CHAPTER 4: CAUGHT STEALING

The Girl from the Railway Station, I Continued

"Oh," his deep voice came through, smooth but indifferent. "I thought you weren’t going to call."

I swallowed hard, gripping the phone tightly. "I’m willing to be your bride for one year."

Silence.

There was a brief pause, and for a moment, I thought he had hung up. Then, his reply came, calm and collected.

"Okay."

That was it. No questions, no hesitation.

"Let's meet at a café," he added before the call disconnected.

I sat frozen for a moment before shaking myself out of it. This was happening. I flagged down a cab and arrived at the nearest café within minutes.

Josh was already there. He sat in a private corner, legs crossed, one arm resting lazily on the table. His gaze was cold, unreadable.

I slid into the seat across from him.

"Being my bride isn’t easy," he began, voice firm. "But you will be richly paid on a weekly basis, and all your expenses will be covered by me."

I listened silently as he continued.

"You will attend family gatherings with me."

"No problem," I said without hesitation.

"Good." He nodded, leaning back in his chair. "Stand up. Let’s go take some wedding photos."

My eyes widened. "What?"

He looked at me with an emotionless face. “Yes, we need to take some wedding photos today. I’ve already told my father I’m bringing my fiancée home.”

"How about we take it slow?" I stammered.

Josh leaned in, his lips brushing my ear. "I’m not patient. Are you sure you can go through with this contract?"

His voice sent a chill down my spine.

"Yes," I replied instantly, not wanting to anger him.

"Good." He stood up and walked out of the café. I quickly followed.

His sleek black Lamborghini was parked outside. The moment I slid in, he spoke to the driver.

"To Tarren’s Mall."

I stiffened.

Tarren’s Mall?

It was the largest and most exclusive shopping complex in the country, owned by the Williams family—Kenneth’s father. Only the wealthiest could enter, and even they needed reservations.

Josh must be insanely rich.

The ride was smooth and silent. When we arrived, the staff bowed respectfully as he passed. I trailed behind him, feeling out of place.

We entered a private elevator, stopping at the 6th floor. Josh pulled out a sleek black card and slotted it into the door. It clicked open.

The room inside was dazzling. Rows of luxurious wedding gowns shimmered under the soft lights, diamonds and pearls embedded in the fabric.

A woman in a pristine white uniform approached. "Welcome, sir. Which gown would you like?"

"None," Josh said without looking at them. "I need a custom-made gown for my bride."

The woman’s eyes flickered to me before she gave a polite nod. "Of course. This way, miss."

She took my measurements before sketching a design. Josh barely glanced at it before rejecting it.

I hesitated, then stepped closer. "Maybe if you adjust the neckline and add more layers to the skirt, it would look more elegant," I suggested.

The designer looked at me in surprise but followed my suggestion. When she presented the new sketch, even she was impressed.

Josh stared at it for a long moment. Then, he said, "Perfect."

The designer smiled. "All thanks to your bride."

Josh turned to her. "You have two hours."

My jaw dropped. "Two hours?"

But to my astonishment, the staff worked like machines. In less than an hour and thirty minutes, the dress was ready. It was breathtaking.

We moved to the 7th floor, where I had my makeup done. When I stepped into the dress, I barely recognized myself.

Josh and I posed for pictures—his arm wrapped around my waist, his gaze unreadable. The flashes from the camera blinded me.

Afterward, we took the elevator down. But on the second floor, Josh suddenly stopped.

"Wait here," he ordered before walking inside a private section.

I exhaled and leaned against the wall.

Then, I heard his voice.

Kenneth.

His car pulled up in front of the mall, and Sophia stepped out with him.

The moment she saw me, her lips curled into a smirk.

"It seems today is a bad day," she sneered. "I keep seeing you everywhere."

I clenched my fists, willing myself to ignore her.

She laughed. "Oh, you’ve come looking for a job here? Even our janitors are educated, Ivana. Don’t think there’s a space for you."

My grip tightened on the bag holding my wedding dress.

Sophia’s eyes flickered to it. In an instant, she snatched it from my hand.

"You stole a dress from us?" she gasped dramatically.

Kenneth stepped closer, his eyes scanning the bag and the dress. His expression turned cold.

"Ivana," he said slowly, "I didn’t know you could be this desperate—to steal from my father’s company."

My chest tightened. "Kenneth, you know I’m not a thief."

"Maybe you are, and he just doesn’t know it yet," Sophia smirked. She suddenly grabbed my hair, yanking me forward. "Security!" she shouted.

Within seconds, two guards rushed over.

Sophia gestured at me. "Are you all blind? How did a thief get in here?"

One of them hesitated. "Miss, she—"

"Shut up and do your job!" she snapped. "Make sure she’s publicly disgraced!"

A crowd began to gather. Cameras flashed. Whispers spread like wildfire.

Humiliation burned in my chest.

Sophia yanked the dress from the bag and walked away, leaving me standing there, ashamed, humiliated, broken.

The crowd started to disperse, but the damage was done. I slowly sank to my knees, tears spilling down my cheeks.

Then, a shadow loomed over me.

A hand touched my shoulder.

I looked up.

Josh.

His expression was unreadable as he stared down at me. "What’s wrong? Are you still missing him?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Get into the car," he said.

The moment we got inside, my phone rang.

I wiped my tears and answered. "Hello?"

"Ivana," Silver’s voice came through, sharp with urgency. "What happened?"

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Check the news," she said.

Then the line went dead.

My heart raced as I opened the news app.

The headline made my blood run cold:

"Mystery Woman Caught Stealing from Tarren's Mall"