Chapter 168
Chapter 168:
June walked in, accompanied by her assistant, Abbie. The boutique operated strictly by appointment, catering exclusively to the uppermost tier of New York’s elite. Crawford’s team had secured June the highest VIP status available.
The head stylist, a tall woman with sharp, refined features, was walking June along a rack of gowns flown in directly from Paris.
Then the boutique doors opened again.
Alycia walked in, her arm looped tightly through Cole’s. She wore a smug, self-satisfied smile. Cole looked bored and irritated, his hands shoved deep into his pockets.
Alycia’s eyes landed on June. Her smile twisted instantly into a sneer.
She unhooked her arm from Cole’s and moved toward the center of the room, addressing the stylist with a loud, theatrical laugh. “Excuse me,” Alycia said, her voice saturated with condescension. “Does this boutique just let anyone in off the street now? That woman couldn’t afford a single sleeve in this store on a year’s allowance p>
𝖱o𝗆𝖺𝗇с𝖾 𝗇𝘰v𝘦l𝘴 o𝗇
Cole frowned but said nothing. A dark, petty corner of his mind wanted to watch June stumble — wanted this display of independence to fall apart, so she would be forced to acknowledge that she still needed the weight of the Compton name. His name.
The stylist looked deeply uncomfortable, her eyes darting between the two women.
June didn’t glance at Alycia. She simply turned her head toward the large display window.
Hanging at its center was the boutique’s showpiece — a breathtaking, midnight-blue mermaid gown covered in thousands of hand-stitched crystals that caught the light like scattered stars.
“That dress,” June said calmly to the stylist. “Is it a sample p>
The stylist hesitated. “Dr. Erickson, that is our designer’s showpiece. It is strictly not for sale p>
“I’ll buy it,” June said, cutting her off quietly. The authority in her voice was absolute and effortless.
Alycia let out a harsh, mocking laugh. “Are you out of your mind? Do you have any idea what those gems alone are worth p>
June ignored her entirely. She opened her simple leather wallet, withdrew a solid black, heavy metal card — no numbers, no bank logo — and handed it to the stylist.
The stylist looked down. Her expression shifted in an instant. It was an American Express Centurion Black Card. The ultimate symbol of limitless, untethered wealth. Every trace of the stylist’s uncertainty evaporated, replaced by swift, deferential respect.
“Right away, Dr. Erickson. I will have it packaged immediately p>
The laughter died in Alycia’s throat. The color drained from her face as she stared at the card, her mind unable to fully process what she was seeing.
Cole went completely still.
He knew exactly what obtaining that card required — tens of millions in liquid assets, no collateral, no compromise. He had always known June was brilliant. He had witnessed the reverence Dr. Zhang had shown her at the global biotech summit, and he knew her medical patents generated substantial revenue. But in the deepest, most arrogant recesses of his mind, he had still pictured her success as something that existed within the shadow of the Compton name — a localized achievement that orbited his world.