Lila’s POV
The helicopter landed smoothly on the hotel helipad in Dubai City Center. Stepping out of the cabin, I was imdiately t with the air of a modern tropolis, a stark contrast to the desert. The warm sea breeze carried a faint floral scent and the sll of car exhaust. All around us, skyscrapers towered, their glass curtain walls glistening in the sun.
I took a deep breath, savoring the long-missed hustle and bustle of the civilized world. While my ti in the desert had helped grow, I had to admit, it felt so good to be walking on solid, flat asphalt, watching the endless stream of cars and well-dressed pedestrians go by.
"Let’s go, my Priest." Jasper walked over to , casually taking my small bag and then my hand. "First, let’s get you changed. Dressed like that, you’ll be mistaken for a performance artist at the entrance of a five-star hotel."
I glanced down at myself. I’d worn a set of practical tactical gear for the desert trip. While useful, it looked completely out of place here on the streets of Dubai. I looked like an extra who had just wandered off the set of an adventure film.
We took an elevator straight to the presidential suite and washed off the gri from our travels. The mont the hot water hit my skin, I almost moaned in pure bliss. ’It’s been so many days. I can finally use body wash and shampoo again.’
After changing into a lightweight dress, I finally felt human again.
"Where to next?" I asked, drying my hair as I looked over at Jasper, who was sitting on the sofa dealing with work.
He closed his laptop, and a sly glint flashed in his golden eyes. "Shopping. Did you forget? We still need to get a gift for Zoe."
A wave of warmth washed over at the re ntion of Zoe’s na.
"Right! Desert roses and cal milk chocolate!" I slapped my forehead. I’d almost forgotten.
Jasper stood and ca over to , tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear. "I’ve already looked it up," he said. "The most authentic traditional cal milk chocolate and natural desert rose crystals are sold at the intersection of the Spice Market (Spice Souk) and the Gold Market (Gold Souk) in the old city."
"You looked it up?" I asked, looking at him in surprise. ’The great Wolf King of the Hale family, actually researching the best places to buy gifts?’
Jasper raised an eyebrow, his expression matter-of-fact. "Of course. Zoe hasn’t said anything, but I can tell she’s really looking forward to your gift. Besides..."
He paused, a gentle smile playing on his lips. "I also want to see you while you’re out shopping. After being cooped up in the desert for so long, you must be dying to get out and explore, right?"
I smiled. ’That was Jasper for you. Sotis he was domineering and intense, but he always managed to show the most thoughtful tenderness in the smallest of ways.’
————
The old city of Dubai was a world apart from its modern skyscrapers. Low-slung shops lined the narrow streets, and the air was thick with the rich scent of spices, coffee, and grilled at. Colorful textiles, dazzling displays of ceramics, and gleaming copperware made it impossible to know where to look first.
I moved between the stalls like a curious child. Places like this, bustling with life, always made feel relaxed and happy.
"Excuse , how much is this?" I asked, stopping at a stall piled high with all sorts of mineral crystals. In the center of the display sat several bizarrely shaped gypsum crystals. Their overlapping layers resembled blooming roses, and they had a faint, earthy yellow and brown hue. These were the legendary "desert roses."
The owner, an enthusiastic Arab man, saw my interest and imdiately launched into a sales pitch. "Oh, miss! You have a wonderful eye! These are the most authentic desert roses, all the way from the Libyan Desert! Each one is a miracle of nature, a symbol of resilience and beauty!"
I picked one up to examine it more closely. Its "petals" were hard yet fragile, with a distinct texture, as if a real rose had been frozen in ti.
"Jasper, look at this. Zoe would love it. She adores collecting all sorts of weird rocks," I said, turning to Jasper.
Jasper was standing behind , his hands in the pockets of his coat, his eyes fixed on . When he heard , he just nodded. "Then we’ll buy them all."
"All of them?" I asked, startled. "Can’t I just pick out a few of the best ones?"
Jasper ca over, picked up a desert rose, and gave it a careless glance. "If we’re going to buy them, we’ll buy the best, and we’ll buy the most."
He turned to the owner and said a few words in fluent Arabic. The man froze for a mont, then his face broke into a wide grin as he nodded eagerly.
"What did you say to him?" I asked curiously.
"Nothing much," Jasper shrugged. "I just told him that if he didn’t bring out all of his best stock, I’d throw his entire stall into the sea."
I sighed and put my hand to my forehead. ’Yep, that’s the sa old domineering Jasper.’
Next, we went to the candy shop next door. A rich, milky aroma washed over us the mont we stepped inside. There was a huge variety of chocolates, but my eyes were imdiately drawn to the cal milk chocolate displayed in the most prominent spot. The cute cal printed on the packaging looked absolutely appetizing.
"This one, this one, and this one," I said, pointing to a few different flavors of cal milk chocolate on the shelf. "Zoe said she wanted to try them."
Jasper stood beside , his gaze softening as he watched deliberate over my choices. He didn’t just swipe his card and buy out the whole store like he might in a mall. Instead, he waited patiently by my side, listening as I haggled with the clerk and tried to figure out which flavors Zoe would like best.
"You look like you’re enjoying this," he said suddenly, his voice low and gentle.
I glanced back at him and nodded with a smile. "Of course. Picking out a gift for soone you care about is a joy in itself, isn’t it? Just swiping a card would take all the fun out of it."
Jasper nodded thoughtfully, but when the clerk quoted the price, he still pulled out a black card without a mont’s hesitation. "All of these. Wrap them up."
"Jasper!" I exclaid, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. "I told you I wanted to take my ti!"
"You’re done choosing," he said matter-of-factly. "And since you’re done, we’re buying them. I don’t want to watch you waste ti over a little bit of money."
I was about to protest, but he had already handed the bags, large and small, to the bodyguard following us. Then, he turned and looked into the window of a high-end jewelry store next door.
"Jasper, weren’t we supposed to be shopping for Zoe? What are you looking at now?" I asked warily.
Jasper didn’t answer. He just took my hand and led straight into the brilliantly lit jewelry store.
"Jasper, I really don’t need anything..." I tried to pull away, but it was too late.
"Ma’am, our newest arrivals have just co in. Please, feel free to have a look." The saleswoman was a sharp-eyed young woman. One glance at Jasper’s aura and attire told her she’d run into an ultra-wealthy client, and she imdiately hurried over to greet us enthusiastically.
Jasper ignored the saleswoman, walking straight to a display case and pointing to a uniquely designed diamond necklace inside. "Take that one out."
It was a Cartier necklace. Countless tiny diamonds were embedded in its platinum setting, with a teardrop-shaped sapphire at the center. It looked like a frozen drop of seawater, shimring with a deep and captivating light.
"Jasper, this is too much..." I said, instinctively trying to refuse.
"It’s not," he cut off, his gaze resolute. "You’re more dazzling than the necklace."
He insisted that the saleswoman take out the necklace, then he put it on himself. The cool tal touched my skin, but Jasper’s fingers felt searing hot.
"Beautiful," he said, looking at . His eyes were filled with undisguised love and possessiveness. "My Lila deserves to have the best things in the world."
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