Breaking The Forbidden Shield (COMPLETED)

Chapter Sixteen

When Grace stepped into the extravagant, fully furnished, glass penthouse her jaw dropped.

Of course she knew he could afford anything, but for the moment she felt like cinderella.

She looked around at the burgundy and gold theme suite, everything seem to be just perfect, the entire interior, even down to the marveled floor was breath taking.

Alejandro snaked his hands around her waist from behind, he had a clue of what she was thinking, he couldn't help but smile.

"This is beautiful", she told him.

"I'm glad you like it",he responded.

"Like?!, are you kidding me, look at this place, from the lobby, to the room, Alejandro, oh my god", she wanted to say more, but a thousand words couldn't even described what she saw or how she was feeling.

"There's more", he alerted. She spun her head around to only meet the smiling man.

Before she could say anything else he grabbed her hand, leading her to the bedroom.

...............................

Dolce and Gabana, Louis Vuitton,Gucci, Vera Wang, Tiffany, Jimmy Choo, Stuart Weitzman, Brian Atwood, Valentino, Prada, Versace,  those were among the collections of brand name clothes, shoes, handbags, accessories and jewelleries, that were lined out throughout the bedroom.

Most of the shoes were on their box as a display,  the clothing were in order on racks and categorized, the cover of the jewelry boxes were flipped on the other side displaying the new well polished architects, the bags were all stuffed and in plastic.
Now she really felt like cinderella.

"How many outfits do i need?", she asked.

"All of them", he replied.

"Alejandro I can't accept this, it's just-"she looked over at the assortments then back at him.
"it's just too much", and indeed it was, she'd seen all these brands through the Window of expensive boutiques back at her village, but never had she entered the door of the shops they were  just too unaffordable to her.

"The best for the best", Alejandro implied. He saw her refusal look coming on, he knew he had to think fast.
"They are all paid for, how would it look to just pack them all up for a return, the staff went all out setting this up for you, and left knowing they'll be getting a very good commission,  do you want to take that away from them?", reverse psychology.
Alejandro knew she would be in her demands and refuse, so he had to do the most logic thing he could think of, knowing all to well she is soft to help others, that left her no choice but to accept.

Grace never had such fine fabrics on her back, but an entire wardrobe was a dream, at least it felt like one.
She didn't want to accept, she'd been raised to show more of what's in the heart and mind than to what she wore.
But he was right it would be so rude and she didn't want to seem ungrateful to just return the valuables that could possibly take away the commission that fed others.

"Okay, I'll accept but just this once", she warned.

Alejandro raised his hands up in defeat.
He knew this wasn't over but thought it best to keep his lips sealed.

"Thank you", with arms around his huge body,she looked into his eyes.
.....................................

Wanting nothing but to have him out sight seeing with her in one of the world's romantic places,  Grace felt alone.

She'd promise to take as many pictures as she can for him but even that didn't fill the lonely pit she felt.

It was day two of their spontaneous trip, and it has been nothing but a memorable journey.

Just looking at the happy couples that were either engaged in the loving embrace of each other or making their own memory with laughter saddened her, she sat thinking about the man that was forced to stay cooped up in the hotel room, Grace suddenly felt selfish to just leave him.

She took out her map, gathered her belongings and wrapped up the sandwich she was eating then shoved them hurriedly into her shoulder bag.

On her way back to the hotel her eyes landed on a rather interesting store.

Although she couldn't read the words on the door, it wasn't like the other fancy boutiques or stores she'd seen.
It looked more to be abandoned.

Grace was driven by the unique ornaments that was being displayed through the store Window.

Upon entering a cold chill ran over her.
She walked through slowly, observing every aspect of the place.
Even though the surrounding was creepy, she found the creative works fascinating.

"Puis-je vous aider?",it was the voice of an elderly woman that startled her.
She looked to be over fifty. Her full pearl hair suited her very well, but the woman didn't appear to be friendly.

"I'm sorry,  I don't understand", Grace talked with hand gestures hoping the woman would understand what she was saying.

Instead the elder woman looked to be confused.

"Then what are you doing here?", this was the question that had Grace feeling rather stupid.

"You speak English? ", Grace knew this was a stupid thing to ask but she still had to nevertheless.

"Darling, mi fifty eight, of course I speak English", the woman replied.
She walked past Grace to look through the dusty glass to see the outside of the store.
Seeing people go in and out of the other stores saddened her.
For years counting she haven't had one customer, they all would pass her door as if it was invisible to them.

"It has been many years since I've had any customer, my child, my name is Cajlosa Camparllo, what can I do for you?",she turned around with a glint of enthusiasm in her eyes.

"Why is that?", Grace shrugged off the question she asked and head right to the statement she made.

"Complications", she walked pass Grace once more, making her way to the back area.

Grace followed her.
"What kind of complications", she had to ask, the woman seemed to be distraught.

The elder woman turned to look at her, for so long noone had ever seemed to care.

Grace saw the hurt look in the woman's eyes and couldn't help but feel for her, whatever it was certainly had to do with her business.

She followed  Cajlosa's pace towards an old two seater ragged couch.

"My dear this place used to be vibrant, so full of life, business was Beaucoup d'excellente, Mon mari,
my husband was the greatest known plastic and cosmetic surgeon in all of Paris, he use to make them all look so fabuleux that was until he had an accident, he was working on a patient one day, then the effect of chloromynititus, a develop disease that took control over him through the inhaling of the chemicals used on his patients causing the surgery to go bad, the patient made sure we both felt her wrath. She sued my husband out of his practices and made a review so bad on my business that noone ever shopped here again, not only that but it took years before Mon mari could be himself again, even after years of being out of practice he still suffers side effects from the disease", hearing the revelation of Cajlosa's story and seeing a tear slipped through her eyes, Grace felt her pain, it made her think of Alejandro and the suffers he gad to go through and is still going through.

"Mrs Camparllo, do you think your husband would be capable of going back to his practices?", Grace held the woman's hands with hope in her eyes.