CHAPTER 77: WHO’S THE SHE?

Meanwhile, in a luxurious mall owned by the Darius family.....coincidentally the same mall Anna had brought the students to on their first day....he was there again, this time walking alongside Anna as they shopped. Several uniformed servants trailed behind them, pushing carts overflowing with goods.

"Just what exactly do you need, sister?" Darius asked, letting out a long, weary sigh. His face clearly showed the frustration that had been building up throughout the day. "Just what exactly do you want?"

They had spent hours circling the mall. Darius had long lost count of the number of shopping baskets they had filled....many of which had already been sent home, while others were currently being loaded into the cars outside.

"What do you mean by that question?" Anna asked, raising a brow while maintaining the cheerful smile on her face. She didn’t even slow her pace as she continued browsing the racks. "Are you tired?"

"Of course I’m tired!" Darius snapped, rubbing his temple as he followed her. "You asked me to accompany you, and I agreed. But I never imagined we’d be out here the entire day. Just....what exactly are you shopping for, Anna? You’ve been picking up every possible color of the same design....clothes, shoes, bags, even food items. You bought literally all the color variations of everything you touched. And let’s not forget, you booked the entire mall. You sent every other shopper away! At this rate, the mall is going to be empty. Honestly, you might as well just shut it down and take the entire inventory!"

"The fact that you could have just ordered the workers to help you pick stuff and send it home but instead....you decided to come down here yourself."

"Now stop whining in my ears, Darius," Anna said sharply, casting a quick glance at him before turning back to a display of perfume bottles. "I’m buying everything in all available colors because I don’t know her favorite yet or what she likes, what she dislikes. I have to make sure she’s pleased."

"S....sh...She?" Darius stuttered, blinking in confusion. He furrowed his brows, trying to confirm what he had just heard. "Wait....who’s the she?"

"Who else would I be talking about?" Anna replied casually, reaching for a new set of accessories. "Victoria, of course. That sweet girl."

"Victoria?!" Darius practically shouted, his voice rising an octave as sheer disbelief etched across his face. It was as though she’d just spoken the most absurd thing he had ever heard. "Are you fucking kidding me right now?!"

"What’s with the noise?! What? What?!" Anna snapped, spinning around to glare at him.

"You must be joking with me, sister," Darius said, his tone incredulous as he let out a humorless scoff. "You’re shopping for yourself. That’s why I’m here with you as your little brother. To keep you company, to protect you. Don’t twist this."

"That’s where you’re wrong, little brother... and frankly, also a bit stupid," Anna replied, letting out a soft chuckle as she adjusted the hem of her flowing designer dress. "I already own all these designs....the same items in every possible color and style. So why would I buy them again for myself?"

"Maybe you gave the old ones to your friends?" Darius offered weakly. "I mean, you’re a gifter. That’s who you are."

"All my friends are rich, Darius. They already have all these things too," Anna said flatly, rolling her eyes. "Even if I did want to give something away, it would be to the less privileged. And even then, I’d gift them only one item....not every color in the collection. One is enough to make them feel like royalty already. So stop making assumptions and let me focus."

"You actually dragged me here... because of Victoria? Are you being serious right now?" Darius exclaimed, anger and disbelief mingling in his voice. He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "I’ve been standing here all day for her?!"

"Yes, we’re shopping for Victoria," Anna said with a calm finality that made Darius’s heart sink.

"Everything I bought today," she continued, pausing just long enough to make her next words hit harder, "is for her. And it will be delivered... by you."

Darius’s eyes widened in shock, and he could only stare at her in utter disbelief, completely lost for words.

"You must be joking with me, Anna. There’s no way in hell everything you just said is real," Darius scoffed, disbelief twisting his features. "When it’s not like you’re under a spell or something. You just met that girl yesterday! There’s absolutely no way any of what you’re saying makes sense."

"Well, it is real," Anna replied firmly, her tone sharp with unshakable certainty. "And you’re taking all these gifts to her in person. It’s a gesture of apology."

"Apology? What stupid apology?" Darius repeated, his brow furrowing in deep confusion. "For what exactly? Do you even hear yourself right now?"

Anna took a deep breath, folding her arms as she stared him down. "You all accused Victoria’s bodyguard of poisoning me simply because he was bold enough to kiss me. You had Victoria thrown into the dungeon along with him, only to later find out that I wasn’t poisoned at all. That kiss...however surprising was harmless. There was no ill intent. You accused them wrongly, Darius. And now, you have to apologize."

Darius narrowed his eyes and tilted his head slightly. "Harmless kiss?" he repeated with a scoff, clearly unimpressed. "That so-called kiss was very much an offense, Anna. Why would that lowlife even think of kissing my sister? He’s beneath us! Honestly, he should’ve been executed on the spot, but I spared him."

"Shut up already and recognize your wrongdoing!" Anna snapped, her eyes flashing with annoyance. "Neither the bodyguard nor Victoria did anything to deserve the punishment they received. They should never have been locked in that dungeon in the first place! But since that’s already been done, the least you can do now is apologize. I know those two fools, Auren and Zephyr, will be against it but you? You’re going, Darius. And if you’re too scared, I’ll come along. All you have to do is take the gifts to Ashford Mansion and offer a proper apology. That’s it."

Darius let out a cold laugh, folding his arms tightly across his chest. "I’m not going anywhere, sister. And now that I really think about it... something must be wrong with you. Something that needs to be looked into. Maybe that kiss did have some hidden poison or spell. Maybe you are under an influence. Frankly, I believe both Victoria and her wretched bodyguard deserve to be thrown back into the dungeon."

"You’re the one who’s gone crazy, you rude boy!" Anna shouted, her patience snapping. Without hesitation, she reached out and grabbed Darius’s ear hard between her fingers.

"Stop it, sister!" Darius groaned, squirming in pain as he tried to free himself. "That hurts...let go!"

"Will you go to Ashford Mansion?" Anna demanded, tightening her grip. "Will you go and apologize to Victoria for how you treated her?"

"No!" Darius yelled, only for Anna to twist his ear harder, causing him to wince. "Just....how is your hand so damn strong?! I’m only being gentle because if I try to break free, I might end up hurting you."

"Then try me," Anna challenged coldly, releasing his ear with a flick. "There’s no point talking to a fool like you anymore. I’ll go to the Ashford family myself. Victoria was locked up because of me, and I won’t let her suffer for that."

"You cannot go!" Darius snapped, his voice rising with urgency as he stepped forward. "You’re not going anywhere alone."

"You better get the hell out of my way, Darius," Anna said, waving her hand dismissively. "I’ll go myself and apologize to Victoria, since you insist on being a dickhead. I don’t have time to waste on your tantrums."

"Fine!" Darius shouted, his voice echoing through the high-ceilinged halls of the mall. "I’ll go with you! You’re definitely not going alone. But let’s make one thing clear....I’m not apologizing. You can do all the apologizing while I just... stand there. There’s no damn way I’m letting you walk into the Ashford mansion without me."

"Good, then," Anna said with a triumphant smile. She leaned in and playfully planted two quick kisses on both of his cheeks. "That’s my cute brother!"

Before he could respond, she turned on her heels and dashed further into the mall, her skirt swaying behind her as she resumed her shopping spree. Darius stood frozen for a moment, a reluctant but genuine smile creeping onto his face which soon disappeared.

"No no. My sister has gone crazy because how the hell am I supposed to explain this action of hers?" He murmured to himself with anger etched in his features. "That body guard....I guess I have to teach you a lesson including Victoria."