Beauty Lies Within

⌘ II. Ice Queen ⌘

Author's Note: 

This chapter hasn't been edited AT ALL, so excuse any mistakes, I'll come back to it and correct them. I know it's a bit of a slower start, but things will start to amp up in a few chapters, I promise. 

Enjoy!

✤

Emily could  feel the adrenaline pulsing through her as the meeting room buzzed with murmured conversations. She was about to present her pitch—the one she'd thrown together in a last-minute rush that morning—but the anxiety of it all still churned in her gut.

Just as she prepared herself to speak, the door creaked open, and in walked Samuel, late but completely unbothered. He strolled in with a coffee cup in hand, wearing that same easy, charming smile he'd flashed in the elevator earlier.

"Apologies for the delay," Samuel said casually, his voice smooth and disarming. "It seems the coffee machine was determined to make me late. I haven't gotten used to it yet."

There were a few polite chuckles around the room, and even Mr. Hastings seemed to let his usual irritation at lateness slide. Samuel settled into the empty seat directly across from Emily, and she couldn't help but notice how his presence commanded attention without effort. He shot a quick smile around the room, his eyes briefly meeting hers.

"Everyone, this is Samuel Jin," Mr. Hastings said, turning to the rest of the team. "He's new to the New York office, from our Seoul branch, and will be overseeing some of the creative campaigns and designs for The Valkyrie Chronicles. I'm sure you'll all be working closely with him soon."

Emily's pulse quickened as Samuel leaned back in his chair, completely at ease. She had to focus. The last thing she needed was to let herself get distracted by him, especially now, with her pitch looming. Hastings glanced her way, a silent prompt to begin.

Clearing her throat, Emily forced herself to stand a little taller. "As I was saying," she began, her voice steady despite the nerves dancing in her stomach, "for the launch of The Valkyrie Chronicles, we should aim to immerse readers not just in the story, but in the world itself."

She pauses, "The fantasy genre is about escape, about experiencing another reality. We can leverage that by creating an immersive marketing campaign—interactive online events, exclusive content with the author, maybe even live pop-up events themed around key scenes from the book. We need to offer fans the opportunity to live in this universe."

The room quieted as she spoke, and for a moment, Emily could sense that she had captured their attention. She continued, finding confidence in the way Mr. Hastings leaned forward, clearly intrigued. "This will set us apart from other campaigns. It's not just about promotion—it's about building a connection between the readers and the world of the book."

As she wrapped up, there was a tense pause before Hastings smiled. "Doesn't sound half-bad, Haynes. We'll go with your idea. Good work!". 

Relief flooded through her. She'd done it. The rest of the meeting moved quickly after that, a blur of details and discussions. But Emily felt lighter—until she noticed Samuel's gaze on her again, as though he was carefully assesing her.

The meeting ended shortly after, and everyone stood up to gather their things. Emily headed for the door, but so did Samuel—at the exact same moment. They both paused awkwardly, realizing neither could fit alongside the other.

There was a beat of silence as they both moved to the side at the same time, then stopped, giving way to a brief shuffle. Nathan gave a small, polite smile and motioned for her to go first.