The Crystal Bracelet

A New Vow

Gavin stared at Lily's back while she watched the waves. She had such a petite stature but her aura was always so large. Her long dark hair swayed with the breeze from the ocean. He could tell her arms were crossed over her chest. She stood in the wet sand at the edge of where the last wave had been with her bare feet digging her toes in the sand like a small child. Once again Gavin was entranced by her beauty. She truly was precious to him.

Earlier that morning Gavin was awakened by a phone call from his mother asking him if he was engaged but he didn't know what had happened. She immediately asked where the crystal bracelet was. Gavin told her it was in safe hands. He truly was not going to explain anything to his mother just yet. He assured her again he wasn't engaged and that he would let her know first before anyone else. That seemed to be his mother's worst nightmare to learn that he was engaged from someone other than him. In this case learning it from the news was the absolute most horrid way for his mother to be told. She scolded him for being single for so long and told him she was going to make it her mission to find him a suitable wife soon if he didn't do it for himself. Gavin quickly got off the phone and called Seong immediately.

All of Sun Music Group and Sun Entertainment were put on the task to scrub all sources of this erroneous gossip. He then called the media companies he owned and threatened to shut them down if it wasn't pulled immediately. He was hoping Lily hadn't seen it yet, but when he arrived at her apartment he saw her rush down the stairs toward the beach, he could tell by her body language that she was already aware. By the time he arrived to Lily's the only information left were screenshots on people's personal blogs. He had intended to release a public statement himself from Sun Entertainment Groups official account, but he needed to see Lily first.

Lily felt someone's presence and she turned to see Gavin standing there staring at her. Her heart immediately hurt. She faced the water again and said nothing. She was actually hurt by him. She was angry before but the truth was she was hurt. She had allowed this man to get to her heart in spite of her words that she needed ten dates, she was just puffing herself. Lily felt Gavin's presence beside her but she refused to look at him , she lifted her chin and stared straight out toward the water removing all emotion from her face.

"Lily, I'm not engaged." Gavin felt that was the most important thing to say first.

Lily stared out and said nothing.

"Gigi was drunk in a club last night and made statements that a reporter heard. Rumors started and next thing I hear is I'm engaged to her. " Gavin was trying his best to sound calm but inside he was seething with anger.

"I'm not engaged Lily. I have never been on a date with this woman. To be honest I don't like her at all. I have tolerated her demands far more than I should simply to have her signed to our talent pool for business reasons." Seong was going to owe him more this time for all this trouble.

"There was an audio recording of her calling you 'Gavin, Darling' on one of the sites." Lily stated plainly. "That sounds like more than just someone you have a business relationship with."

Gavin raised his eyebrows. He hadn't been aware or heard an audio recording but made a mental note to find it and eradicate it immediately. He was already planning to destroy whomever the reporter is that made it into his club. Next on his list was the manager of Club Rue.

"I can have you speak to the President of Sun Music Group to prove to you that I have instructed her to show respect to me and to not call me by my first name. As I said she was intoxicated." Gavin was going to have Seong call Lily anyway after this just to help clear this up.

"No need. It doesn't matter Master Sun if it's Gigi, or some other woman in the entertainment industry. My problem isn't that it's Gigi. It's that it could be any number of women. I do not want to be another number, another name, another casualty to Playboy Sun's philandering." Lily turned and looked him directly in his eyes as she said this.

Gavin's heart sank. He saw it clearly in her face and eyes – she didn't care what name was attached to the reports the fact was he was labeled a playboy and that was all she saw him as.

"Lily, what can I do to convince you the reputation you believe that I have is not who I really am?" Gavin had never pleaded with a woman in his life.

Lily stared at him without any emotion showing in her face.

"I don't know that you can. Every action I have seen since the moment I met you prove you are a playboy." It was the truth. The gifts, the coy letters, the 'stalking', paying for all her meals, even helping her father's company all said he would do anything to pursue her but nothing said he would be faithful nor did any of the news after they met help his case either. Twice now he was associated with Gigi in the entertainment news and this time it went all the way to engaged. Lily sighed heavily and dropped her head down. Tears were threatening to fall and she did not want that to happen.

"Lily......." Gavin was at a loss for words. The powerful business tycoon who could negotiate billion dollar deals was truly at a loss for words.

"Please, give me the ten dates. Let me prove myself. You vowed on our families. Remember? I will prove to you that I am not a playboy and that my heart is true to you."

Lily looked up at him stunned for a moment. She had forgotten she had vowed on her family. She never thought that vow would be held as a bond of word.

"Lily, if after the ten dates you still believe I am a playboy and that I am not worthy of you, then I will walk away. I will never marry another woman as I cannot even win the heart of the one I feel true love for."

"GAVIN SUN! That is not fair! I refuse to allow you to put it on me to feel some sort of guilt that the Sun heir will never marry on account of I don't love him. That is almost like emotional blackmail." Lily was appalled at the idea he would never marry on account of her.

"Lily, why do you see such negative intent behind my words? I'm telling you that I know you are the woman I am to marry. I knew the second I saw you walking on the beach. I have known since the moment you were in my arms when I ran into you. I felt a stirring that can only be described as a soul love."

Lily was shocked. He was describing the Red String of Fate type of love. That once in a lifetime love that is known the moment you meet someone. Lily didn't feel the same way as Gavin though. It couldn't be the Red String of Fate love. It just couldn't.

"Gavin. I don't want to be with a playboy, even a reformed playboy."

"Lily, I am not a reformed playboy. I admit that I have been negligent in minding my reputation within the entertainment industry. It was not of importance to me who I was associated with in the gossip news. It was not my real life. I didn't care if I woke up the next morning and there was a blurry picture of me with some new actress or model. Most of those photos were taken at a distance and way out of context. I have entertained many business colleagues in my clubs to get deals signed. What happened once they got into my car is they went home and I went to my own home. That is it. I have never felt the need to defend or prove myself to anyone. Except to you."

Lily had never thought that what she saw in the gossip news was complete fabrication. But wasn't that the point of Entertainment News, to entertain you. How could she be so incredibly naïve to think that everything reported was based on fact, rather than using a fact to obscure the reality into a good story. Lily felt awfully childish next to Gavin.

"Ten Dates." Lily said quietly.

"Today doesn't count as one." Gavin said with half a smile.

Lily couldn't help but laugh. "Fine. It's still ten dates then."

Gavin reached over and pulled her into an embrace. The sudden movement caught her off guard and she almost fell into his arms.

"I will do whatever it takes to prove my heart to you Lilianna Yi. And I will mind my reputation from now on." Gavin spoke into her hair as he said these words. Lily couldn't help but wrap her arms around him and pray she wasn't making a big mistake now.