I have no idea why Hayden is offering to buy me stuff. This doesn’t fit well with the image I had of him at all. My suspicion of him only grew. There must be some hidden agenda behind this.


    "Thank you…but seriously, there’s no need. If that’s what we came here for, let’s just leave," I replied without needing to think.


    "This is my request to you for today as part of the deal," Hayden said unwilling to back down.


    "I already made you pancakes this morning in case you haven’t realized, so the deal has been fulfilled for today," I replied.


    "I didn’t eat those pancakes, so it doesn’t count. Today you’re going to fulfill my request as part of the deal," Hayden stated firmly.


    "…shit…" I swore silently as I breathed out a sigh. What is wrong with him today? Why is he being so pushy all of a sudden? He never ate anything that I made for him on other days as well and it has never been an issue.


    Even if he told me to choose, it wasn’t like I made a list of what I needed. I had most of the things I needed already and if I needed anything else, I could buy them from any regr art supply store. I knitted my brows together as I tried to figure out what to do next.


    "Go ahead and choose now before I buy out the entire store," Hayden said, emotionlessly.


    Hayden walked deeper into therge store, looking bored out of his mind. The manager and I both looked at Hayden in confusion. Without any other option, I followed Hayden quickly deeper into the store.


    "Why are you doing this all of a sudden?" I asked when I finally caught up to him.


    "I told you, I’m free today and I happen to be bored…" Hayden replied without a care in the world.


    "Miss…if you would follow me…" the manager said in an overly polite tone as he bowed slightly to me and gestured with his hands for me to follow him.


    Sighing to myself, I followed the manager deeper into the store where he started his presentation of the store’s history and how the store was separated into segments based on the types of art supplies. He asked if I was looking for anything in particr and what kind of art that I worked on. Then he helpfully rmended me so many art tools and supplies that I struggled to keep up with him.


    It was clear that this store manager was no joke, he really knew his stuff very well. I nced back in Hayden’s direction while the manager was busy talking and found that Hayden had settled down into a seeminglyfortable burgundy velvet armchair. Clearly, he wasn’t interested in what this store had for sale.


    Everything that the manager presented to me seemed interesting and was of the highest quality. I have never seen such supplies before in my entire life. However, the thing that bothered me the most was theck of price tags on all the products. Since I’ve never been here before, I didn’t know how this works. Am I supposed to ask for the price of each one?


    As time went by, my interest took over and I began conversing with the manager about the supplies, art techniques and the work of other artists. I found out, not surprisingly, that many of the artists that I idolize purchased their supplies from this store and that the manager knew them personally as well.


    After a while of browsing and chatting with the manager, I managed to pick out a few small things that shouldn’t be too pricey. When I was done, the manager and I returned back to where Hayden was. Hayden looked up from his phone screen as we approached before he smiled a little at me.


    "What did you choose?" he asked, sounding a little interested.


    "Just some stuff…" I replied vaguely, not bothered to exin to him what I’ve selected.


    "We’ll have whatever it is that she’s chosen," Hayden said to the store manager as he stood up from his seat.


    The manager smiled politely at Hayden as he gestured for Hayden to approach the cashier. Like hell, if I was going to let Hayden pay for me. I already owed his father so much money and I was paying dearly for it. There is no way that I’m going to owe Hayden or his mafia family anything else.


    "I chose these items, so I’ll pay for them. Excuse me, how much in total?" I said stubbornly before I turned to address the clerk.


    The store clerk offered me the billid out in an antique looking small wooden tray. I looked at the total amount and my eyes widened in shock. That much…just for this?!


    I heard Hayden chuckling right behind my ear and I whirled around to see him standing so close behind me, looking at the bill over my shoulder. He smiled at me while I narrowed my eyes at him.


    "Stop being so stubborn. I know that you’re plenty rich, My Lady…" Hayden teased me as he pulled out his credit card with one hand and patted the top of my head with the other.


    "Master Hayden, as you’ve ordered, I’ve already packed and gift wrapped your order for you," the manager said as he gestured to three staff holdingrge bags and gift-wrapped boxes.


    I see, so Hayden wanted to pick something up here anyways. Now it was starting to make sense, I mean, he wouldn’t go out of his way just to bring me here. He must have needed to run some errands here.


    "Thank you. Malissa, let’s go…" Hayden said as he took my hand in his again.


    I nced down at his hand holding mine and realized that he had developed another annoying habit of holding my hand whenever we walked together.


    "You…don’t need to hold my hand, you know…" I said softly.


    "I can’t have you running away from me, can I?" Hayden replied before he shed me one of his angelic smiles.


    Not knowing how to respond to that, I just rolled my eyes at him. Hayden held the stuff that I purchased, which wasn’t a lot. While the three other staffs, walked behind us with the other items that Hayden had apparently ordered.


    --To be continued…