Tiana's stomach twisted as she watched Jane head straight for the luxury section, plucking the most expensive clothes, designer bags, and shoes like she was grocery shopping on someone else's dime.
"You said anything I want," Jane smirked, stacking her haul on the counter like trophies. "I'm just following instructions."
Tiana narrowed her eyes, fists clenching at her sides.
"This gold-digging witch is really about to test us."
But Hannah remained calm, lips barely lifting in an amused smile.
"Great taste," she said coolly.
"But remember—any item not in stock gets refunded to the cardholder, not the shopper."
Jane blinked.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Oh nothing."
Hannah leaned in.
The air shifted. Tiana almost choked on her laugh.
"I knew it! She really is that Hannah."
Tiana grinned, watching Jane's confidence flicker like a cheap candle.
"Please, let her add more,"
a deep voice chimed in from behind.
"I don't mind paying for it."
Tiana froze.
She didn't need to turn around to know who it was.
Lux.
And as always, he was in disguise—casual hoodie, cap low over his eyes—but that aura of smug arrogance was unmistakable.
He stepped forward, eyes landing on her like a weight.
"What a coincidence, don't you think?"
Tiana looked up at him.
"I don't believe in coincidences…"
she said sharply.
"Especially when it comes to you."
"Well… that hurt."
Lux muttered with a crooked smile, unfazed as ever.
He turned to the cashier.
"Ring up everything she tried on."
Then his gaze slid to Jane.
"And hers too."
Jane froze mid-smirk.
Evan stiffened beside her.
That wasn't just a glance—it was a warning.
Tiana blinked, caught completely off guard.
She crossed her arms and raised a brow to mask the swirl of thoughts in her head.
"Hope this jerk doesn't use this against me later!"
But to Jane and Evan, she wore a victorious grin.
Then Lux leaned in slightly, pulling something from his pocket.
"Oh—almost forgot. I found this."
He reached out and gently clipped her missing hairpin back into place.
Tiana's eyes widened. Her hairpin. She'd turned her room upside down looking for it.
"Why do I feel like this is part of some weird scheme…"
she muttered under her breath, watching him with growing suspicion.
Just then, Hannah stepped forward, breaking the intensity.
"Thanks for stepping in," she said coolly, arms crossed.
"But we had it under control… you know."
"Of course I know," Lux replied smoothly, his gaze flicking to Tiana.
"But I couldn't just stand there and watch her pay for it all without stepping in."
"Well, thanks," Tiana muttered, her lips jutting into a pout.
"But I didn't ask for your help—so don't expect me to pay you back!"
"I swear he's scheming…"
She stormed off, grabbing her shopping bags with flair.
Then it hit her like a freight train.
"Hold up… am I… scheming against Ethan… while Lux is scheming against me?"
Her mind spiraled.
"Please tell me this is not the direction this is spiraling into! A Two-way scheming war?! Someone call the drama police!"
Her hands clenched around her bags as she resisted the urge to scream like a maniac in the middle of the mall.
"Are you okay, Tia?"
Hannah asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
"You look like you just swallowed a live spider."
"Oh really?"
Tiana's voice dragged with sarcasm, clearly not okay.
She glanced back—only to find Lux had already disappeared from the store.
"Coward!" she growled inwardly.
"Well then… challenge accepted."
Her eyes gleamed with newfound resolve.
"I'm not losing this scheming war, Lux. Not now. Not ever."
Meanwhile, Lux slid into his car with a victorious smile tugging at his lips.
Running into Tiana at the mall hadn't been planned—he'd only come to kill time with his friends.
"That's ten thousand in debt to me, Tiana," he muttered smugly, revving the engine.
In the back seat, Mark let out a low whistle.
"So that's the girl you're after, huh? Gotta admit, she's bad. In a very good way."
Lux smirk, pulling off his disguise fully.
"Not gonna lie," Lucas added, reclining with a lazy grin, "This time, you've got taste. She's stunning."
The three of them weren't just close friends—they were also some of the most well-known faces in the modeling industry. Which made Lux's infatuation all the more ironic.
"But still," he muttered, gripping the steering wheel, "I don't get why she keeps rejecting me… even when I'm trying to change ."
The city lights flashed across his windshield, but he barely saw them.
"Don't worry though, Tiana."
"I'm pretty damn good at scheming too."
His grin sharpened with confidence.
He already knew Ethan had accepted her sketch—that little bit of info came through company whispers.
But what caught Lux's attention was the rumor: that she seduced Ethan into it.
His fingers tapped the wheel.
"If that's true, Tiana... then game on."
He narrowed his eyes, the fire in them unmistakable.
"Because I hate losing more than I like you."