The warm glow of the morning light slipped through the thin curtains, soft but merciless. Maya had not slept, the whole of last night. Her pillow was cold from tears, and her mind was in a loop of disbelief and panic. Everytime she blinked, the two pink lines burned behind her eyes.
At seven exactly, her alarm blared. The tone, sharp and unrelenting. Like a usual routine, she slapped it off, slowly sitting up. Her head was splitting from all the thinking. For a moment, she just stared at the sunlight spilling across the floor. The world looked painfully normal. Like it hadn't shook her core the night before.
Throgh it all, there was no time to fall apart. Especially, today.
Why? Be the Seoul Beauty campaign launch was happening that evening. It's a high-profile event her manager had been talking about for weeks. Prominent people were hoing to be there. The brand's CEO, media executives, and investors. Cameras, interviews, and red carpets were not excepted. And Maya was the face of it all.
With some precision, she dragged herself to the mirror. Her reflection ghostly from all the crying. Her eyes were swollen and her skin pale. Spontaneously, she splashed some cold water on her face, brushing her hair back.
"Pull it together, Maya." She whispered.
Maya didn't realized how long she had been going round in circles, but by the time Jina knocked on her door, she was long dressed and ready. At least on the outside.
"You're up early," Jina said, peeking in, the door half- opened. "Did you even sleep?"
"Barely," Maya replied, a faint smile spread her lips. "Big day."
Oblivious to the turn of events, Jina grinned, stepping in. "You're going to slay it, Maya Kim. Seoul Beauty won't know what hit them."
Maya nodded, clutching onto her bag. She had her personal rounds to do before the business meeting. "Yeah… right." She answered, heading towards the door.
Jina followed closely after, softly closing the door behind her.
Just like that, Maya's day blured out with series of ups and downs. Managing to complete her Uni's project assessments despite the haze in her mind. To getting a few items needed for herself.
.
.
.
The evening shone in the mist of the city's light. It was all glass, gold, and motion. Maya watched the streets blur by from the backseat of the car. Manager Han was also flipping through a tablet as usual. Reviewing details for the charity gala hosted by Steele Enterprises, their agency's biggest sponsor.
"You'll be fine," Mr. Han said without looking up, and Maya's gaze drifted to him. "Smile, be polite, and don't say much." He added. "Also, avoid drinking anything stronger than water." He glanced at her. "Mind you, the CEO of our sponsor will be there. He is particular about professionalism. And you're representing the agency, Maya."
She managed a small nod, adjusting the collar of her sleek black dress. "Got it," she murmured, though her stomach twisted.
She wasn't nervous about the event itself. She had attended dozens of these. But something about tonight felt… heavier. Like the world was holding its breath around her.
Maya turned her face toward the window once again, as Seoul raced by in streaks of gray and silver. "What's his name again?" She asked.
" Choi Adrian Daves ," Han replied, checking his messages. "Billionaire CEO. Half-American, half-Korean. The youngest investor in Eterna's history. Be careful around him. He has a reputation for being… intense."
Maya breath hitched. She wasn't one to be easily shaken, but her situation now has set her entire being on edge. Before she could ask more, the car pulled into the venue.
The event hall gleamed with opulence. Crystal chandeliers, mirrored floors, and a sea of polished faces. Photographers lined the entrance, flashes popping like fireworks as models, executives, and journalists filed in.
Camera flashes immediately greeted them as they strolled into the open. Maya stepped onto the carpet, every inch of her was a significance of the rising star they expected. The cameras loved her. Every tilt of her chin, and every calculated smile. She moved through the crowd like she belonged, though inside, her heart felt like shattered glass.
Inside the hall, men in tuxedos and women in silken gowns floated across the room like they belonged to another world. Her world.... or so she kept telling herself.
"Maya Kim," Han whispered, pointing discreetly, as they walked into the open. "that's Mr. Choi Adrian Daves, the one I mentioned."
Maya's gaze followed her manager's line of sight. And the air in her lungs instantly disappeared. Across the room, standing beneath a golden arch, was him.
The man from that night.
He had the same piercing eyes. And the same controlled confidence. He was dressed in a tailored black suit that screamed quiet the power he had. A hand was resting in his pocket, and the other was holding a glass of whiskey, as he spoke with investors. She still had no memory of her night with him, but the weight of it slammed into her like a wave she couldn't escape.
Her pulse stuttered.
"Maya?" Mr. Han's voice cut through the haze. "Are you okay?"
"Y-yeah," Maya lied, forcing a smile. "Just... overwhelmed."
Before Han could question further, someone called her name from across the hall. Giving Maya the excuse she needed to turn away. But no matter where she looked, her gaze found him again. As if the universe was determined to drag her into this collision she wasn't ready for. A part of her wanted to escape, but this is a business deal we are talking about.
A few hours saw the gala in a full swing. Maya had mingled, posed for photos, and laughed when she needed to. Yet beneath the surface, her mind churned. Every time she turned, she could feel his eyes. Not always on her, but close enough to burn.
And then, finally, it happened.
Maya stood at the refreshment table. Absorbed in a conversation with another model, when someone brushed past her shoulder. Her breath hitched as a deep voice murmured beside her ear.
"I didn't expect to see you here."
Her body froze in an instant. Sowly, she turned while the others walked away. And there he was, Adrian Daves. Up close, his presence was almost suffocating. The subtle scent of his cologne, the slight curve of his mouth. It all came rushing back. That night. The dim lights. The heat. The mistakes.
Maya's voice caught before it could form words. "You—"
But he cut her off with a calm, knowing look. "It's Maya, right?" His tone was smooth, businesslike. But his eyes held something else. Perhaps, recognition or a memory.
"Yes… Mr. Choi." Her throat tightened.
For a heartbeat, neither of them spoke. The noise of the party just faded around them, replaced by a silence that hummed between their breaths. He was studying her, not like the other men did. With casual admiration but like someone trying to solve a puzzle they already knew the answer to.
"You're with the Kim Agency," he finally said. "I've heard good things about you."
Maya faked a smile, fighting the tremor in her voice. "I'm sure you hear good things about everyone."
He gave a quiet, almost amused exhale. "Not everyone."
And just like that, he walked away, leaving her rooted to the spot. Her pulse still racing. Her heart caught between disbelief and panic.
Gradually as the night wore on, Maya was beginning to feel suffocated. Intuitively, she slipped outside for air. The sky had gone dark as she stepped into the rooftop. The city lights blurred through the faint fog rising from the streets.
But her mind wouldn't stop replaying their encounter. How his eyes had lingered. How he had said her name like it meant something. She wrapped her arms around herself, feeling the chill seep through her skin.
It couldn't be him. It shouldn't have been him.
Of all the people in the world, how could fate twist the knife this way? The man she couldn't remember clearly. Whose name she never knew, now turned out to be Adrian Daves Choi, the billionaire CEO she had seen on magazine covers. The man who held the future of her career in his hands, is also the man behind her dome.
"Perfect, just....perfect" she bitterly whispered to herself.
"Maya!" Han's voice called from the doorway. "They're taking photos with the investors. You're up next."
She nodded, smoothing her hair as she wore a mask of calm.
Fortunately, the crowd had thinned slightly as she walked back in. But Adrian was still there, speaking with the agency's director. His presence seemed to command the room without effort. Drawing the kind of attention Maya was desperate to avoid.
She tried to keep her gaze elsewhere, tried to steady the tremor in her hand as she reached for a glass of water from the nearest table. But the soft chatter and dazzling lights suddenly began to blur. Her chest felt tight. Her pulse too fast.
She blinked; once, twice. Then suddenly, the room swayed.
"Maya?" she heard someone say distantly. Maybe Mr. Han or maybe she was imagining it.
Before she could get a grip of the whole situation, her fingers slipped on the glass. The sound of it shattering on the marble floor was faint, far away. Her knees buckled.
And then, from nowhere, strong arms caught her. The world steadied in that moment. Just enough for her to look up, breath hitching. Adrian.
He held her close, an arm around her waist and the other bracing her shoulder as he guided her upright. His clean, subtle and achingly familiar, wrapped around her like a memory she wasn't ready to face.
"Maya," he said softly, his tone calm but threaded with concern. "Easy. I've got you."
Their faces were inches apart. She could see the faint stubble on his jaw, the focus in his eyes, and the flicker of something that wasn't just politeness. Something that made her chest ache.
For a heartbeat, the world narrowed to the space between them. Just then... flash.
A burst of white light cut through the moment, sharp and snap. Another flash followed, then the soft mechanical click of a camera.
A photographer stood a few feet away, lowering his lens with a grin that sent ice through Maya's veins. He had caught them. Adrian Daves and Maya Kim, locked in what looked like an intimate embrace.
Maya's chest tightened, panic flooding her. She could already imagine the headlines:
"Rising Model Maya Kim Collapses into Steele CEO's Arms. Something More Than Business?"
Han was already hurrying toward them, "Maya! Oh my God, are you okay?"
"I— I'm fine," Maya stammered, straightening quickly. Though Adrian's hand lingered a moment longer than necessary.
"Take her somewhere quiet," Adrian said, turning to Han without breaking composure. But when his eyes met Maya's again, they darkened. Not coldly, but knowingly. Calculating. As if he understood exactly what that photo meant for both of them.
She tried to form words to thank him, to explain, but nothing came. Her throat was dry, her pulse on edge.