After five long years of searching for Jennie, Kim Taehyung found nothing but a single letter she left behind-an enigmatic farewell that shattered his world. With no trace of her whereabouts, he had been left to navigate the void she left in his lif...
**"XYZ... Restaurant, 7:30 PM,"** Lucy sent the message.
I read it over, heart pounding harder with each passing second. Should I go? I shouldn’t, but the pull was still there, lingering in the back of my mind like an unfinished sentence.
" He’ll surely try to talk about us."
A bitter smile tugged at my lips. " Us. " There hadn’t been an "us" in years, not since I walked away. Not because he wanted it—" I " ended it. I did it for him, to save him from everything that came with me: the spotlight, the pressure, the constant suffocation of our world. He didn’t deserve to be dragged into the chaos of my life.
I thought I was doing the right thing. Maybe I was.
But now, here we were. A business partnership. How? Why did it have to be him? The one person I tried to protect from all this madness was now tied to my life in the most inescapable way possible. I made a choice to keep him safe from my world, and now, it seemed like fate had pulled him back in.
" I shouldn’t have come to Korea for the ceremony. I should never have agreed to open a branch here. Hell, I shouldn't have even come to Korea for the ceremony, I should’ve handled this entire project myself."
But it was too late. I’d spent the last few years running, keeping my distance, making sure I was never in the same room with him. And yet here I was, mere hours away from seeing him again. The thought made my pulse quicken with dread.
I regretted every decision that had led me to this moment.
But the ceremony was done, the contracts signed. There was no escaping him now. Not yet.
I closed my eyes and sighed, knowing deep down I couldn’t avoid this forever
“I’m not going,” I whispered to myself, convincing no one.
I stared at my reflection in the mirror, the silence of the room weighing heavily. But how long could I keep lying to myself? After a few minutes of tense quiet, the thoughts started creeping in again.
" But he already knows who I am. He’s my business partner now. How long can I ignore him?" Even if I left Korea tomorrow, there’d be no running away from this. He knows I’m the CEO of Ruby Cosmetics. He’s already in my world, whether I like it or not.
I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath.
" C’mon, Jennie. You can’t avoid this forever. Sooner or later, you’ll have to face him. Better to get it over with now than drag this out. Let’s just finish this tonight. Make everything clear once and for all."
There was a sense of relief in the decision, even if my stomach twisted at the thought of seeing him. I couldn’t keep running. Not anymore.
I stood up and crossed the room with purpose. I grabbed my white Chanel outfit from the wardrobe, smoothing out the fabric with steady hands. The polished, flawless image of Jennie Kim—former idol, now CEO—had to be perfect tonight. I applied just enough makeup, the bare minimum to feel like myself again. Not too much, not too little.
Ready or not, I had to face him. Tonight.
With one last glance at my reflection, I grabbed my purse and headed for the door.
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