The boutique descended into stillness. It was so quiet that the sound of a pin hitting the floor would have reverberated through the air like a thunderclap. Everyone else gave the salesperson sympathetic looks. Her expression was grim, but the manager approached her and hinted at her to comply with the client’s wishes. After all, the wedding dress was pretty expensive. Dominic was unfazed, and his smile never reached his eyes. Calliope squeezed his hand and whispered, “We shouldn’t buy the wedding dress. It’s a bit too expensive for us to spend on something that we won’t be able to use afterward. Let’s just forget about it.” “Swipe my card,” Dominic declared coldly. “You don’t need a pin number for that.” In the end, the manager and the designer came to defuse the situation together. Dominic went outside to smoke while Calliope got her measurements taken inside. No one dared to mock her anymore. The salesperson had been sternly reprimanded by her manager and was standing still aside. The designer showered Calliope with compliments as the manager treated her with exceptional service, serving her coffee as if she was a VIP client. After leaving the bridal boutique, Calliope had a gloomy expression on her face as they made their way home. That wedding dress cost over thirty thousand… Pursing her lips, she swiveled her head to face Dominic, whose expression was as placid as an iceberg. “Dominic,” she blurted out. “I think we need to talk.” Stunned, Dominic halted in his tracks. The young woman stared at him solemnly, her large eyes blinking slowly as she held her lips in a tight, firm line. “That was really impulsive of you.” Dominic frowned. “What?” “Back in the bridal boutique, you didn’t have to do that. Why did you insist on buying that wedding dress? It cost a whopping thirty thousand! Do you realize how much longer we could have lasted with that money?” Dominic had no concept of how long they could stay afloat with the meager sum of thirty thousand, as that amount of money would not even be enough to cover the cost of a single meal for him in the past. Calliope peered at him surreptitiously, and to her surprise, she found him to be completely unperturbed. “I’m not pointing any fingers at you,” she said, her tone becoming gentle. “We are married, which means that we have to start thinking about our future together. I know you may feel like you need to take action on my behalf, but if possible, you should try to restrain yourself when the situation calls for it. We should be using our money for more meaningful purchases in our family!” Our family? Strangely, Dominic felt himself breaking into a smile when he heard her words. “I haven’t gotten my dowry yet, but I need to use it elsewhere. We can’t be extravagant now.” Calliope’s voice slowly tapered off as she thought of her mother’s hospital bills and her younger brother’s need for living expenses. That thought made her visibly distressed. However, she dared not reveal anything to Dominic as he thought she was Penelope. “Extravagant?” the man repeated and chuckled lowly. “I’m not sure why you’re so hesitant to spend money. Aren’t you the daughter of the Gingrich family?” Calliope’s eyes widened as her heart started to race. Desperately wanting to change the subject, she spoke hurriedly. “Hey, are you thirsty? Why don’t I buy us some milkshakes?” With that, she spun on her heels and hurried to a milkshake shop beside the street. Dominic couldn’t help but chuckle as he watched her hasten away. Right then, his phone vibrated. His smile slowly faded as he saw the caller ID. “How did it go?” “Mr. Silv,” the person at the other end of the line greeted in a hushed voice. “We are very close to concluding our investigation. Someone had tampered with your private plane on the day of the accident, but unfortunately, we do not have sufficient evidence to prove it yet. The person responsible should be the same person you have suspected.” “Good job,” Dominic responded coolly. “Continue the investigation!” “Yes. Are you certain that you will not be coming back to Yeringham, Mr. Silv? How long do you intend to remain in the village in Jazona?”