Page 110 of King of Pride

Ivan was still discussing the alterations with the manager when another set of hurried footsteps echoed through the store.

Maria stormed inside.

An assistant immediately rushed toward her, but she waved her off and headed straight toward Ivan.

She stopped directly in front of him.

Ivan looked up, surprised.

“Mom? What are you doing here?”

“What the hell are you doing?” Maria demanded.

Ivan frowned.

“Rose is upset with me,” he explained, as though the answer were obvious. “I'm going to arrange the wedding and surprise her with it. She's angry right now, so I thought a surprise wedding might—”

“Are you out of your fucking mind?”

Maria roughly tossed the bag in her hand onto the couch beside him.

Her expression was furious.

“Ivan, what exactly are you planning to do?”

“Ivan, she’s not getting married to you. You broke up. She told me clearly that she has no intention of marrying you and that she wants nothing to do with you anymore. So what wedding are you talking about?”

“I told you, she’s angry with me because I hurt her. I know it was my fault, but I’m not going to accept that this is the end. I’m going to fix it. Everything will be fine, so don’t worry about our relationship.”

Maria nearly lost her mind.

She stared at him in disbelief before throwing her hands up.

“You’re acting crazy! Don’t you realize Rose has already refused you? What are you doing now when she has already made it clear she doesn’t want to marry you?”

Her voice rose with every word.

“When it was the right time, you didn't even bother apologizing to her! I told you a hundred damn times to go and patch things up with her, but you were too damn stubborn to even talk to her. And now, after all this time, you’re suddenly arranging a wedding without even having the bride!”

She pointed toward the racks of wedding gowns.

“Have you lost your mind? Have you even talked to her? And now you're here picking out a wedding dress?”

Ivan didn't look the slightest bit bothered.

He rose from the couch and straightened his jacket, his expression stubbornly confident.

“She wants to marry me. You know that.”

Maria stared at him.

“I’m not acting out. This is what she wants. Once she sees that I'm giving her the wedding she really wants, she'll be happy.”

Maria's jaw dropped.

Then her anger exploded.

“Are you seriously still thinking like this?”