Chapter 144 New Store Sets Sail
Once Aria made up her mind to stay, there was no hesitation left.
She quickly packed her personal belongings and returned to Iceland with Jasper.
Coming back to that small city shrouded in cold mist and year-round northern lights - it had been her safe haven, the place where she'd lived alone with Jasper for several years.
Now that she was saying goodbye for good, she couldn't help feeling a pang of sadness.
She first went to the small flower shop she'd recently opened. She'd poured her heart into this shop, carefully tending to it every time she visited.
But this time, she wasn't here to care for the flowers - she was here to say a final goodbye.
She'd already contacted potential buyers while back home and had chosen someone.
After returning, she reached out to the new owner directly, took inventory, handed over the keys, and properly transferred this little shop that held countless quiet moments of her life.
After dealing with the flower shop, she rushed straight to Jasper's school.
She spoke with the teachers, handled the withdrawal procedures, and looking at Jasper's childish drawings on the wall, she let out a soft sigh.
This step was for a better future - she had no choice.
Once all the complicated matters were wrapped up, her life in Iceland truly came to an end.
She gave away the plants she couldn't take, donated the unimportant items, and packed only the truly precious memories and necessities into her luggage.
As the plane took off again, looking down at the glaciers and ocean growing smaller below, Aria clenched her fist gently. This time, she was really going back to that city she'd once desperately tried to escape from, to start over.
After landing, she didn't rest for a moment.
First, she moved all the luggage back to her place, reorganized the scattered household items, then immediately began searching for a suitable school for Jasper.
She carefully compared teaching staff, environments, and distances from home, patiently making inquiries, wanting nothing more than to give her child a stable and solid learning environment.
At the same time, she also started preparing her own floral design studio.
After her time settling down in Iceland, she no longer pursued big investments and fancy setups. Gone were the recklessness and showiness of her youth - she just wanted a small but cozy space, big enough to hold both her passion and her livelihood.
This time, she didn't have the panicked desperation of years ago, nor the confusion of drifting without direction. Every investment was just right, every arrangement calm and measured.
Aria didn't make a big announcement about opening her floral studio, but Lance found out right away.
He'd always been attentive and kept her matters close to his heart. Just hearing someone mention it in passing, he immediately took action.
He didn't intrude too much or make a show of helping - he just quietly arranged for two experienced and reliable assistants to go over, completely at Aria's disposal.
One handled venue coordination, renovation, and material purchases, familiar with local channels and prices, saving her countless trips back and forth.
The other was skilled in floral arrangements and initial planning, able to precisely match her aesthetic and vision, handling even the smallest details thoughtfully.
Tasks that would have required her personal attention and consumed so much time and energy became orderly with help.
From securing the venue and planning the layout to connecting flower supply channels and bringing in tools and equipment, everything progressed smoothly and efficiently.
Aria understood the weight of this help, but she didn't refuse excessively.
She knew Lance's sense of boundaries - he never pressured her, only quietly offered a helping hand when she needed it most.
The originally tedious and chaotic preparation work gradually took on a warm and clear shape as it progressed in an orderly manner.
The day the studio was finally ready was a rare sunny day.
When the studio door was gently pushed open, wind chimes rang out with a series of crisp sounds.
Lance walked in, holding a bouquet of white platycodon flowers, their petals as full as clouds.
"Congratulations, Boss Hall, on your new venture."
He handed over the flowers, his gaze sweeping across the entire studio, genuine warmth in his eyes.
Aria took the flowers, the clean fragrance of platycodon filling her nose, unable to stop the corners of her mouth from curving up. "Thank you, Lance."
There were too many things she needed to thank Lance for, impossible to list them all - a thousand words reduced to just a simple thank you.
Lance walked to the work table, his fingertips lightly tapping the smooth surface, the warmth in his eyes deepening. "Thank me for what? This is all from your own hard work."
He didn't say much more in pleasantries. Some things didn't need to be said.
They chatted for a while, settling on the opening date in just a few exchanges.
On the first official day of business, Aria posted an opening announcement on social media as planned, with several professionally edited photos of the studio.
The open layout, unique curved walls, floral accents in the corners - each photo radiated a fresh aesthetic.
Within an hour, numerous netizens were leaving comments and inquiries, and nearby residents, attracted by the novel storefront design, pushed the door open to look around.
The first to enter was the owner of the coffee shop next door, smiling as she said, "Your renovation is so eye-catching! You're the most noticeable shop on this whole street - can't help but want to come in and look."
Then came a young couple. The girl pointed at the lounge area saying, "This is perfect for couple photos, the vibe is amazing!" The guy asked about custom floral arrangement prices.
Neighbors, passersby - some just came in to look around and take photos, others genuinely placed small orders.
The small studio had people coming and going, but it wasn't noisy - instead, it had a lively, vibrant energy.
All the care she'd put in was slowly blooming in this moment. And she knew this was just the beginning - the days ahead would be like the sunlight in this studio, growing brighter and warmer.
Riding the opening momentum, Aria started online marketing, and as soon as the polished promotional images and short video ads were posted, they quickly attracted considerable online traffic, with order volume better than expected.
No one anticipated that a particularly notable large order would quietly come through.
Arthur had casually browsed and placed an order, and by coincidence, happened to choose her studio, ordering a large batch of roses and hydrangeas in one go, with specifications and quantities far exceeding typical orders.
After confirming, he directly instructed his household butler to personally visit the studio to coordinate details and confirm delivery matters.
When the butler found the shop following the address, Aria was busy organizing freshly arrived flowers.
"Hello, is this Serenity Blooms Studio?"
Hearing this, Aria paused her movements, quickly stopped what she was doing, and came forward, greeting him. "Yes, what can I help you with?"
"Well, we placed an order online, and I wanted to come confirm with you - how soon can we receive this order?"