Chapter 16
Chapter sixteen
Maia
Arriving at Blaine’s private penthouse, I drifted through the space in silence before stopping at the window, staring out over the city.
The view stretched wide—rows of stone buildings, narrow winding streets, the occasional red bus slipping through traffic. Fog hung low over the roads, softening the edges of everything.
People in long coats walked with their heads down, coffees in hand, moving with purpose but no real urgency. It wasn’t the kind of city view I was used to. This felt quieter. Calmer. Even if it had its own version of chaos.
I was still thinking it all might be a dream. Still in awe of everything since I stepped onto his plane.
Instead, I was here—in Blaine’s penthouse. Walking barefoot across polished floors, staring at a life I didn’t recognize. A view I hadn’t earned.
Blaine strolled over, eyes glued to his phone, and let out a heavy sigh.
“I have to be across town in an hour. Meeting with Killian to sort out this mess with Calvin might take a while… especially if he tries cramming more things into my already packed schedule.”
“You follow a schedule, Mr. Porter? That doesn’t sound right…” I teased, looping my arms around his neck as his hands settled on my waist.
“I follow a very strict schedule, Sunshine. Scheduled naps. Scheduled meals and snacks. And you, of course, right at the top of the list. But in times of crisis…” He lowered his voice dramatically. “…Lucifer must come first.”
I giggled as he pressed a kiss to my collarbone.
“Don’t get on Killian’s bad side, okay? I don’t want to risk us getting caught,” I warned.
“Do you really doubt my ability to lie and keep a secret from him, Sunshine?” he asked, and I gave him a look that said everything.
He sighed in defeat. “What a shame. I don’t even believe in myself.”
That had me laughing again as I kissed him once more before letting him go get ready.
After he left, I unpacked a few things, then changed into a simple long-sleeve, jeans, and heels. Purse in hand, I headed down to the lobby—only to stop short at a peculiar sight.
A man stood beside an expensive car, holding a sign with “Sunshine” written in bold letters.
Approaching cautiously, I offered a smile. “Hi.”
He glanced from the sign to me, then back again. “Hello. I’m assuming you must be Sunshine?”
Heat crept up my neck. “Yes, that’s me.”
He gave a professional nod. “I’m Miles, and I’ll be your driver. Mr. Porter has arranged for me to take you wherever you’d like to go.”
“Oh.” My blush deepened as he opened the back door of the sleek car for me. Sliding inside, I couldn’t help a grin. “Any shopping recommendations for a first-timer in this country? I quite literally have more money than I know what to do with now…”
The corner of his mouth twitched, just shy of a laugh. “In that case, I may have a few suggestions.”
Entering the luxury store, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed. These were the kinds of clothes I used to only dream of touching back when I was working two part-time jobs just to survive.
When I was with Felix, he gave me just enough luxury to taste it—then yanked it back to keep me hungry.
He never splurged on me the way I hoped, and I never dared to embrace my materialistic side.
Not while my uncle was drowning in addiction, and not when Felix made it clear how much he despised “gold diggers.”
I wasn’t about to dig myself into an even deeper grave by admitting I was using him for his money by embracing the finer things life had to offer. Because in actuality, they were never offered to me. Not without strings attached. Not without the reminder that none of it I deserved.
I stopped at a pair of diamond-studded heels in a glass case. They were stunning. Yet even with Blaine’s black card practically weighing down my fifteen-dollar purse, I hesitated.
Maybe it was the fear of using him, him and his stupid, gorgeous smile, for the wrong reasons.
Maybe it was Felix’s voice still keeping me small, reminding me I’d never be worthy of shoes that cost two years of my old paycheck.
Maybe it was Mr. Vaughn’s words, telling me I wasn’t special, that I was only good for my looks and nothing more.
Would giving in prove them right? Did I deserve to be spoiled while my uncle was still in rehab? Felix never thought so. Blaine did. And caught between the two, I wasn’t sure which voice to believe.
A shadow fell beside me. I looked up to see a saleswoman, sleek in a fitted skirt and silky blonde hair pulled into a neat low ponytail. For a moment I half-expected her to kick me out for staring too long. Instead, her words eased my worry.
“Pretty, aren’t they?” she asked, her American accent surprising me.
“Stunning, actually. They’re so sparkly and shiny,” I whispered, eyes fixed on the diamonds.
She shrugged. “Most of what we sell here is.” Then she turned. “Shall I get you a pair to try on?”
I hesitated. My first instinct was to shake my head—that had always been my response before. But now, with permission to splurge, I didn’t quite know how to accept the luxury.
“…I don’t know,” I admitted softly.
Her gaze dropped to my feet. She tilted her head. “You look like a seven, maybe seven and a half. We’ll bring both.”
“How do you know I’m not just here to waste your time?” I asked bluntly.
She shrugged again, unbothered. “Beautiful girls like you don’t end up on the other side of the world in a luxury mall for no reason.”
I blinked at her, caught off guard by the frankness.
She rolled her eyes. “Please. The wealthy men who run this city know exactly what they want. And when the women they spoil are given freedom to have what they want, nine times out of ten, they feel overwhelmed and undeserving the first time they walk in here.”
A humorless chuckle slipped out of me. “No kidding…”
She gave a knowing nod before calling over a coworker. “Penelope, a glass of champagne for Miss…” She glanced back at me.
“Dalton. Maia Dalton.”
“For Miss Dalton. And bring a size seven and seven and a half in each of the diamond collection.”
My eyes widened slightly as Penelope nodded and disappeared. The saleswoman only smiled, as if she’d seen this play out a hundred times before.
“Courtesy of?” she asked, leaving the door open in case I didn’t want to reveal the man behind my sugar baby trip.
Clearing my throat, I told the truth. “Blaine Porter.”
She nodded approvingly and motioned me toward the sitting area. “Next time, say it with your chest. Like you mean it.”
I giggled softly, taking a seat just as Penelope returned with champagne.
“I never got your name,” I said as she poured me a glass.
“Lisette,” she replied, handing it over.
I sipped, bubbles fizzing against my tongue, watching as box after box was carried over by employees. Lisette took the first from her coworkers and began setting each jeweled heel in front of me like a queen’s offering.
“So, Ms. Dalton,” she said smoothly, “Blaine Porter, huh? Sounds like you’re in good hands.”
I smiled faintly. “You could say that. He’s been… generous.”
Her brow arched. “Never thought I’d see the day New York City’s most charismatic bachelor would settle down.”
I shrugged. “I wouldn’t call it settling down.”
She didn’t say anything after that, picking up the heels I’d been eyeing earlier. Holding them out, she waited as Penelope handed me a pair of disposable socks. Even these felt like velvet.
Setting my glass aside, I slipped them on and eased into the glittering heels. Standing before the mirror, I stared at my reflection in awe.
Lisette stood at my shoulder after a minute of me staring at the mirror, tilting her head. “Still not sure if you want them?” she teased, already knowing the answer.
My eyes lit up as I bit my lip. “Maybe we can keep a pair at the register… Just in case.”
She smiled gingerly. “Of course, Ms. Dalton.”
For the next three hours, I was pampered and spoiled by the entire luxury floor with Lisette as my guide.
My hesitancy faded the longer I stayed at her side, her advice echoing in my ears: flaunt the access to Blaine’s funds instead of hiding in shame.
If other women did it with far less money, why couldn’t I?
Standing in one of the final stores, I did my best to ignore the receipt total as the clerk handed it over. Lisette helped gather my bags and even called mall security to escort us outside. As we walked and chatted, I glanced at her, hesitating before asking:
“Why are you so nice to me?”
She tilted her head, waiting, so I pushed on. “Before, people just saw me as a girl working two jobs to scrape by. And when I was in my last relationship, I was labeled a gold digger, even though all I was doing was trying to pay off my uncle’s debt and survive the assumptions.”
She shrugged. “And now that you’re a sugar baby with no responsibilities, no bills, no worries… you think you should be humble about it, keep your head down, because it could all disappear in a second.”
“Well… yeah. Exactly.”
Lisette chuckled, shaking her head. “Maia, honey, people are going to judge you no matter what, whether you’re working yourself to death or walking out of here in diamond-encrusted heels.
I judged you when you came in, but then you let yourself use what you were given instead of feeling shame from it, and you just gave me the biggest commission of my career.
Don’t feel guilty about living the life you once wished for. ”
“Even if it could all fall apart? Just like it did before?” I whispered as we reached the curb. Miles was already stepping out, opening the trunk.
Lisette turned to me, her eyes steady. “You’re in control of your life, Ms. Dalton.
Despite what men may make you think, you’re the one walking in fifteen-thousand-dollar shoes.
Not them. Before, you were surviving. Now you’re thriving.
And whether this lasts or not, you already know both sides—you’ll decide which one you want to go back to, or if you’re going to push forward. ”
Her words sank deep, free of condescension, just truth.
Miles opened the door for me, and I slid into the car after bidding Lisette goodbye. She sent me off with a genuine smile, one that felt like permission.