13
One year later
A small coastal town in Avalon.
The fifth Luna’s Pearl Boutique opened its doors.
On its first day, lines stretched around the block.
The air buzzed with excited chatter.
“Five AM! That’s when I got in line for my granddaughter. She’s been nagging me for a month; she just had to have a pearl bracelet personally strung by Boss Luna herself.”
“Me? I’m here for a pearl necklace Boss Luna made with her own hands. Woke up super early, three hours ago, just for this.”
“Boss Luna’s pearls are huge, perfectly round. Who wouldn’t want ’em?!”
From the second floor, I watched the spectacle at the entrance. It felt unreal, like a lifetime ago.
A year ago, I was practically half-dead, tormented by grief, drowning every single day in the pain of losing my mom, utterly unable to pull myself free.
Who would’ve thought? A year later, I’m running five shops, a renowned female entrepreneur across this city.
Even I couldn’t believe it.
It took forever. And only with their constant company did I finally crawl out of that darkness.
A sudden commotion shattered my thoughts.
Downstairs, a dozen punks rolled up, iron bars in hand, looking for trouble. But before they could even get close, black-clad bodyguards, hidden in the shadows, swarmed and dragged them away.
They didn’t stand a chance, no time to fight back. One by one, they were hurled into the ocean.
The crowd instantly erupted in chatter.
“Seriously, who’s dumb enough to try and trash Boss Luna’s shop?”
“No kidding. She’s Mr. Walker’s everything, his heart’s darling. You can piss off anyone in Avalon, but never Boss
Luna.
“Seriously though, Mr. Walker’s gotta propose to Boss Luna any day now, right?”
Then, a sports car engine revved in the distance.
In a blink, a sleek Bugatti pulled an insane drift, stopping dead at the pearl store’s entrance
The crowd parted.
A broad-shouldered, lean-waisted man in a biker jacket emerged, his long legs covering the ground in powerful
strides.
He slowly slipped off his sunglasses, revealing an intense gaze beneath sharply arched brows. His aura instantly turned chilling, utterly commanding.
“OMG, look! That’s Mr. Walker! The head of Avalon’s number one family!”
1001
“Mr. Walker is so damn hot! I’m so jealous of Boss Luna”
Noah Walker looked up at me on the second floor, the corner of his lips curving into a smile. The icy glint in his eyes melted instantly, transforming into a deep, liquid warmth-a tenderness so profound, it could make anyone melt
1 spun around, facing the door. As footsteps grew louder, a smile lit up my face.
“Luna, your Tears of Pearl necklace. I practically fought for this, nobody else stood a chance.” Noah opened a high-end velvet box, holding it out like a prized possession.
“Thanks. I really like it.”
Those few words made Noah’s face light up instantly. He beamed, then practically purred, snuggling close and clinging to my arm like a content cat.
“How about a little reward, wife?”
My cheeks flushed. I stretched on my tiptoes, gave him a quick peck on the corner of his mouth, then pulled back a few steps, ducking my head.
Noah’s smile deepened. I tried to bolt, but he snagged me, yanking me flush against his body. His hand cupped the back of my head, and he took over the kiss, deepening it.
His warm, lingering breath enveloped me. My fingers curled, and my arms instinctively wound around Noah’s back. Gently at first, then tightening… pulling him in closer.
This man’s fiery love was like a raging inferno, thawing my ice-cold heart and soul.
A year ago.
When I first arrived in Avalon, I got into the pearl diving business.
My mom adored pearls. I wanted her to have them, no matter what, even in death.
Word spread fast. Locals loved my pearls, practically lining up to buy them. Soon, demand exploded, so I opened a small shop. I didn’t just sell loose pearls anymore; I started crafting jewelry too.
Watching everyone leave my shop, beaming, that was all the satisfaction I needed.
One day, while out at sea, I found a man, absolutely covered in blood. Terrified the smell would attract sharks, I tied him to myself and hauled him straight to shore.
That was Noah. Our first meeting.
When Noah woke up, he was instantly smitten. He launched into a relentless pursuit to win me over.
He confessed his feelings a staggering ninety-nine times. Every single one became a city-wide sensation.
Helicopters dropping massive rose bouquets, private fireworks shows lit just for me, luxury gifts delivered by the
truckload…
Every single time, I turned him down.
Noah and Ethan? Too damn alike. Both of them, powerful elites, princes of their world. After Ethan, I was through with love from anyone that powerful.
But Noah was nothing like Ethan, who was too arrogant to ever bend. Noah actually swallowed his pride. He came to my shop and worked as an assistant. Every single day, he’d wipe down shelves, clean floors, even help customers. Zero ego. Just genuinely friendly, greeting everyone.
My poker face didn’t last. Soon enough, I was actually smiling at him.
40%
Before I knew it. Noah’s company brought a spark of life and fun to my otherwne iteless routine
But what truly made me open up? We went sailing one day, got slammed by a tsunams, and the bear flipped The nex thing I knew, we were both clinging to a piece of driftwood, just tiny specks in the middle of the vast unforgiving
ocean.
Noah kept me held up, the water brutally cold. Even when half his body went numb, he still wouldn’t let go
The plank was giving way; it couldn’t hold us both much longer. Noah flashed me a smile, said one last thing, the simply let go, letting himself sink into the ocean.
“Luna” he said, “if we both make it out of this alive, promise me you’ll be my girlfriend”
Later, we got rescued. I said yes to Noah.
I was living with an artificial heart, and without a compatible donor, I only had three years left.
Life’s short, you gotta live for the moment.
I decided to try loving someone again, to give myself another shot.
The future would claim its own destiny, but in this moment, I was free.
