As the doors to the art gallery swung open, a flurry of excitement rippled through the crowd. Ian Fletcher just entered inside as he waved to the crowd, giving them a warm smile, walking over to some group of friends gathered near the bar.

"And there he is, folks," one of them announced. "The one and only Ian Fletcher."

Ian chuckled good-naturally, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "You guys are making me blush," he teased, as his friends playfully scoffed.

As he accepted a glass of champagne from a passing waiter, Ian asked, "So, what's the latest news?"

Cole, a tall, lanky man with a mischievous grin, spoke up. "Coulson finally popped the question to Riley and she said yes."

Ian's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "No kidding? I didn't see that coming."

"I was shocked too. After she dumped his ass, he still pursued her. Talk about a man with no shame," Cole added, eliciting laughter from the group.

Coulson glared at Cole. "Shut up, Cole. What do you know about love?"

Cole shrugged, unfazed. "Hey, I'm just stating facts."

Ian chuckled and raised his cup in a toast. "Congratulations, buddy. I'm happy for you."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After talking to his friends, Ian went over to some businessmen and women and when everywhere became boring, he excused himself, rejoining his friends. As they chatted and laughed, Ian's gaze drifted to a woman standing alone at the far end of the room. His curiosity piqued.

"Hey, who's that?" Ian asked, nodding discreetly in her direction.

Cole followed his gaze. "Oh, that's Luna Pierce."

Ian's interest deepened. "Tell me more about her."

Coulson, engaged in a nearby conversation, caught the mention of Luna's name and joined in. "Luna Pierce, a former fashion designer. She vanished from the scene without warning. Nobody's heard from her since. It's like she's a ghost."

Cole chimed in, "Plus, she's got a reputation. Heard she's a homewrecker."

Ian shot Cole a disapproving glance, taken aback by the statement. Cole shrugged unfazed.

"That's what was on going on the news and every social media handles. Heard she steals women's husband," he added as Ian scoffed in disbelief as his skepticism grew.

"Stealing husbands? That's ridiculous."

Coulson shuffled the cards in his hands. "That's the rumors, anyways."

"What's shocking is that I also heard she had three husbands," a guy named Troy joined in, sitting down.

"You sure took your time in coming here," Cole said, as Troy shrugged, tapping Ian on his shoulders.

"It's good to have you back, man," Troy said, as Cole turned to Ian.

"Anyways, forget about her. She's not someone you should get mixed up with," he said. Ian looked over to where Luna was and saw that she was no longer there. He was left lost in thoughts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Luna sat alone near a window, a bottle of champagne and a full glass in front of her. She had arrived with friends, but they had abandoned her to pursue their own interests. "Traitors," she thought, her heart heavy with annoyance.

She had admired the artwork on display, finding it beautiful, but lacked the energy to mingle. The atmosphere was overwhelming, with everyone engaged in gossip and small talk. Luna thought art galleries were supposed to be quiet, contemplative spaces where one could appreciate the art with their eyes, not their mouth. Rich people, she missed, had a way of turning everything into a party.

Lost in thoughts, Luna heard a voice and looked up to see a young man standing before her. She gave him a once-over, impressed by his handsome features. God had certainly taken his time creating this one, she thought. He was a fine man.

"With the way you smiled after checking me out, I'm allowed to say that I've met your expectations," the guy said, his eyes sparking with amusement.

Luna scoffed inwardly. "Son, disappear. I've got no time for this," she said, drinking from her glass while turning away.

The guy smiled, raising his own glass of champagne in a silent toast. Luna only just noticed the glass, having been distracted by his handsome face.

"Look, I've come in peace. I mean no harm," he said, raising his hands in surrender.

Luna rolled her eyes, already irritated. "Boy, even if you meant harm, you still wouldn't do anything," she said, struggling to control her anger. She closed her eyes, exhaling slowly.

"Please, let me enjoy this boring night in peace," she said, her words firm but weary.

The guy simply smiled, his eyes never leaving hers.