Chapter 36

Rafael

The little bell above the door rang as I entered the hole-in-the-wall boutique.

I planned to propose to Jane today and worked extra hard to finish my work early, but she was nowhere to be seen when I finally left my office.

But based on Joseph's information, my mother had run off with Jane in the middle of the workday to come to Amanda's boutique to try on her custom dress for the last time in preparation for tomorrow's gala.

The moment I walked in, I was greeted with the familiar sight of gold detailing lining the shop's walls with rolls of fabrics scattered all over the place and the usual musky scent that clung to every inch of the wall. It was something I had often seen as a child whenever my mother insisted on dragging me here to play dress up.

"Oh, hello, Rafael. I wasn'