Like how great he was?" she teased with a playful grin.
Alexander frowned slightly before replying, "Yeah, I guess he’s good at his job."
She chuckled, poking his side. "Don’t tell you’re jealous of my friend! Clifford’s a nice guy. Be nice to him—I’m sure you two will get along just fine. You did when you were Chubby and Enigma, right?"
"Well, I’ll try to be nice to him. But you’re right... I guess I’m jealous of him since he spent so much ti with you. The two of you practically grew up together," Alexander confessed.
Rain’s cheeks flushed deeply at his bold admission. He casually admitted he was jealous. Then again, he had told her before that he liked her. Could this an they could toss the four-month marriage contract aside now? He’d even apologized earlier for blackmailing her into keeping the marriage if she agreed to have a baby.
’Maybe I should clarify it with him later,’ she thought. It was better to know if they were on the sa page—communication was key, after all.
It didn’t take long for Aunt lanie to finish her fitting. She chose a few outfits, but Rain added more essentials like underwear and comfortable daily clothes. After shopping, the three of them went to a fine dining restaurant with a stunning view of the city lights.
"I can’t rember the last ti I ate at a restaurant like this," Aunt lanie said, closing her eyes as she enjoyed the smooth, relaxing music played by the pianist.
"If you accepted Uncle Ben as your boyfriend, I’m sure he’d take you to places like this all the ti!" Rain teased, making her aunt blush. "It’s obvious he’s smitten with you. Like Father-in-law said, it’s love at first sight!"
"Rain, stop that," Aunt lanie scolded, glancing at Alexander, embarrassed. She quickly turned to him and asked, "Did Uncle Ben ever have a wife or girlfriend?"
Alexander shook his head. "As far as I know, he’s stayed single since he started working as my father’s assistant. I rember Dad teasing him to move out and get a life—maybe find a relationship or get married—but Uncle Ben always said he was too lazy for all that. I think... he just hasn’t t soone he’s wanted to pursue."
Rain’s eyes sparkled as she looked at her aunt, whose face was glowing and blushing. There was no way Aunt lanie would react like that if Uncle Ben didn’t have so effect on her!
In the middle of dinner, Aunt lanie excused herself to go to the restroom. "I’ll go with you," Rain offered, but her aunt shook her head with a reassuring smile. "Rain, it’s not like I can’t go to the restroom by myself. Let enjoy feeling like a normal person for a bit."
Rain nodded, though she kept her eyes on her aunt until she reached the restroom area.
Once Aunt lanie was out of sight, Rain voiced sothing she’d been thinking about for a while. "The process of getting Aunt lanie her freedom would be much easier if she got married. We wouldn’t have to fight for her shares in Clayton University Hospital or her inheritance from their parents—none of that matters. What truly matters is freeing Aunt lanie from my father’s complete guardianship over her."
She paused, glancing at Alexander. "Finding soone reliable for her to trust with everything has been difficult, especially with my father’s influence. He could easily manipulate any man Aunt lanie marries—unless it’s soone like Uncle Ben."
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