The mall was chaos incarnate.
Escalators groaned beneath the weight of weekend shoppers, while the smell of pretzel carts and perfume filled the air.
Amelia tugged at her bag strap and groaned.
"Amelia, come on! You're lagging again," Beth called, already weaving through the crowd like a professional.
"I'm conserving my energy," Amelia muttered. "For what? Walking through this human obstacle course?"
Beth laughed.
"You'll survive. Now, the dress. The interview. Focus!"
They darted into the first boutique.
Amelia's eyes immediately widened.
Racks of dresses shimmered beneath the soft lighting, while mannequins stood perfectly posed in outfits that cost more than she wanted to think about.
Beth picked up a sleek navy dress and held it against herself before turning toward the mirror.
"This is it," she said, beaming. "Perfect fit. Confident. Sharp."
Amelia smiled genuinely.
"You look like a boss. No one will dare mess with you."
Beth grinned.
"And you'll be my cheerleader, right?"
Amelia rolled her eyes.
"Obviously."
Before she could say anything else, her phone buzzed.
She glanced down.
A notification from a fashion magazine appeared on the screen.
STEEL CORPORATION CEO XAVIER STEEL : THE MAN BEHIND THE EMPIRE
Amelia froze.
There was his picture.
Sharp suit. Dark hair. Intense eyes.
Even in a photograph, he looked impossibly composed.
Her stomach gave an unexpected flip.
"Hmm... interesting," she murmured, quickly locking her phone. "Focus, Amelia. Focus on reality, not magazine fantasy."
Beth noticed.
"Daydreaming about some corporate guy?"
Amelia's cheeks warmed.
"Shut up. I'm not."
Beth laughed.
Before Amelia could defend herself, a familiar voice came from behind them.
"I think you two are lost."
Amelia turned.
Kale leaned against the railing, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. He held two coffee cups in his hands as though he'd been waiting for them.
"Kale! You scared me," Beth said, taking one of the cups. "Thanks. But how did you even find us here?"
"I have my ways."
His gaze shifted briefly toward Amelia.
Amelia noticed.
And quickly looked away.
Beth had already moved toward another rack.
Kale held out the second cup.
"Thought you might need a pick-me-up."
Amelia hesitated before taking it.
"Thanks."
Their fingers brushed.
It lasted barely a second.
Still, something about the contact made Amelia's pulse jump.
She frowned slightly.
That was strange.
Kale had always been charming. She'd known that.
But this felt different.
Or maybe she was reading too much into it.
Beth returned, oblivious.
"Well, thank you, mystery caffeine savior!"
She linked her arm through Amelia's.
Kale smiled.
"Anytime."
As the girls continued shopping, Amelia glanced back once.
Kale was still watching them.
She quickly turned away.
Something wasn't adding up.
And then her mind returned to the photograph on her phone.
Xavier.
Of course.
She had barely known him for a few days, yet somehow his presence—or even just his name—kept finding its way into her thoughts.
By the time they left the mall, Amelia was exhausted, her wallet lighter, and her mind more crowded than before.
Beth had a dress for her interview.
Amelia had another day of job hunting ahead of her.
And somehow, between the two, she'd ended up with more questions than answers.