𝗛𝗢𝗧 | 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗵𝘆𝘂𝗰𝗸 || 𝗔𝗠𝗕𝗪

𝙎𝙣𝙪𝙜

Hope's heart raced as she stood outside her manager's office, her hands trembling with a mixture of nerves and anticipation. She had to confront Mark and Haechan about the photos, about the betrayal she felt, but she also couldn't shake the nagging doubt in the back of her mind. What if there was more to the story than met the eye?

As she pushed open the door, she was met with a scene of chaos. Ms. Kim's voice echoed off the walls as she berated Mark, her anger palpable in the air. Haechan stood off to the side, his expression a mix of guilt and frustration.

"Mark, how could you be so careless? Do you have any idea what kind of damage this could do to Hope's career?" Ms. Kim's voice was sharp, her tone unforgiving.

But before Mark could respond, Hope stepped forward, her voice steady despite the turmoil swirling inside her. "Ms. Kim, please. This isn't Mark's fault."

Ms. Kim turned to her, her eyes flashing with irritation. "Hope, you can't possibly defend him after what he's done. Those photos—"

Hope cut her off, her voice firm. "Those photos were posted by the stalker, not Mark. He's been nothing but loyal and supportive to me, and I refuse to let him take the blame for something he didn't know would happen."

Ms. Kim's expression softened slightly, her gaze shifting between Hope and Mark. "But Hope, the damage—"

"I know," Hope interrupted, her voice tinged with frustration. "But we can't let the stalker win. We have to stand together and fight back against these lies."

Haechan stepped forward, his eyes meeting Hope's with a mixture of gratitude and determination. "She's right, Ms. Kim. We can't let this tear us apart. We have to stick together."

Ms. Kim sighed, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "Fine. But we need to figure out our next move. We can't let this go unanswered."

Hope nodded, a steely resolve settling over her. "Agreed. But for now, let's focus on clearing Mark's name and putting an end to this once and for all."