The Crystal Bracelet

An Order

Gavin immersed himself into his work after Seong left his office. He knew if he didn't focus he wouldn't get anything done that day. Sometime mid-afternoon Gou walked into Gavin's office and quietly waited for Gavin to look up.

"What is her name?" Gavin said without looking up at Gou.

"Boss, I don't know." Gou replied faintly. Gou wasn't one who failed at a task, so he hung his head as he spoke.

Gavin didn't respond or even look up. He simply stopped what he was doing and his fingers sat motionless on the keyboard in front of him.

"Continue to have her followed." Were the only words Gavin spoke.

"Yes Sir." Gou said as he turned on his heel to leave.

Gavin finally looked up to see the man walking out of his office. He let out a long sigh as if he had been holding his breath the entire time. Having his men follow the girl from the beach began the moment he ran back to his car. His men seemed on high alert in the moment as if something had just happened to young Master Sun. They had no idea there was no threat and nothing was truly wrong - other than their boss' heart was pounding out of his chest in love with a stranger. That is precisely how he found out where she lived. She was being watched and followed.

Gavin heard the familiar ping from his computer and found a new email from his head of security. The email contained more pictures of the girl from a distance. They were keeping enough distance so as not to alert the woman. He ran the pad of his fingers across the image on his screen as if he could actually touch her. Why had this complete stranger suddenly taken a hold of his heart? Gavin was love struck the moment he saw her.

Lily finished her last class of the day and lazily strolled back to her small apartment. It wasn't much but it was perfect for just her. She walked in the door and dropped her bag switching her shoes to her house slippers. As she fell into the chair in her living room she turned her phone on to find she had several messages from her boyfriend Xave. They had been dating for a few months and while she enjoyed his company she knew she wasn't in love with him. He was a little too possessive at times and jealous. She had already begun to think of a way to carefully let him go. She ignored his messages for the time being and turned on her tv to see what the latest entertainment news was. Her phone vibrated in her lap and it was a message from Sue.

Dinner. ZhenZhen. Tonight.

lol. Ok what time?

7pm. Oh and look pretty. Girls night out.

Lily simply replied with a heart emoji.

It was just after 5pm when she looked at her watch. She was going to have to get some schoolwork done before she got ready. Lily reached to grab her bag by the door and she noticed the crystal bracelet again on her wrist. The bracelet had warmed to her body temperature and she had almost forgotten it was there. The image of the man running into her on the beach flashed through her mind and she just couldn't picture his face. Lily shrugged off the thoughts and settled at her desk to get some work done.

As she finished the last line of her schoolwork she looked at her watch to see it was half past six and she was going to have to hurry to get ready. She took the crystal bracelet off and set it on her dresser before she stepped into the shower and promptly forgot about it. She dressed that evening in a simple blue sundress with dainty flowers on it. Since it was still so humid out this time of year she opted to put her hair in a neat bun and only put on a little bit of lip gloss. She didn't like wearing makeup but her mother had always insisted as beautiful women they should always put a little lipgloss on before leaving for any evening activity. Her mother had died a few years earlier from cancer and she was always looking for ways to honor her mother. Tonight it was by wearing lip gloss.

Sue arrived to the restaurant a little early to guarantee a good seat near the private rooms. All the elite, rich, and powerful men used the private rooms for business and some for pleasure. Sue had no strive to become anything more than a rich man's wife. She studied literature and art just to appease her family. She would settle for being an actress if she couldn't marry a rich man. Her family was neither rich nor poor but she had lofty ideas about her life. She wanted to raise her status in life. As Lily walked into the restaurant she saw Sue and waved at her. Sue was always a little jealous of Lily's natural beauty. She never had to put much effort into her looks. She loved Lily none the less and was never bitter about it.

"Why do we always have to sit by the back?" Lily complained.

"I like it back here!"

"You like rich men." Lily said and they both laughed.

They each ordered several dishes from the menu and happily chatted about the latest entertainment gossip and Weibo postings. As always they caught the attention of men around the restaurant not just because of their giggling but because of their beauty. Both ladies were beautiful and had many love letters given to them on campus. Sue always threw them in the trash because she knew they weren't rich enough for her. Lily would politely read and decline. She never wanted to offend the young men who had the courage to hand her a love letter. In some ways Sue seemed conceited and selfish, but the reality was she just had higher hopes for the kind of man she would one day marry. Just as they were about to ask for the check a love note was delivered to the table. Both girls eyed the note and the tall gentleman who delivered it. He was roughly handsome and very well built but he had a cold aura to him. Sue grabbed the note to hand it back to the man and tell him they were not interested. The man put his hand on top of hers and abruptly said "this isn't for you." They both looked to Lily as the man pulled his hand away. Lily was embarrassed and didn't know who this stranger was so she smiled a small smile and gently took the note.

My dear beauty from the beach, please tell me why you didn't wear the crystal bracelet out to dinner? -G

Lily looked up at Sue with shock in her eyes and then up at the man standing at the table. She couldn't speak because she didn't know what to say.

"What does it say?" Sue loudly asked.

"It... it says.... Well asks.... Why I am not wearing the bracelet." Lily stammered.

"WHAT!!!" Sue then grabbed the note and read it for herself.

"Who do you think you are?" She glared at the man standing by the table.

He didn't speak.

Lily sat quietly thinking about the note then the man at the beach and turned to look all around her. She didn't know his face so she wouldn't have recognized him anyway. It was eerie to her knowing she was being watched. She remembered the man at the cafe who asked for her name. And suddenly she was irritated. Lily asked the waiter for a pen as he strode by the table and she scribbled a message on the note.

Lily promptly closed the envelope and handed it back to the now mute man standing at the table. "Please return this to your Boss." She didn't know how she knew that this was a subordinate of the man, she just guessed since he didn't say anything more. He nodded his head slightly acknowledging her request and left.

"What in the heck was that?" Sue was exasperated.

"I'm not too sure."

"What did you write?" Sue was curious as a cat now.

"I just expressed my displeasure with the letter." That was all Lily was going to say. Truth was she had more than expressed displeasure, she also gave the mystery man an order.

The waiter then brought by a paid for bill to the table and both girls giggled out loud.