The Reign of Zane Gardner

Chapter 14 - Morning Stretches

The gentle rays of the morning sun shone through the curtains of Zane's bedroom, illuminating the room with its warm light and gently stirring him from his slumber.

He stretched his arms wide, feeling a deep satisfaction course through him. The demanding and strenuous training he had done throughout the past week had left him feeling fulfilled and content.

Zane made his way to the bathroom, shedding his clothes and easing himself into a bathtub filled with warm water.

The heat embraced him in a comforting cocoon and he murmured in delight, "Ah...so comforting!" A contented sigh escaped his lips as he luxuriated in the soothing warmth.

He allowed himself to sink deeper into the water, feeling the tension in his muscles slowly melt away and his blood circulation improve with the comforting heat.

After some time, he emerged from the bath, ready for the day ahead. As he stepped outside, he found Cedric waiting for him by the car.

"Hello, Master," Cedric greeted him warmly with his usual readiness. "I am ready to take you wherever you need to go today."

"Cedric," he said politely yet firmly, "you have been accompanying me a lot recently, and now it is time for you to take a break."

Zane valued his independence and preferred to rely on himself as much as possible for tasks he could handle on his own.

Furthermore, given that he found prolonged interactions exhausting, he strove to maintain a balance between his need for solitude and the demands of his social obligations.

Cedric, understanding his master's character and respecting his choice, nodded in agreement. "Absolutely, Master. Be safe," he said, stepping to the side to let Zane take the driver's seat.

***

Zane stepped into the bustling mall, a place he had not often frequented. He was awestruck by the vast array of stores, each displaying its own collection of luxurious items, and felt a bit overwhelmed.

He ventured into a few clothing stores, his gaze moving across the racks of finely tailored suits.

As he browsed the selection, a thought crossed his mind. "Why are all the suits here so expensive?" he questioned in a low, incredulous voice.

He ruminated on his past financial limitations, becoming aware of how his inadequate budget had prevented him from exploring the world of luxury fashion. "Or could it be that I just never thought about buying extravagant garments before?" he pondered.

"It can't hurt to enjoy some of what I have now," he thought to himself.

After all, he intended to use his abilities to make even more money in the future. "The money I use now is just a small part of what I already have," he comforted himself, a pleased smile on his face.

Returning to the store he had visited earlier, Zane carefully selected several suits that had caught his eye. He picked up one and examined the price tag.

Astonishment washed over him as he noticed the price was $600 and he realized that this did not include the shirt and trousers. In spite of the shock, he understood that quality craftsmanship was worth the cost.

As he continued shopping, a female employee followed him, her presence discreet yet attentive, ready to help should he need her assistance.

Zane seemed to take his time, carefully examining every item of clothing. This was his first experience with luxury fashion, and he wanted to be sure his choices were spot on.

The employee, who had been following Zane around, sighed in exasperation. She was annoyed at his repeated rejections of her help, and it was clear that he was not going to buy anything. Resigned, she joined her colleagues at the entrance of the store, huddling together. Their eyes sporadically darted towards Zane, who continued to inspect the suits with an exacting eye. One of her colleagues then chuckled, shaking his head in bemusement.

“Hahaha, I told you," he said. "I've met customers like that several times. They linger around, try on a bunch of clothes, but end up not buying anything.”

The employee nodded in agreement, her voice tinged with frustration. “He took too long. I offered to help him several times, but he always refused. It's obvious that he doesn't really want to shop,” she replied.

Another colleague, leaning in closer, smirked and added, “Look at him, he is indeed handsome. But his face doesn't show any signs of wealth.”

The group shared a look full of mockery and laughed softly. “Yeah, he's probably just pretending to be rich. Even though in reality, he doesn't have anything,” someone else chimed in, their tone dismissive.

Unaware of the whispers of disapproval from the people around him, Zane continued on with his meticulous selection.

Suddenly, a woman around fifty years of age strode briskly in his direction. It was Mrs. Amber, Zane's ex-mother-in-law. She stopped in front of him, her expression a combination of surprise and annoyance.

"Zane?" she exclaimed, her voice filled with shock and disbelief. "It's really you? What are you doing here? Her gaze was intense and accusatory, her eyes scrutinizing every move he made.

Zane, maintaining his composure, slowly turned to face her. He replied to Mrs. Amber with an expression that was both calm and controlled.

"Mrs. Amber," he began, "surely you know where we are? I'm here to purchase some clothing, of course."

Her disbelief quickly shifted to annoyance, and her suspicion seemed to be confirmed in her mind.

She shook her head vehemently, her voice becoming louder as she said, “No, no. This is impossible. You must be here to steal clothes, right?”

The intensity of her words drew the attention of everyone in the vicinity.

She raised her voice even further, demanding, “Someone, come here quickly and secure this person!” Her voice reverberated throughout the store, causing some of the shoppers to pause and turn in the direction of the unfolding scene.

The employees, who had been speculating about Zane previously, rushed over, their curiosity aroused by the commotion.

“Madam, what happened?” one of the employees asked, their tone full of bewilderment.

“Call security immediately, somebody almost stole some clothes from here! Hurry!” Mrs. Amber commanded sternly.

Zane, surrounded by a growing throng of onlookers, replied coolly, “Mrs. Amber, I think you have taken this too far.” He made an effort to stay composed, refusing to be provoked by her inflammatory accusations.

Moments later, two security guards hurried over, alerted by the commotion. Mrs. Amber, seizing the opportunity to escalate the situation, addressed them harshly, "You guys, now, get him out of here!"

The employees in the store had their suspicions about Zane further reinforced as Mrs. Amber's tirade continued. She painted a picture of him as a villain, prompting the security guards to act.

"Just so you all know," Mrs. Amber declared loudly, making sure that everyone in the store could hear her, "he was once a parasite in my family!"

The crowd gasped in shock, their faces expressing their disbelief. Mrs. Amber, reveling in the attention, continued, "Previously, he was just a servant in my household. And became a parasite in my family."

Her words were dripping with disdain, and a self-satisfied smirk curled the corners of her lips, as if she had indeed thwarted a heinous crime.

Zane, amidst the growing murmur of the crowd, managed to keep his composure. “Mrs. Amber, you have gone too far,” he said quietly, but his eyes were fixed unwaveringly on Amber’s, and his voice was strong yet gentle. “I hope you will not regret what you said,” he added.

The onlookers, moved by Amber’s dramatic declaration, began to chatter amongst themselves.

“Wasn’t that the right thing to do?” one asked, while another breathed a sigh of relief. “Oh my God, if that lady hadn’t come, he might have actually stolen something.”

The store employees debated amongst themselves, unsure of how to proceed. “But, what should we do now?” asked one of them, “Do we ask security to kick him out?”

At that, one of the security guards, fueled by the tension and Amber’s story, stepped forward with a stern expression and addressed Zane.

“I think it’s better if we solve this at the security post. You have created quite a commotion here.” He reached out to grab Zane’s arm, his intent clear.

Before the security guard could reach out, a young woman’s voice broke the tension. It was firm yet peaceful.

“Wait!” she commanded.