36 Love At First Sight

Mandy rushed out after she received that call. After about 45 minutes, she finally reached her destination.

Looking at the huge building in front of her, she smiled.

*Phoenix Mall*

'Finally I get to enter this place.' She parked her car and tried to enter the elevator but was stopped.

"Miss do you have a Phoenix card?" Asked the buff security guard.

'Damn it! How could I forget that this place needs a membership card to enter!' She frowned at the guard and pulled out her phone and made a call.

After waiting for a long time, the call was answered.

"Hey? I'm in the parking lot, they won't allow me without the Phoenix card. What do I do?"  Mandy asked her friend, pushing down the bitter feelings she had.

The other person spoke something and Mandy hung up.

"Just wait, you'll get your instructions soon." She looked at the guard with contempt and turned away.

'What did I do to receive such treatment? I was just doing my job.' The poor security guard went back to his post and waited for the instructions. 

Phoenix card holders may get their friends along, so such situations were common for the guard.

'What's taking them so long?' Mandy tapped her red stilettos on the concrete floor to show her impatience but the guard did not even look at her.

After a few more minutes, the guard received a message on his walkie that a card holder had given her permission to enter.

He gestured that she may enter now and got a *Hmph* in return, as she flipped her hair and walked in.

'I may work here but at least I can enter anytime I want, without waiting for someone else's permission. Stupid woman!' The guard was pissed looking at Mandy's behaviour.

---

After entering, Mandy looked around in awe. This reaction was similar to what Lina had.

"Wow! Some brands aren't even available outside this mall!" She said and moved to the place she needed to be.

She found the cafe on the second floor and after finding her friend, she waved and walked to her.

"Hey , what's wrong?" Mandy hugged her friend and asked what was bothering her.

"It's a long story. Let's talk while shopping." She just pulled Mandy along.

They entered a cosmetics store and Mandy was once again shocked.

'This place has all the products that have been hyped on social media.' She looked at her friend buying stuff without a care in the world, whereas she should thank her stars that she could even enter the mall before they issued her membership card.

"Mandy, you can buy anything you want. My dad's paying the bill. No limits!" She said and turned away. 

The nasty thoughts in Mandy's head once again crept up.

'Why is life so unfair to me? We both have rich dads but our situations are so different.' She cursed her luck and stood beside her friend.

"So Jeanie? Why were you in a bad mood?" She asked again and her friend told her everything that had happened.

"Can you believe it? They treated me in such a way at Cecilia's. You think that a highly reputed place would treat it's clients with respect, but that place is just horrible!" Said Jeanette Liang as she recalled the humiliation she faced because of Kira.

"But Cecilia's is so famous!" Mandy was shocked to hear what had happened.

Of course, Jeanette Liang conveniently forgot to mention her fault in this issue. She just portrayed Cecilia's as an unprofessional place.

"To top it all, that woman even got to use Madam Kira'd private room! How dare she even accept that offer?" Jeanette Liang was red with anger.

"Who is this woman anyway? We should teach her a lesson!" Mandy was prepared to punish whoever hurt her friend.

"Oh no.. It's not needed. I'm just angry for all the other clients there. They probably couldn't get the stylist of their choice because of her." Jeanette quickly hid her anger and displayed a sad face.

"Jeanie.. How can you be so sweet? Such a woman deserves to be taught a lesson. Let me know the next time you see her." Mandy held her hands.

"She messed with you that means she messed with me. I'll show her what it means to mess with the Yangs!" Mandy promised then turned to the counter to see other products. 

Because she was so engrossed in the products, she did not notice the smile that creeped up on Jeanette Liang's face and instantly disappeared.

'Daddy told me not to mess with Cecilia's, but he never mentioned anything about that woman. Plus I have my little sidekick to do all the work for me. ' Jeanette then encircled Mandy's hand and pulled her out of the store after paying the bill.

Since she could do nothing to Cecilia's, she decided to transfer her hatred to Lina.

------

Poor Lina, who did not know that she had just made an enemy was waiting for her sandwiches.

She looked up when a shadow cast over her book.

'Finally my food's here! Wait.. Who's this?' The excitement for food faded.

Standing in front of her was a man with glasses, he looked shy and turned to the group of friends sitting on the other end of the cafe. She too looked at them and they hurriedly turned away.

The guy turned back and smiled at her. He wore a black hoodie with black torn jeans, his hair was messy and he looked like he was a student.

"Hey, this is the first time I'm seeing you here. Are you new here?" The guy asked.

Then continued when Lina did not answer.

"Don't get me wrong, I noticed that we were reading the same book so I just wanted to speak to a fellow reader." He smoothly said, gone was the shy guy.

'Is this cute guy talking to me? Oh.. He wants to discuss the book!' Lina looked at the book in his hand. The slight excitement about her 'love at first sight' disappeared.

'He genuinely wants to talk about the book.' So Lina gestured for him to sit and they discussed the book till the waitress brought her order.

"Your food's here. I shouldn't disturb you any further. I had fun talking to you, thanks." He said with a grateful smile. 

"Likewise." Lina just smiled and was waiting for him to leave so that she could finally eat. But when he did not, she looked at him again.

"Umm.. Will I be able to see you again?" He asked, the shy guy was back now.

'He switches between the shy and bold persona. That's something new!' Lina just smiled at him.

"If fate wishes for us to meet, then we surely will." She used her usual dialog. Though they did not introduce themselves this time, if they met again Lina would surely like to befriend him.

'He seems like a nice guy. I had a fun conversation with him.' She saw him smile and walk back to his group of friends. Seeing them staring at her, she awkwardly waved at them and they immediately looked down.

'Whatever. Let's concentrate on this cheese filled beauty in front of me!' She dug into her sandwich relishing its taste.

As she took the last bite of her sandwich, a young girl stood in front of her.

Lina, who was shocked at this sudden appearance, choked on her sandwich.

She quickly gulped down the lemonade and accepted the napkin that the girl offered.

"I'm sorry if I scared you. I noticed you when you walked in." The girl looked like she was in her teens and twisted her fingers as she spoke.

"It's okay, sweetheart. Are you here alone?" She asked looking around and not finding anyone who might be her guardian.

"I'm waiting for my sister to get off work. She's a waitress here." Saying so she pointed to the waitress who had served Lina.

"I just wanted to ask, are you wearing Sergei Romain's sling bag?" The girl pointed at Lina's sling bag placed on the table.

"Impressive. I'm glad to see someone recognise his work here." Lina was surprised that such a young girl knew about the famous Sergei Romain.

"He's my idol! I want to become a famous designer just like him!" The girl exclaimed.

"Work hard, I'm sure you will make it. He'll be happy that he could be someone's idol." Lina patted her head.

"I know I am a stranger, but can you please let me take a picture of your bag?  Please…" She begged.

Lina just laughed and handed her the bag.

"Real leather, that stitch is amazing. Design is practical yet elegant." The girl just muttered to herself as she held and examined the bag.

'She knows her stuff.' Lina was pleased with her knowledge.

"Big sister, can I take a picture with you as well? One where you wear the bag?" She requested.

"Oh you want me to model for you?" Lina stood and posed for a few pictures with funny faces.

The girl clicked the pictures and reviewed them.

'This sister looks so nice even while making funny faces.' She thought of something and looked at Lina again.

"Sister, give me your IG name, I'll send them to you." She showed the pictures to Lina and sent them to her account.

She soon left after accepting each other's follow request. 

'How will she react when she sees the pictures of my collection of Sergei's bags?'

Lina sipped her lemonade and giggled.

"Looks like someone is becoming famous." Came a voice from behind.