Bound to my Enemy novel Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Chapter 31.

The mall was crowded in the way it always was in the middle of the day. Too many people. Too much noise. Music humming faintly from speakers overhead, mixed with chatter and footsteps and the occasional laugh that carried too far.

Ivy walked a few steps ahead of me, already focused, phone in hand, scrolling through store directories like this was some kind of mission.

"Okay," she said, stopping abruptly and turning to face me. "We’re doing this properly. No rushing. No panic-buying."

"I’m not panic-buying," I said.

She raised an eyebrow. "You signed a marriage contract yesterday. You’re panic-breathing."

I opened my mouth to argue, then closed it. She wasn’t wrong.

We started with dresses. Ivy pulled things off racks with purpose, barely looking at the price tags. She held them up against me, stepped back, squinted, shook her head, then moved on.

"That one’s ugly."

"That one looks like it’s trying too hard."

"Ivy," I said finally, "I don’t need to look like I’m making a statement."

"Yes, you do," she replied calmly. "You just don’t need to look like you’re screaming it."

We found a fitting room near the back. She shoved three dresses into my arms and pushed me inside.

"Try those first."

I did.

The first one was fine. The second was better. The third made me pause

I stared at my reflection longer than I meant to.

It wasn’t flashy. It wasn’t loud. But it fit. The color worked against my skin, the cut clean and confident without feeling forced. I didn’t look like someone pretending to belong.

I looked like myself. Just more sexy and seductive.

I stepped out.

Ivy looked up from her phone and froze.

"Oh," she said slowly. "There you are."

I glanced back at the mirror. "Is that good or bad."

"That’s very good," she said. "That’s ’he doesn’t get to tell you what to wear’ good."

I changed back and handed her the dress. "Okay. That one."

She grinned. "Told you."

Next came shoes. That took longer.

Ivy insisted on heels. I insisted on not breaking my neck.

We compromised somewhere in the middle. A pair that added height without making me feel like I’d regret it by the end of the night.

Jewelry was last.

We stood in front of a glass case while Ivy tapped her nails against her chin.

"Nothing too delicate," she said. "And nothing too loud."

I swallowed and nodded. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

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