Olivia had forgotten his name, but not his face.
That irritatingly handsome face.
He was the second male lead, the one who had kept trying to act clingy during the photoshoot, always finding excuses to stand too close, speak too softly, smile too much.
At the moment, he was talking to a man in uniform who looked like a store employee. The instant Olivia stepped inside, his gaze snapped toward her, locking onto hers without hesitation.
She considered pretending she hadn't seen him.
Unfortunately, before she could turn away, he excused himself and started walking toward her.
'Great,' Olivia muttered internally.
She hadn't even reached the laptop section yet and was still passing through the mobile devices area when he appeared directly in her path.
His perfect set of teeth flashed as he smiled bright, even, annoyingly flawless. Olivia might have felt a flicker of jealousy if she didn't possess an equally enviable set herself.
He wore a crisp white shirt tucked neatly into black suit trousers. Two days ago, his hair had been black. Now it was dyed blonde, a bold change that surprisingly suited him.
The new style enhanced his features far more than the old one ever had.
"Hey, Emma!" he greeted brightly, smiling so much it bordered on ridiculous.
He looked at her like she was some divine being, an angel that had descended into his store.
In her own world, she wouldn't have minded such a gaze. No one dared touch her there.
But here?
He stood close enough that Olivia was certain he might grab her hand if she tried to walk past him.
He was clearly interested in her.
"What?" Olivia asked flatly.
"Um… I own this place," he said, gesturing vaguely around them. "I just opened it a few months ago, and it's doing pretty well. What do you think?"
The only response he received was an eye roll.
"Should I lick it?" Olivia asked.
"Huh?"
She sighed sharply. "Excuse me, dude. What exactly do you want? And why do you keep popping your face into my line of sight every time we happen to be in the same place? I came to buy something, so if you'll excuse me—"
She walked past him.
He followed.
"I'll personally attend to you. Consider it a free service from the CEO," he said cheerfully.
Olivia let out a short laugh. "CEO indeed," she muttered, continuing forward without sparing him another glance.
"Do you live around here?" he asked, undeterred. "I was actually planning to move closer so I could monitor the business better. And, you know… boost sales with my popularity."
Olivia pretended she hadn't heard a single word.
This man was a nuisance.
She reached the laptop section and began browsing casually. The workers immediately lowered their heads in respect.
Clearly, it was meant for him, to elevate his image in her mind perhaps.
Instead, Olivia found it amusing.
He gently asked them to raise their heads, his tone soft and considerate. ''We are a team here, don't be like that guys.''
Olivia almost chuckled.
If she walked into her father's mall back in her world, the staff wouldn't dare lift their heads until she left. Her guards and maid would select everything for her while she merely pointed at what she wanted packed, rows of bodyguards standing behind her in silence.
Her gaze landed on an Apple laptop.
Silver casing. Black logo.
Elegant.
She checked the price tag and sighed quietly.
The money she had on her wouldn't be enough.
She'd intended to buy more after confirming she was being followed earlier.
The twins needed protection.
She understood what it felt like to be targeted, and she refused to let anything happen to them.
This wasn't about being spoiled.
For once, emotion tugged at her chest.
Scenes like that, even in movies, always made her eyes burn, though she never cried.
She wanted to buy tracking devices. Something discreet she could attach to the twins.
She had completely forgotten someone was still standing behind her.
He stared openly at her posture, her movements, at the way she walked with effortless grace, as though the store belonged to her and she was merely inspecting her property.
"Take it," he said suddenly. "I'll pay."
Ah.
Right.
Olivia immediately found him useful.
Perhaps owning a store wasn't so bad after all.
"I'll take this," she said calmly to the staff. "He'll pay."
Then she walked toward the next section, already scanning for CCTV installations and tracking devices.
"Let me treat you to a cup of coffee," he said, moving closer, emboldened by her acceptance of the laptop.
She exhaled sharply. "Is there a screw loose in your mouth? If there is, you can fix it in your so-called store. Stop bugging me."
She spoke as if the purchase meant nothing.
"Haha." He laughed instead of getting offended. "Emma William, you're an interesting woman. What do I have to do to get you to consider a date with me?"