Walking out of the mansion, Coral glanced down at Samuel in her arms. “Let’s head to the supermarket. Don’t mention what happened here to your Mommy and Daddy, okay?”
She had deceived Jessica by using the excuse of going to the supermarket, and she feared that returning empty-handed would raise suspicions.
Furthermore, the matter was still unresolved. If Jessica or Dolores found out, they might impede the process, and who knows when the truth would be revealed then.
Although they had avoided discussing the test in front of him, Samuel was aware of it, which made him uneasy.
He pressed his lips tightly together. “Do they doubt my identity?”
Coral shook her head. “No.”
Samuel smiled, his face filled with disbelief.
Coral explained, “Your Mommy didn’t tell your Daddy about your true identity. She must be angry with him. So, we have to provide evidence and win him over, right?”
It seemed like a valid reason. Samuel looked up at the sky. “I don’t know if Mommy will be mad when she finds out.”
“Do you want your Mommy and Daddy to reconcile and for the four of you to live together as a family?” Coral asked him.
He did.
His sister had been smiling more often these days.
He desired a home and a family, one that included Mommy, Daddy, and grandparents-a complete family.
Coral smiled, knowing that he was following his heart.
She helped him into the car, and they went to the supermarket before heading to the villa.
In the afternoon, while Dolores and Matthew were still out and Jessica was playing with the children in the living room, Coral took a strand of Samuel’s hair and found Matthew’s in the bathroom, handing them to Thomas.
“Master has instructed you to take good care of the children,” Thomas conveyed the order to Coral.
The results were not out yet, and he didn’t want to impulsively approach Dolores and alert her to their plan. He preferred to wait until they had proof.
“Assure him that I will take care of them.”
“Okay.” Thomas left with the hair samples.
Coral returned to the villa.
It was as if their secret meeting had never occurred.
Time flew by quickly, and Dolores’s domestic branch of the custom designing store LEO’s officially opened.
In the early morning, a flower delivery car arrived, and dozens of flower baskets were placed at the doorstep one after another.
Theresa was taken aback. Who sent them so many flowers?
She rushed to the delivery person and inquired, “Who sent these?”
“We’re just the delivery people. We don’t know who sent them. You can check if there’s a name on the greeting card.”
Theresa had already looked but hadn’t found a name, which is why she approached them. “Never mind.”
Wearing a purple gown, she walked away to enter the store. Later, people would come for Mrs. William, so she had to inspect the arrangements. However, she had only taken two steps when another car pulled up at the door, and a man unloaded more flowers.
There were quite a lot this time too-large baskets filled with beautifully arranged and vibrant, colorful flowers.
Soon, the space around the door was insufficient, and the baskets had to be placed by the roadside.
Theresa approached and saw the name written on one of the baskets this time. It was Boyce Shawn.
Boyce wasn’t as cunning as Armand. When the florist asked for the sender’s name, he had straightforwardly revealed it.
Since this store was linked to Dolores and they were Matthew’s best friends, it was only natural to make the opening a little grand, ensuring people knew the owner had strong support.
Theresa probably understood who sent the flowers. She glanced at the baskets lined up on the road and sighed, “It looks spectacular.”
The event hadn’t even begun, yet the place already felt lively.
Mrs. William wore a magnificent royal blue dress, her hair elegantly curled. This time, she adorned herself with a diamond jewelry set embedded with emeralds, exuding elegance and grandeur.
Allison followed behind, holding a bag in her hand. Dolores was busy checking the arrangements in the hall, making sure everything was in order. In the spacious reception hall, the right side was reserved for refreshments and drinks, while the left side was designated for the opening ceremony, where the clothing displays were arranged. In the center, a T-shaped stage had been set up for a catwalk to showcase LEO’s creations.
Although Dolores lacked connections in China, she still had a certain reputation in the industry. Combined with Mrs. William’s connections and LEO’s reputation, many people were expected to attend the event.
“Dolores,” Allison called out to her.
As Dolores checked and adjusted the clothes on a model, she turned her head to look at Allison. “What is it?”
Allison handed her the bag. “Here you go.”
Dolores didn’t respond immediately and asked after a moment, “What’s this?”
“You’ll find out when you see it,” Mrs. William said with an elegant smile.
Dolores took the bag, placed it on the table, and opened it. Inside was a dress, and it looked incredibly familiar because she had designed it herself.
It was her award-winning creation, “First.”
But Maria and Matthew had purchased it when they were on the verge of getting engaged. How did it end up here?
She looked at Mrs. William, confusion etched on her face.
“Someone asked me to give it to you,” she said, withholding the identity of the person who requested Dolores to have it.
Dolores was about to inquire further, but Allison sensed that Mrs. William didn’t want to discuss it. So, she intervened deliberately, “Hurry up and put it on! It’s almost time. Once the guests start arriving, you won’t have a chance to change.”
Dolores hesitated, unsure if she wanted to wear the dress. However, Allison pushed her towards the changing room, urging her, “Come on, don’t waste time!”
Reluctantly, Dolores allowed herself to be guided into the changing room. But she didn’t want Allison’s help, and she asserted herself, “I can change by myself. You can leave!”
Allison, concerned about the time, quickly explained, “Hurry up! People will be here soon.”
“Fine,” Dolores responded.
As the door closed behind Allison, Dolores stood there holding the dress, feeling a sense of uncertainty. It was just a dress, yet it held her dreams within it. Since she was a teenager, she had aspired to become the best costume designer.
There were times when she believed she would never get a chance, but perhaps fate wasn’t so cruel to her after all. It seemed that fate had played its part in making her who she was today.
Suddenly, a loud knock on the door interrupted her thoughts.
“Dolores, are you okay in there?” Allison hadn’t left, and upon hearing no response, she knocked again, urging Dolores to hurry.
Dolores answered half-heartedly, “Yeah, just a minute.”
“Hurry up! Some people are already here, and you’re the main attraction today,” Allison reminded her. Dolores was going to be in charge of the store in the future, and today she was the protagonist.
Naturally, she would need to make connections with the people attending the event.
Glancing at the time, Dolores decided not to give herself any more time to contemplate. She swiftly removed her clothes and slipped into the dress.
Without any makeup, her fair and delicate skin radiated a natural beauty. She casually styled her hair into an updo, leaving a strand loose that softly grazed her ear, adding a touch of femininity to her look.
The pink color of the dress appeared pure and gentle, reminiscent of a newborn baby, innocent and adorable. That was why she had chosen this shade of pink for the “First” dress-it symbolized youth.
She had never imagined that she would be wearing this dress one day.
Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she felt a sense of disbelief.
Allison knocked on the door once more, this time louder. “Dolores, come out quickly. People have arrived.”
“Okay,” Dolores replied, opening the door to face Allison. When Allison saw her, she couldn’t help but exclaim, “Dolores, you look absolutely stunning today!”
Dolores glanced at her, playfully remarking, “So, I was ugly before today?”
“No, no,” Allison quickly responded, unable to tear her gaze away from Dolores. Her light blue eyes were filled with admiration.
Originally from Country A, Allison had learned Chinese during her school years, which is why Mrs. William had brought her along to assist with communication.
She could help facilitate interactions during the event.
Now, with three designers in the store, although Allison was skilled, they were still short on staff. They had already hired a receptionist and someone to attend to customers, with plans to hire more staff later.
Dolores refocused on the task at hand. “Let’s go!”
“Okay,” Allison followed Dolores, adding, “I saw the people who arrived earlier. They’re quite handsome, you know.”