Starting Again (A Charles Leclerc Fic)

001 : new start

⚠️TW : This opening chapter includes minor mentions of harassment and bullying but the story would not be centered around it.

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A year ago, if you had asked Katrina where she saw herself in the coming years, she would have confidently said she'd still be in Korea, making music, and living her dream. She had the life many envied—until things started to take a turn. She had reached the peak of her career, winning both Producer and Artist of the Year awards. Brands were lining up for endorsement deals, and there was an overwhelming demand for a new album. All the hard work she had put in over the years seemed to be paying off, until, one day, everything stopped. She tried everything she could, reaching out to her agency, but they were silent. To make matters worse, her long-time manager suddenly resigned. The following days were uneventful, and she had no idea that what she was experiencing was just the calm before the storm.

One day, as she was going about her usual routine, she heard a familiar song playing on the radio. It was one of her own tracks, one that was supposed to be released right before her manager quit. She was puzzled about how this could have happened, until she saw the person standing next to the artist who was accepting the music show award that week. It was her former manager, Sunho, the same one who had disappeared after resigning.

She immediately reached out to her management, and that's when they discovered that Sunho had taken the entire music repertoire without the company's knowledge and sold it to his new employers.

Luna Kim had always been known for her calm demeanor, like a Disney princess glowing with sunshine. She wasn't one to start confrontation, but she wasn't a pushover either. With the help of her management, she made another appeal. However, this time, Sunho and Minsung (the artist) were prepared. They began spreading rumors to tarnish her hard-earned reputation. In Korea, reputation is everything—people either love you completely or hate you entirely, with no middle ground.

She had hoped that once a proper investigation was launched, things would improve, but the opposite happened. The situation became sensationalized, and she felt suffocated. She knew she needed to get away from the constant media attention, even if it meant being thousands of miles away from home.

"Katrina, are you really sure you want to leave? You can stay with me until everything settles down," her best friend asked, worried.

"No, I need to leave. I can't even leave my house without feeling like my life is in danger," she tried to explain. As much as she appreciated her friends' concern, they could never fully understand the fear she felt.

She was followed, stalked, and harassed by Minsung's die-hard fans, who believed the lies being spread about her. It was heartbreaking to think that, at one point, they had been friends. They lost contact but remained professional. No one knew who was responsible for the plagiarism of her work, but Minsung had remained silent. She allowed her fans to flood her social media with false accusations.

What started as empty threats escalated into physical attacks. Her car and front door were covered in smashed eggs, pig's blood, and even dead animals.

"Can you at least tell me where you're going?" Samara, her youngest friend, asked, pleading.

"I can't tell you exactly, but I'm going to Monaco."

"Monaco? What the hell are you going to do there? Do you even know anyone?" another best friend asked, incredulous.

"No, I have no idea what I'll do there, and I don't know anyone there," Katrina replied.

"Then help me understand why you want to go there."

"No one knows me there. I can start fresh, away from all the drama in Korea. I can't live like this anymore, Sammy."

"Will you at least let me know when you land?" Sammy asked, her voice hopeful.

"I will, I promise."

Sammy pulled her into a tight hug before walking away toward the departure area at Incheon Airport.

One last look...

That's all Katrina gave before boarding the plane to Monaco. In just a few hours, her new life would begin. It was terrifying, but she knew another adventure awaited her in Monaco.