5.
Avalon’s POV
“What? That has to be a mistake!”
Radnor shoved through the crowd, disbelief written all over his face as he rushed up to the man in the tuxedo and snatched the delivery slip from his hands.
His eyes scanned the sender section.
[AZZ & Co.]
[Paramount Productions]
Both were crucial partners of the Raltrex Prime, and the latter was where his sister Shawna currently worked.
Relief washed over his face. With a smug smirk, he flung the slip back toward the man.
“I knew it. You people definitely made a mistake! Tonight’s my engagement party. The Raltrex Prime is no longer what it used to be. Those two giants must have teamed up to show us some respect—that’s why they sent such an extravagant gift! They just didn’t get our family situation straight and wrote down ‘Avalon Delamar’—a totally irrelevant person.”
He looked so pleased with his supposed insight that I couldn’t help but shake my head silently.
Then, gesturing at Sharice, he arrogantly ordered the tuxedoed man, “Take a good look. This is my mom—Sharice Ralston!”
“I’m sorry, sir,” the man replied with professional courtesy, though his tone was clearly strained. “The order explicitly states that only Miss Avalon may sign for the package.”
I stepped forward, smiling. “I’m Avalon.”
Then I picked up the pen and calmly signed my name.
A few waiters let out a quiet breath of relief. Carefully, almost reverently, they placed the lavish gift box before me and then slipped out without another word. They knew this delivery came from two industry titans—there was no room for error.
Just as I was about to open it, someone forcefully elbowed me aside.
Sharice shoved past and tore open the gift box herself. Her face lit up with a satisfied smile as she reached in and pulled out the contents.
At that moment, it was like the Milky Way had poured into the hall.
A wedding gown unlike anything words could describe spilled through her hands. The fabric shimmered with a deep, starlike luster. Intricate lacework and cascading layers of tulle glowed with the majesty of a cosmic nebula. Its sheer beauty stunned the entire party hall into silence—then came a surge of gasps and exclamations.
“Oh my god! Is that a Crown design? That’s not a gown—it’s art!”
“I’ve lived half my life and never seen anything this dreamlike. Ten million? Easily more!”
Radnor’s POV
My fiancée covered her mouth, tears sparkling in her eyes. Her voice trembled. “God, it’s so beautiful! I love it—I love it so much!”
But Shawna and I just stood there, completely dumbfounded. Our eyes filled with confusion.
‘This came from Avalon? That woman who left the Ralstons and could barely make ends meet as a maid? How on earth could she afford something like this—let alone have the connections to pull it off?’
‘No. Absolutely not!’
Shawna and I exchanged a quick glance, silently suppressing our doubt. And then, a silent agreement passed between us.
This had to be the CEO of AZZ & Co. and Paramount Productions’s doing. They must’ve sent the gift out of respect for the Ralstons—for Shawna and me in particular.
‘Avalon? She just got lucky. Her name has been written there by mistake.’
With that settled in my mind, I lifted the gown and handed it out carefully to my fiancée.
“Darling, wear this on our wedding day,” I said tenderly. “And you’ll be the most beautiful bride in the entire world!”
Avalon’s POV
Under the spotlight and the admiring eyes of the crowd, the twins stepped forward to flank their parents with tears in their eyes.
“We’re just so lucky!” Shawna choked up. “To have such amazing parents, especially our Mommy Sharice—she’s sacrificed so much for us. Her love can’t even be measured in money.”
The guests nodded in agreement, their eyes drifting disdainfully toward me in the corner.
“See? Only Sharice has that kind of class. What a thoughtful, impressive gesture!”
“Avalon came here just to steal attention, clearly riding on someone else’s coattails.”
“Exactly! It’s her own son’s engagement, and she shows up empty-handed? How selfish and cold-hearted can you get?”
“Dang, the stepmother’s more of a mother than the real one…”
Bathed in praise, Sharice moved through the crowd like a queen. Gracefully, she stopped in front of me and spoke in a voice just loud enough for everyone around us to hear.
“Avalon, I know life’s been hard for you out there. I really do. But tonight is your son’s big night. As his mother, surely you should show some kind of gesture?”
Her eyes drifted to my wrist, to the watch I wore—simple at a glance but actually a one-of-a-kind masterpiece crafted by a legendary artisan over several painstaking years.
She smiled sweetly, saying, “How about this—your watch is the only thing you’re wearing that looks halfway decent. Why not give it to the bride-to-be as your gift? I’m sure she’d love it.”
With a look only I could see, she silently taunted, ‘That “pathetic” little thing—do you even have the nerve to offer it? And if not, can you afford not to?
