Dominate Showbiz: Media Tycoon Discovered My Talent-Chapter 26: Time to Meet Your New Self

"Shopping? We?" Kaija repeated, incredulous.

"You’ve been stuck here for a week. Maybe going out will clear your mind." He pulled out his phone and called his chauffeur.

Kaija stared at him. Was the man even listening to what he was saying? Was this how he usually pampered his mistresses? If so, she completely understood why they fell head over heels for him. This man was a ten out of ten!

Once Charles finished the call, he grabbed her hand while she was still frozen in disbelief and dragged her out of the building.

"Didn’t you say you’ve been busy these days?" she asked once we were inside the limousine.

"I did, but I’ve spent the whole morning on it. Now it can wait." His eyes flicked toward her, his tone sharpening. "Why are you sitting so far away?"

Heat rushed up her neck and burned across her face. Now that she was sober, she wasn’t half as calm and cool as she’d been last night. She started scooting closer little by little, forcing a weak smile. "Is this close enough?"

His brows drew together slightly. Then, without warning, he reached out, seized her wrist, and pulled her straight onto his lap. One hand slid under her sweater, he drew her closer to his chest, his fingers started tracing lightly against her skin.

Her face started burning again. His wandering fingers had already traveled even further up. As if that wasn’t enough, his lips brushed against her ear, his breath hot as he murmured, "What’s the matter? We’re not in public now."

Though she couldn’t see his face, she could almost feel the smirk curling on his lips as he spoke. She darted a glance at the black partition separating us from the chauffeur and stammered, "Um... Isn’t this a little too close?"

"Too close?" He nipped at my earlobe teasingly. "Weren’t we even closer just last night?" His tone dripped with amusement. "Or do you need a reminder?"

She turned around instantly. "That won’t be necessary!"

Her protest was pointless. Charles’s silver eyes were already tinged faintly red, his face clouded with unmistakable desire. The hardness pressing against her jeans only confirmed it.

"Can you wait until we get back, at least?" she muttered. Though seeing him like this undoubtedly turned her on, getting caught doing it here would leave a permanent scar on her pride.

Charles didn’t answer. A low, guttural sound escaped his throat as his hand slid up to her chin, the other tangling in her hair, pulling it gently back until her neck stretched upward. His lips brushed against her collarbone, leaving a trail of light kisses up to her neck before capturing her lips, his tongue invading greedily into her mouth.

"Then you’d better make up for this," he murmured between kisses, "for last night too."

Her body tensed. She realized she’d just signed herself up for another long, restless night.

The limousine stopped in front of the tallest commercial building in Z City. The shopping mall was bustling even outside rush hour.

She’d never been here before — partly because she couldn’t afford to, and partly because shopping had never been her thing. The fact that she didn’t even own a single high-collar top was proof enough of that.

When they walked in, Charles didn’t stop at any of the glittering luxury boutiques lining the corridor. He passed them all, heading straight for the elevator. Soon, they arrived on the thirteenth floor, high above the mall below.

She had no idea what he planned to buy up here, but with a man like him, his taste was probably on another level. So she just followed quietly without asking questions.

The place he brought her to didn’t look like a clothing store at all. It looked like... a hair salon?

As soon as they stepped inside, a woman dressed in a sleek black suit greeted them with a polite smile and led them further in.

"Hey," Kaija whispered, nudging Charles. "You getting your hair done?"

He glanced down at her, his lips curving slightly. "Not my hair," he murmured. "Yours."

Her hair?! Since when did buying a sweater become getting her hair done?! She almost raised her voice at Charles when the lady politely gestured toward one of the empty seats. "Please have a seat," she said, her tone directed at Kaija.

Kaija shot a skeptical look at Charles. He simply returned one that clearly said, "I’m your boss—just do as I say".

So, with no other choice, she sat down in front of the spotless, oversized mirror as the lady wrapped the massive hairdressing cape around her neck.

Soon after, a man appeared, his face lighting up at the sight of Charles. "Mr. Kosonen!" he greeted, extending a hand eagerly. "What a great pleasure to have you back. And who is this beautiful lady you’ve brought with you?"

Charles returned the handshake. "My songbird," he said, his tone cool as ever. "Do something that suits her best, Kenji. Something that’ll make everyone stop and stare."

Kenji grinned. "That’s my specialty, Mr. Kosonen."

He came over to inspect Kaija’s hair, his face turning serious as he ran his fingers through it. "Beautiful Miss Songbird! Your natural hair is exquisite, but I assume you’ve never set foot in a salon before, hmm?"

Kaija let out a dry, awkward laugh. "Uh... yeah, I’ve been... kind of busy."

Kenji clicked his tongue dramatically. "No, no, no, Miss. That simply won’t do! Especially for someone with such an elegant profile. Your hair isn’t doing you justice. But you’re lucky — Today, you’ve met Kenji. And Kenji is about to perform magic."

"Of course," she said with a wry smile, though her stomach was already tightening. "Please... uh... do whatever you think is best."

"Take good care of her," Charles said, glancing at his watch. "I have some shopping to do."

"Of course, Mr. Kosonen," Kenji replied brightly. "When you return, you’ll hardly recognize your little songbird!"

Kaija could see the future of her hair dimming and dimming right in front of her eyes. Whatever Kenji had in mind, she was sure it was the complete opposite of her current look. She’d had this long, straight black hair her whole life. She might as well start saying goodbye now.

Charles left without another word, while Kenji rubbed his hands together like a mad scientist plotting his next experiment. At his clap, five other stylists emerged from the back, lining up neatly in a row.

"Listen up, team!" Kenji declared. "Today, we’re bringing this beautiful lady’s hair to life after years of neglect!"

"Yes, sir!" they chorused like soldiers before diving into action, sectioning her hair and applying all sorts of mysterious chemicals she couldn’t name.

The process dragged on for hours. Charles was nowhere to be seen. She dozed off more than once, only to be gently shaken awake by Kenji’s finger tapping on her shoulder.

"Wakey wakey, sleeping beauty," he said with a grin. "Time to meet your new self."

They washed her hair for what felt like the hundredth time, then dried and styled it carefully. The mirror was kept turned away from her the entire time, as if they were saving the reveal for a grand finale. When they finally finished, she heard the front door open again.

It was Charles. His eyes widened instantly when he saw her, his mouth slightly parted.