Chapter 4
Selena reached out and grabbed the hanger, holding it firmly.
“Miss, clothes are about who wears them. You usually wear tactical gear. Buying a dress like this would be a waste. Why not just let me have it?”
We both held onto the dress, neither willing to let go.
“What’s going on?”
Cole’s voice drifted over as he walked up, having finished his call.
Seeing the standoff, his brow twitched slightly.
Selena’s eyes lit up instantly, her hand still gripping the hanger.
“Cole. What a coincidence.”
Her gaze shifted between me and him before she suddenly smiled in realization.
“Oh, so this is your wife. If you had just said you were the commander’s family, I wouldn’t have fought you for it. Let Mrs. Sterling have the dress.”
She let go—
But in the very next second, Cole took the dress from my hands and handed it directly to Selena.
“You don’t need to yield,” he told her, his voice noticeably softer. “It should fit you perfectly. Go try it on.”
A flash of triumph crossed Selena’s eyes as she took the dress and walked into the fitting room.
Only then did Cole turn to me.
“Ava, that’s Selena—an old comrade from the PR division. She’s blunt, but she doesn’t mean any harm. It’s just a piece of clothing. There’s no need to fight over it. We’ll pick something else.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat, turned to another rack, and casually grabbed a plain dark blue dress.
Just then, the fitting room door opened.
Selena stepped out.
The light khaki dress hugged her figure perfectly, complementing her pale skin. She looked sharp, elegant, radiant.
The sales associate whispered in awe, “Ms. Vance, you look absolutely stunning.”
Cole’s eyes were fixed on her.
“Cole, how does it look?” Selena asked with a smile, her gaze drifting casually toward me.
“Yeah… it looks great,” Cole nodded.
Selena walked up to him and naturally adjusted his shirt cuff.
“Oh, by the way, I heard tonight is Mrs. Sterling’s birthday.”
“It is,” Cole replied.
“I happen to have the night off from performances,” Selena said, looking at me with a flawless, polite smile. “If Mrs. Sterling doesn’t mind, I’d love to come celebrate with you.”
I didn’t say a word.
Cole answered for me.
“Come along.”