After their coffee, Lina expected Adrian to take her to another huge designer clothing store like before. But to her surprise, he turned down a quieter side corridor of the mall — less luxurious, more discreet — and stopped in front of a small boutique of handmade accessories.
No bright displays.
No famous brands.
No absurd price tags on the door.
It was… simple.
Beautiful.
Comforting.
Lina blinked, surprised.
"Here?" she asked.
"Here," Adrian confirmed.
"But… I thought you only shopped in million-dollar stores."
"I shop where it makes sense," he replied, opening the door for her. "And this place does."
Lina stepped inside, greeted by shelves full of delicate pieces: thin necklaces, minimalist rings, bracelets with small stones, feminine hair bows, subtle tiaras…
Everything lovely, yet nothing extravagant.
Everything… exactly the kind of things she'd always wanted to wear, but never could.
She wandered through the shelves, touching each piece carefully, as if afraid to break it.
Adrian watched her.
Every movement.
Every shy smile.
Every curious sparkle in her eyes.
"Choose whatever you want," he said.
Lina smiled.
She had heard that before… but this time it felt different.
It wasn't about glamour.
It wasn't about luxury.
It was… her.
"Really?" she asked.
"Really."
She looked at a small gold tiara, simple, with tiny leaf details.
It was subtle… yet elegant.
Effortlessly feminine.
Beautiful.
"This one is so pretty…" Lina murmured.
Adrian stepped closer, standing beside her.
"Then it's yours."
"But—"
"No 'but,' Lina."
She smiled.
But she didn't pick the tiara.
Instead, she spotted a nude satin bow — small, delicate, with a single pearl in the center.
Nothing flashy.
Nothing expensive.
But… so beautiful that her heart squeezed.
She didn't know why, but she touched the bow gently.
Adrian noticed.
"You want that one?" he asked.
Lina stayed quiet.
Then finally said:
"Yes."
Adrian signaled for the clerk to wrap it.
But as she walked toward the register, Lina tugged lightly on his hand.
"Adrian…"
"Hmm?"
"Why did you bring me… here?"
He took a second before answering.
And when he did, Lina felt all the air leave her lungs.
"Because…" Adrian looked straight at her. "I wanted to see what you'd choose when you had real freedom. Not what luxury forces you to choose."
Lina froze.
He continued, voice softer:
"You chose something simple. Delicate.
Something that suits you.
Something no one would choose for you, or push onto you."
She swallowed hard.
"Adrian… I—"
"I wanted to understand you better," he said, finishing. "Not by the clothes you wear… but by the small things you like."
Lina felt her heart melt for the thousandth time that day.
"Thank you…" she murmured, barely a whisper.
"Don't thank me. I brought you here for myself too."
"For you?" she frowned.
Adrian took a breath.
"I need to learn what makes you smile."
Her face heated instantly.
Ridiculously fast.
"W-why?"
He stepped half a step closer.
Just half.
But enough to make her hold her breath.
"Because when you smile…" he said quietly, "I feel okay."
Lina froze.
He looked away for a second, as if revealing more than he meant to.
"And I don't feel okay with almost anything," Adrian finished.
Lina couldn't respond.
Couldn't think.
Couldn't feel anything except her chest bursting in all directions.
The clerk returned with the tiny box, neatly wrapped with thin paper and a gold sticker.
Adrian paid — not looking at the price, as usual — but this time it wasn't arrogance.
It was… significance.
He was valuing something Lina had chosen.
And she felt that deeply.
When they left the store, Lina held the box carefully.
"Can I put it on you?" Adrian asked suddenly.
She blinked fast, surprised.
"The bow?"
"Yes."
Lina nearly melted.
"Sure…"
Adrian took the box with the care of someone holding glass and opened it.
Then, slowly, he brushed her hair aside and clipped the bow behind her ear.
His fingers grazed her skin — and Lina felt the world stop.
Adrian stilled for a moment, studying the result.
And murmured:
"Perfect."
The word didn't come with the casual coldness he used in meetings.
It came with admiration.
With sincerity.
With something she wasn't brave enough to name yet.
Lina lowered her head, cheeks burning.
"I like it," she whispered.
Adrian smiled — that soft, rare smile only she seemed able to provoke.
"I do too."
And as they walked out of the boutique, their hands almost touching again, Lina realized:
Maybe that was the first real gift of her life.
Not because of the bow.
But because of what it meant.
And maybe…
the first real gift Adrian had ever given anyone.