Ch. 336..340: Love Slave to the Mafia Boss's Passion Chapter 336-340

Chapter 336: Sulking

Although I knew that some guys didn’t like planning weddings or planning anything for that matter, he should have paid more attention to what I was saying. This wasn’t just my wedding it was our wedding.

The pressure from the fact that the wedding was only around a week’s time away made me stressed out enough already without the need to add on more frustration from the fact that I had to deal with Hayden as well.

The worst part was that he didn’t seem to care and that hurt me more than anything. I sat down on the sofa and closed my eyes as I concentrated on breathing in deeply and slowly. Although I tried to control my thoughts, I couldn’t stop it from wandering to the two conditions that Hayden had presented to the boss.

He was clearly buying time, and I couldn’t help thinking that perhaps everything that he was doing, he was just doing it to buy some more time. Everything including our upcoming wedding. What if he’s just marrying me to buy some more time?

That shouldn’t be the case, but I just couldn’t erase that unsightly thought from my mind. I wallowed in my dark thoughts for a while until a knocking sound at the door snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Come in," I called out just loud enough for the person on the other side to hear.

Since the visitor had bothered to knock, I knew that it wasn’t Hayden. Slowly, the door opened, and Auntie poked her head in with a caring smile on face before my attention shifted to the very fat and large dog in her arm.

"Little Hayden!" I cried out in delight as I got up from the sofa and quickly made my way to where Auntie was standing.

Little Hayden had gotten quite chubby, and he had grown much bigger. I started to worry if he would get too big and I hoped that he would reach his mature state soon so that he could stop growing any larger. Little Hayden was visibly glad to see me and that warmed my heart.

I missed him so much too and with the things that had been going on, I had to admit regretfully that I had been neglecting him too much. His fat belly told me that he had stayed very well fed and his cheerful attitude told me that he was enjoying life.

"Come here…" I said sweetly as I took the chubby dog from Auntie’s arms.

He gained weight again and I could feel it when I carried him in my arms. It was amazing how Auntie could still carry him given how much he’d grown. I headed to the sofa after inviting Auntie inside. She followed me to the sofa before we both took a seat. Little Hayden lay on the sofa on his belly with his head leaning against my lap. I stroked his head and he relaxed under my touch.

He’s so adorable. Just feeling his soft fur against the tips of my fingers was enough to cheer me up somewhat.

"Hayden…umm…told me that you were stressed out about wedding preparations. Oh, big congratulations! I can’t wait for you two to get married! I knew that this day would come…although I hoped that it would have arrived sooner," Auntie said followed by a little laugh.

So…Hayden sent Auntie after me?

"A little. As you already know, we don’t have that much time before the wedding, and we haven’t done anything yet. Hayden is also…disinterested, I guess?" I said as I struggled to find the right word.

"Well, some men are not big fans of preparing events. I’m sure that Hayden would be happy with whatever that you decide on. Also, you don’t have to worry about the expenses, he’ll gladly cover it," Auntie said with an encouraging smile.

I wasn’t worried about the money. I had more than enough cash from the boss already.

"I guess…" I replied vaguely as my spirit took a deep dive back down.

"I know that it could be very overwhelming so let me know if there’s anything that I can help out with. If you didn’t have the set up from the wedding before, here is the contact of the organizer. I’m sure that she can help you out given the time constraints," Auntie said as she took out a business card and handed it to me.

"Thank you, I’ll contact her," I replied before smiling at her.

"Right. You should do that. Have you thought about your wedding dress?" Auntie asked and I could tell that she was still trying her hardest to cheer me up.

I appreciated her efforts and didn’t want her to feel bad for me, so I decided to go along with her.

"Not at all. Honestly, I don’t have anything fancy in mind…" I replied honestly.

The dress that I had on before had too much lace and it felt very itchy against my skin. The sense of discomfort from that day came back to me along with the dread of being forced to marry a man that I didn’t even know. Hopefully, things would turn out very differently this time around.

"Why don’t you invite Hayden out to try on some wedding dresses? It’ll probably be easier to decide that way, right? Also, if you want something tailored, you probably have to start right away…and pay extra to expedite the process," Auntie suggested.

"I don’t think Hayden would be interested in taking me," I replied honestly.

He wasn’t even bothered to talk to me about the wedding preparation so never mind him going out of his way to take me to a wedding boutique.

"Have you asked him to take you?" Auntie pressed.

"No…" I replied truthfully.

"You should ask him. After all, you have nothing to lose, right?" Auntie said before she reached for my hand and patted it with her own.

"Right…" I whispered, although I haven’t made up my mind whether to follow her advice or not.

Hearing him turn down my request would hurt so I did have something to lose.

 

Chapter 337: Hayden’s Preparations

Soon after Auntie left, and I was left alone with my thoughts once again. Despite what I said to reassure Auntie, I had no intention to talk to Hayden about anything. If he didn’t want to get involved, then I wouldn’t force him. I looked down at the business card that Auntie had given to me as I made up my mind to just leave everything to the organizers.

I wasn’t a picky person and if Hayden didn’t want to have a say in anything, then I might as well just completely outsource my problems. The organizer can help pick my wedding dress as well for all that I cared. The only request is for it to have no lace or laces that doesn’t make my skin itch when I start to sweat.

With that decided, I put the business card away with the intention to call the woman first thing early tomorrow morning. Suddenly, the door to my living room opened with a loud bang. No knocking before entering. It’s got to be Hayden and no one else.

"Why didn’t you come eat dinner?" he asked as he came to stand right in front of me.

His blue eyes glowered down at me from above and his eyes resembled blue flames that burnt brightly. Blue flames were hotter than their orange or red counterparts…by the way…

Which just means that he’s scarier when angry compared to the other guys.

"I wasn’t hungry…" I said honestly.

The other part that I didn’t want to mention was the fact that I didn’t particularly want to have dinner with him. I was sick of his single line responses, and I no longer had the energy to urge him into doing anything. That was it.

"How many times do I need to tell you this? It doesn’t matter if you’re hungry or not, you will eat your meals on time," Hayden said through gritted teeth.

"I’ll eat my dinner here. I’ll get Auntie to bring it over," I replied emotionlessly.

If Hayden realized the hidden message that I wanted to be alone right now, he completely ignored it and sat down right next to me on the sofa. I took in a deep breath and held it as I tried to control my urge to roll my eyes in completely exhaustion.

"Why are you sulking here all alone?" he asked as he turned sideways to stare at my face.

"I’m not sulking although I do prefer to be alone," I replied.

"You are sulking. I’ll get Auntie and the maids to bring dinner over here," Hayden said with a slight shake of his head.

"Haven’t you had dinner already?" I asked.

"Because of a certain someone not turning up, I haven’t eaten either," Hayden replied curtly.

"Aha…" I murmured.

Why does he have to make it sound like this was all my fault?

Hayden took out his phone and typed a short message that was probably sent to Auntie before he put his phone down on the coffee table in front of us.

"I just sent you an email. Have a look," Hayden said passively.

He sent me an email? Of what?

I reached out and grabbed my phone to check the email from Hayden. True to his words, he sent me an email around ten minutes ago. I clicked to open it and there was a file attached. A presentation file.

"I thought the organizer that organized the wedding last time did a lousy job. Although it was probably a rushed job back then but our wedding, this time around is also a rushed job. I doubt that she’ll do any better," Hayden began explaining.

Wait a second…

"How do you know that the wedding last time was bad? You were so drunk; you probably didn’t remember a thing…" I asked in confusion.

"Photos, Malissa. You might not have seen them but loads of photos were taken of every single detail of that day. The organizers hired photographers…not surprisingly…" Hayden readily explained.

"Oh…I see…" I mumbled in understanding.

So, does that mean that Hayden dug up those photos and then realized that he didn’t like how the wedding was organized the last time?

"I sent you a file of some leading wedding organizers. You can choose which one you want to work with," Hayden said casually.

I clicked to open the file on my phone and true to his words the file was filled with profiles, portfolios, and information of leading wedding organizers. This was truly unexpected, and I never thought that Hayden would do something like this when he acted like he didn’t care about our wedding at all.

"Thank you…Hayden…" I whispered softly.

Maybe he does care a little in his own way? Putting together a wedding that would satisfy the expectations of the boss in around a week’s time probably wasn’t something that I could realistically do alone. On top of that, I didn’t have any experience in organizing weddings. No matter how one might look at it, hiring an organizer that is trustworthy was probably the right and logical thing to do.

"Umm…if you’re free, should we go pick out our outfit for our wedding day?" I asked in a small shy voice.

I wasn’t sure if I was pushing my luck or not, but a small flower of hope had started blooming in my chest. Perhaps, Hayden would come with me and help me pick out my wedding dress. I would be fine with anything as long as he likes it.

"Let’s go tomorrow," Hayden replied curtly.

"Really?" I asked as I turned to face him.

"Why do you have to look so surprised?" he asked with hint of annoyance.

"Well, I thought you wouldn’t want to go with me…" I mumbled.

"But you want me to go with you, right?" Hayden asked.

I wasn’t sure what he was getting at.

"Yes…I do…" I replied with a nod of my head.

"Then I’ll go with you. Do you even have any idea which boutique you want to go to?" Hayden asked as he grinned at me.

He got me again. I had absolutely no idea…

"I guess not. You should have been doing research instead of just sulking in your room…" Hayden complained half-jokingly.

 

Chapter 338: Hayden Takes Responsibility

"I know that you probably don’t like doing any of this but…I want to have a wedding that you would like too. After all, it is our wedding not just my wedding, you know…" I confessed truthfully although Hayden might think that my worries are all just nonsense.

"I understand but I did mean it when I said that I’ll be happy with whatever that you choose. Honestly, I don’t really have any preferences," Hayden replied matter-of-factly.

What he said made sense and it was also logical. I knew that I was probably being too emotional about this but…

"And I’ll be happy with whatever you choose too. So…can we at least choose some things together?" I suggested hopefully.

I probably sounded so desperate right now, but it would mean so much to me if he would give me his opinion.

"…Fine. I’ll help you pick out your wedding dress and everything to do with your outfit. The rest, I would prefer if you worked it out with the organizer. If you feel lost, just let them pick and I’ll pay for it," Hayden said before he waited for my response.

"Ok…fair enough…" I mumbled.

"Stop sulking already. Eat and sleep. Tomorrow, I’ll take you to try on some wedding dresses," Hayden said as he ruffled my hair playfully with his large hand.

I wasn’t sure if a gesture like that was designed to make me feel better, but I did end up smiling a little now that we were sort of back on the same wavelength.

"Thank you…" I thanked him again.

…

After spending sometime late last night going through the file that Hayden sent, I had picked out an organizer that I wanted to work with. Everything was just based on what was written in the profile but that would have to do since I didn’t have time on my hands to talk to various organizers before making a decision. Saturday was fast approaching.

"Have you called the organizer?" Hayden asked first thing in the morning when he woke up.

Luckily, I had just gotten off the call with the representative of the organizer who will be taking care of our case. Hayden looked sleepy as he trudged out of his bedroom into the living room. His blonde hair was more than slightly tousled, and I thought that he looked even more sexy than usual.

Hayden stretched before he plopped himself down on the sofa next to me and placed an arm around my shoulder. My body tipped sideways when he pulled me into a hug. He buried his face in my chest and when I looked down, I saw that his eyes were closed.

"I already called. They want to meet with us to discuss what we want. Even if I tell them that they can choose for us they still think that having some direction from us would help them work more efficiently," I explained.

I felt his head moving and his face rubbing against my breasts as he seemed to nod in either agreement or understanding. His hair felt soft and pleasing against my fingers as I ran my fingers through his hair. Hayden’s arms around my shoulders tightened and I started wondering if and when we would be able to leave the house at this rate.

"We should meet them after we’re done picking out your dress…" Hayden mutter against my breasts before his blue eyes looked up at me.

"You should shower and get dressed…" I suggested lightly before I smiled down at him.

Hayden narrowed his eyes at me in slightly dissatisfaction before burying his face back in against my breasts. I prayed that he wouldn’t fall asleep this way.

…

"Next…" Hayden muttered after glancing for a brief moment my way.

I watched in complete disappointment as Hayden’s eyes quickly returned to his mobile screen. A sense of déjà vu filled my chest as Hayden kept on saying that single word every time that I stepped out of the dressing room with a new wedding dress on.

"Next…" Hayden said emotionlessly before his eyes returned to his phone once again.

By that time, I had already lost track of how many wedding dresses that I’ve tried on. Probably a little over 20?

The shop manager who had graciously offered to take care of us seemed to also be on edge and I pitied the middle-aged woman as she struggled to up her game in picking the right wedding dress for me. The other shop assistants were clearly trying their best as well, but despite their efforts, Hayden had never given a single dress a second glance.

I was starting to lose confidence in myself as well when I started wondering if there was something wrong with the dresses or was there something wrong with me?

"Next…" Hayden muttered without hesitation when I stepped out of the dressing room in yet another wedding gown.

I gave the shop manager an apologetic smile before I stepped back into the dressing room to change into another wedding gown that they had prepared for me. Honestly, I couldn’t see what was so off or so wrong with the dresses. They all looked more than decent, and some were probably more extravagant than what I would usually prefer.

This whole event just reminded me of when Hayden helped pick out a dress for me earlier. I sighed in frustration as I wondered what exactly he was looking for and what he thought was the perfect wedding dress for me. The curtains to the dressing room opened and I stepped out in a heavily sequined mermaid tail wedding dress with a matching veil.

Hayden’s blue eyes glanced over to me before it travelled down the length of my body. I could tell even before he opened his mouth that this dress didn’t make the cut either. I closed my eyes before I let out another sigh.

"I think that’s enough for today," Hayden said as he waved his hand dismissively.

What does that mean?

"Umm…we do have more dresses if the ones you saw did not match your liking…" the shop manager said politely.

"Thank you so much. Let me talk to him for a bit and we’ll meet you back out front…" I quickly told the manager.

 

Chapter 339: Hayden’s Little Secret

"Oh, sure. Let me know if you need any assistance," the shop manager replied to me with a polite smile.

After the manager and the other staff took their leave, I turned to face Hayden once more. Maybe if we talked, I could get his view on what he was looking for or if there were any issues that he could see.

"Umm…guess you didn’t like any of the dresses? Is there something that you have in mind?" I asked softly as I stood in front of him.

Hayden looked up at me and his eyes were a little cold and emotionless.

"Which dress do you like?" he asked.

Well, they all looked fine except for a few that were too heavy and too extravagant for my tastes but all in all any of them would work fine for me.

"I think they’re all fine. They’re all beautiful so…" I replied softly.

"Exactly. They all look decently the same. You’re the one who will be wearing the dress and even you don’t have a preference. How do you expect me to have a preference?" Hayden asked rhetorically.

Maybe he was right…

"Well, then…what should we do?" I asked, lost about how to proceed with this.

"Let’s get something designed and tailored to fit you," Hayden suggested decisively.

"But the time constraint…" I voiced my concern softly.

"Time is money. Money can also buy us time," Hayden said as he stood up from the sofa that he had been sitting on.

"Do you have something in mind for the tailor design?" I asked curiously.

"Maybe…" he replied.

Before I could say another word, Hayden had exited the room to head back to the front of the store. I looked down at the wedding dress that I still had on before I heaved another long sigh. I need to take this off before I could follow him anywhere.

…

"We will try our best to have the dress that you want tailored. For now, we need to take her measurements," the shop manager said as she turned to me

I had just walked out of the dressing room back to the front of the boutique and had no idea what Hayden had been saying to the shop manager.

"Take my measurements? Ok…" I said while still confused.

Hayden nodded at me and before I could ask him anything, I was being ushered back to the dressing room at the back of the boutique. The shop manager and the other staffs in her team took very detailed measurements of all parts of my body.

"What did he say to you about tailoring the dress?" I asked as I lifted my arms up from the side of my body as instructed.

"Oh…that’s a bit of a surprise…" the shop manager replied with a small laugh.

What are they trying to keep from me?

"Umm…did Hayden have some designs in mind?" I asked, hoping to understand what was going on.

"You could say that…" the shop manager said before she smiled warmly at me.

In the end, I couldn’t get anything out of the shop manager at all and it left me wondering if Hayden gave them a life-threatening warning for them to keep quiet to keep everything a secret from me.

"We’re done," I announced when we returned to the front of the boutique.

"Good. Let’s go," Hayden said as he got up from his seat and offered me his hand.

Slowly, I slipped my hand into his and he held it firmly. Hayden turned to thank the shop manager and her team, and I did the same.

"You’re more than welcomed. Thank you for choosing to trust us for such an important part of your wedding. Please bring Miss Malissa back here to try on the dress. I’ll give Miss Malissa a call," the shop manager said before bowing to send us out.

"Thank you…" I mumbled.

"Sure, thank you," Hayden readily agreed before he pulled me after him and out of the store.

…

We were in the car together on our way to have a meeting with the wedding organizer. It had been a long while since I’ve really been outside. With the wedding preparations that we needed to do Hayden had decided to allow me out as long as I travelled with him at all times. I was beyond thrilled to regain my freedom again and I didn’t mind spending the extra time with Hayden.

It seemed like forever since we were able to go out and about together like a normal couple like this.

Afraid that Hayden would regret and revert his decision, I never questioned him about the situation between the gangs. Since negotiations broke down between Hayden and Ethan on that day, I haven’t heard anything about the situation. It was probably too optimistic of me to wish that things were all smooth and well between the two gangs.

Hayden didn’t seem worried that we were out and about alone, though.

"Welcome, it is an honor for us to work with you on preparations for your big day," a beautiful woman said before beaming a gorgeous smile at us.

"Thank you…" I replied softly.

We followed her into a private meeting room that was as luxuriously decorated as the rest of their office. After taking our seat, the woman got to work immediately on grilling us on what we wanted or our wedding.

"My name is Lucy. As I mentioned over the phone earlier, it would help us a lot if the bride and groom-to-be could give us some ideas on what you are expecting for your wedding day. Some references, theme or even just colors that you like would help us greatly to come up with a plan for you given that we are little tight on time…" the woman said before smiling once again.

I glanced over at Hayden as I waited for him to voice if he had any preferences. Hayden remained silent while I tried my best to plaster a polite smile on my lips. Despite the fact that he came along with me, it didn’t seem like Hayden was going to participate more than absolutely necessary. I recalled that he did tell me to leave everything except for the outfits to the organizers.

 

Chapter 340: Unlimited Budget

"We’re not so sure what we have in mind to be honest," I said apologetically.

"That’s completely ok. You might not believe it but many of our clients come in feeling the same way and that is precisely why we are here to help you out. I assume that you’ve seen our portfolio and based on that something must have caught you eye or attention which led you to choose to work with us, right?" Lucy said with a knowing smile.

"I guess…" I mumbled, although I wasn’t sure what it was in their portfolio that caught my eye in the first place.

Lucy just nodded as she took out a large hardcover booklet before she opened it and slid it over the table towards Hayden and me. I could see that there were photos from the various other weddings that the company had organized before.

"As you can see from the various wedding photos here, we specialize in a more fairytale type of vibe and the key factor is the usage of smoke from dry ice and lighting to create the right atmosphere during the entire ceremony from start to finish," Lucy explained as she pointed to the various photos in the booklet.

"I see. It might be a little too fancy…" I murmured, feeling unsure.

It does look pretty and captivating, but it does seem excessive and expensive. Were these effects the thing that drew me towards choosing this company?

"It’s fine. Let’s go with all that lighting and stuff," Hayden decided without hesitation.

Well, that was easy. Smoke and lighting approved and done.

"Right. I think I get the overall picture now. So for the next step, I will get you to simply pick between two or three photos based on what you like best. Just point to the photo that you like or the one that you think matches better for what you have in mind for your wedding. This will help me understand your tastes more," Lucy explained as she prepared two stacks of photos.

The first pair of photos that she placed on the table was very different indeed. One had flower decorations everywhere possible in the church while the other had no flowers but gold ornaments instead. I glanced over at Hayden exactly when he turned to look at me.

"What if we don’t pick the same thing?" I asked.

"We can always combine your tastes. It’s not like we can’t make compromises on the choices," Lucy replied encouragingly.

"Malissa, you choose," Hayden instructed.

"Ok…I’ll go with the flowers…" I replied.

"Ok, sure. Next," Lucy said, clearly satisfied.

The next photos showcased weddings with very different color tones. One was in the warmer tones of pinks, oranges, and reds while the other had cooler tones of blues, purples, and greys. I was immediately drawn to the brighter colors. After glancing over at Hayden, he just nodded at me for me to make my decision.

"This one…" I said as I pointed my finger towards the photo with warmer and brighter color tones.

"Right. Next please," Lucy said as she laid out another pair of photos.

The process repeated itself until Lucy ran out of photos from her piles of photos. I had a slight headache from making so many decisions when the exercise came to an end.

"Perfect. One last thing, about the budget that you have in mind for the event…" Lucy asked before smiling gently at us.

"Unlimited," Hayden replied without a second thought.

Huh?

"Hayden…" I whispered his name in shock.

Shouldn’t we set a reasonable budget for these things? Telling them that we have an unlimited budget just didn’t make sense. Lucy also had a look of pure shock on her face as she stared back at us.

"Unlimited. I’ll pay whatever just to make sure that the wedding turns out just like how she wants it," he repeated firmly before pointing a finger my way.

That’s…crazy…

"Alright then. Thank you so much. That is it for today. I will work my hardest to send to you a proposal including computer graphic mockups of all parts of the venue. The venue will be at the church that you mentioned during our phone call earlier, is that still, correct?" Lucy asked with a broad smile.

"Yes, that is correct," I reaffirmed.

"Awesome. Thank you very much for your time. I will be in touch soon," Lucy thanked us again before leading us out.

The long day was coming to an end with Hayden driving us back to the mansion. I watched the scenery pass by from the car window as I enjoyed the orange ray of the setting sun. It felt good to be outside even though I couldn’t yet meet up with anyone. Hopefully after we get married, things will turn out for the better and my ban from going outside would be completely lifted.

"You shouldn’t have told her that you had an unlimited budget. I don’t think that it’s necessary to overspend on the wedding," I voiced my concern softly.

"I’ll rather pay to have a perfect day. Nothing comes for free and if we underspend, the old man will complain endlessly, and I don’t want to deal with that…ever…" Hayden argued back.

Since I knew that arguing with him would probably get us nowhere, I decided to let it slide and focus on the little time that we had together outside.

"Can we get dinner together outside?" I asked in a sweet pleading voice.

"Hmm…if you want," Hayden replied passively.

"You can pick the place. I’m good with anything…" I quickly added before he would change his mind.

The last time I had dinner outside with Hayden seemed like half a lifetime ago. Since I left it to Hayden to pick a place, we ended up eating at a very upscale and extremely private restaurant. That didn’t come as a surprise to me at all and I had absolutely nothing to complain about. I was just too happy to finally get a chance to eat dinner out with him again.

The restaurant that Hayden brought us to was more like a private residence that served only a few tables.

"This place has good steak," Hayden said as we sat down.

"Oh, really. I would like that," I replied cheerfully.

"Some wine?" Hayden asked.

"No, thank you…" I declined politely.