fate: maybe I know you

Lost Echoes: A Past That Won’t Stay Buried... I wasn’t always this cold... Once,, I smiled more often,, laughed at little things,, and believed in forever... But that version of me was buried beneath the ruins of a past , I never truly recovered from. Now,, I am Rimi—the CEO of Mirain Company,, the number one cosmetics brand in the country... To the world,, I am composed,, elegant, and ruthlessly efficient... People see me as cold, unapproachable. A queen encased in ice... But behind that polished mask,, there's a side only one person ever got to see—a side that giggles,, pouts,, clings,, and melts like a kitten seeking warmth. That side was for him... Kai... He was my best friend., My confidant.. The boy who used to tease me with that crooked smile and hold my hand when I cried... We were young,, maybe too young to understand the depth of what we felt,, but it was real... I loved him—I loved Kai with all the pieces of my innocent heart,. And maybe... just maybe, he loved me too... But we were cowards, both of us. We never spoke our truth,, never crossed that fragile line between friendship and something more... And then—everything shattered... The night my world fell apart,, I lost everything. My parents died in a brutal accident,, leaving behind nothing but silence and ashes... I waited for Kai... I waited for him to show up, to hold me and promise it would be okay. But he never came. No calls. No letters. No goodbye... He vanished.,, Just like that, the boy I loved disappeared,,. I was sixteen , hollow and numb,, drowning in grief and abandonment. But fate didn’t completely abandon me. A kind family—old friends of my parents—took me in. They gave me a home, love,, and warmth I never thought I’d feel again. They never treated me like a burden... They loved me like their own, and I promised myself I'd make them proud... So,, I rebuilt myself from the ashes... I buried my pain, my past, and the girl I used to be. I studied hard,, graduated with honors,, and took over my father’s legacy—Mirain Company... Under my leadership,, we soared to new heights,, becoming the top cosmetics brand in the country... I had everything—power, respect,, success. But love?? I stopped believing in it. Until he walked in... It was at my best friend’s wedding,, a day filled with laughter, champagne,, and memories. And there he was,, standing across the ballroom—sharp suit,, intense gaze,, and a presence that made my heart forget how to beat. For a split second,, I thought it was Kai. My breath hitched... My world tilted. My past clawed its way back to the surface... But his name was Adrian... Adrian Knight—the CEO of Queen Company,, our fiercest rival. The second most successful cosmetics brand,, always trying to outshine us. We were competitors. Enemies,, even. But none of that mattered when our eyes met. He looked at me like he knew me... Like he saw through the layers I had so carefully built over the years., And I hated that. I hated how my heart stuttered. I hated how my legs wanted to walk toward him... I hated that he looked so much like Kai,, and yet was nothing like him... Adrian was confident,, charismatic,, with a gaze that seemed to strip me bare... And I… I was supposed to be the composed one... The ice queen. But around him,, I couldn’t hold that façade. He made the forgotten girl inside me stir again—the one who wanted to be held,, loved,, cherished... I told myself it was just resemblance... Just a cruel trick of fate. But my heart didn’t listen... Maybe I was falling... Falling for a man who looked like my past,, but felt like my future... And it scared me... Because if Adrian was a second chance... was I brave enough to take it??? Or would he leave me broken,, just like Kai once did??? I didn’t have answers. Only questions,, memories, and a heart that refused to stay silent anymore... And deep down,, beneath the frost,, I could feel the warmth return. Maybe... just maybe,, this was the beginning of