CHAPTER 1

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Backstage at the most glamorous International fashion event held in Italy, the lights were too bright, the models too perfect, and the chaos at its peak.

"Hold still, or I'll make you look like a raccoon," Hana muttered under her breath as she gently glided the brush over the models eyelids, her fingers moving with the precision of a surgeon. She'd been awake for thirty-six hours straight, surviving on nothing but coffee, adrenaline, and sheer determination.

But even amidst the frenzy, she noticed him.

Across the room, standing casually as if he belonged in every glitzy event was a good looking man in his late 30s. His eyes locked on hers for just a second—long enough to access her from head to foot before she turned back to pin the final fold of hair in place.

What was he doing here? He didn't belong in here. She was not aware of anyone she was supposed to be meeting, or anyone that was supposed to meet her or any of the models.

Her hands slipped, a tiny prick of pain as the sharp tweezers nicked her thumb. Great. Exactly what she needed—a distraction she couldn't afford. Not with her career teetering on the edge and the pressure to succeed almost unbearable. But as she glanced up again, catching his impatient lift of one clean eyebrow, she realized that this show was about to get far more complicated than she'd planned.

A black visiting card with the words CHS Global Entertainment was placed quietly on the table in front of her along with a band-aid. Taken aback, she looked up at the man standing beside her with the same impatient look on his face.

"Please call the number on the card after the show." He said quietly, but loud enough for her to hear clearly above the chaos. "And put that band-aid on."

She looked down at the card and again back at the man. Still looking at him she picked up the card and the band-aid and placed it in her pocket and went back to adjusting the gold chain around the models neck.

She looked back over her shoulder but the man had disappeared. Placing a hand behind her neck she sighed deeply and got back to the next model picking at her nails looking as if she hadn't eaten in a week.

The coordinator came in adjusting her mike and yelling at the top of her voice, "Done, Done, Done. Now move into line. Hana, adjustments now, behind the screen."

Hana moved at the speed of light, her professionalism kicking in. She could hear the music coming from the stage and an insane amount of screaming. She listened carefully and could hear the K-Pop boy band Glasse Door performing their latest hit 'Hide Away', humming to the infectious beat she checked once more on each model in the line-up, patting the compact powder puff on shiny noses and foreheads.

The roar of the crowd was still echoing through the backstage corridors as the five-member K-pop group exited the stage, their adrenaline buzzing. Lights dimmed, crew rushed around, and there, in the center of it all, was Hana, trying to slowly back away, making sure the stage was clear of any of her kits.

The MC came on announcing at an unusually high voice, the music began and the models slowly inched their way towards the entrance of the stage. She gave them one final look and started backing her way out of the entrance without looking behind her, one foot at a time.

Hana was biting her lip thoughtfully, eyes still focused on her bag of brushes, when a presence loomed right behind her. Before a thought could register in her mind she found herself step on someone's foot falling back against a hard, warm body. Her heart jumped as she turned sharply, only to be met with the towering form of none other than Jae, the group's main vocalist and the rumored bad boy of the industry. She stumbled a step back, cursing softly under her breath, but his strong hand shot out, gripping her waist just in time.

She looked up at him, her brown eyes wide in surprise, her pretty mouth slightly open. Jae's eyes narrowed with one eyebrow raised, looking amused.

Hanna felt trapped and thought her blood had gone out of circulation. His grip on her waist tightened and he tilted his head slightly to a side to get a better look at her.

"Hi Makeup Girl," Jae whispered staring right through her soul or so she thought.


"Fate has a curious way of threading itself into our lives, weaving connections and moments that feel both surreal and profound. It often steps in quietly, like a breeze through a half-opened window, rearranging the course of our lives without warning. In those moments, the world feels still, yet intensely alive, as if everything has been building up to that point."

***

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