Chapter 1: The Encounter
The winter chill in Seoul bit through layers of clothing, but Lian felt a different kind of cold—one that came from the weight of expectations and the loneliness of being so far from home. Her breath formed clouds as she hurried down the crowded street, clutching her bag tighter. Every step was a reminder: this city was ruthless, and only the strong survived.
Lian's days had been a blur of long hours and constant battles—not just with work, but with the invisible walls people put up around themselves. Her coworkers barely acknowledged her presence, treating her as if she were a shadow passing through their world. Yet she refused to let herself be invisible.
That was when she saw him.
A man standing near the entrance of a towering glass building, framed by the sleek lights of the metropolis. Tall, impeccably dressed, his eyes scanning the crowd with cold precision. The way he held himself spoke of power and control—everything Lian wasn't yet sure she could ever possess.
Lee Nomin.
He was everything Lian had heard about—the CEO with a reputation for being ruthless in business and impossible in personal relations. His name alone commanded respect and fear. Yet in that moment, Lian felt nothing but challenge.
She bumped into a passerby and spilled her coffee, cursing under her breath. Nomin's sharp gaze flicked toward her, icy and assessing.
"What a mess," he muttered, his voice low but clear enough to cut through the noise around them.
Lian met his eyes without flinching, despite the sting of embarrassment. "Better to be messy than lifeless," she replied with a smirk, surprising even herself.
Nomin raised an eyebrow. "Bold words from someone who looks like she's struggling to keep up."
The tension between them was instant, electric—a clash of wills that neither was willing to surrender.
"Maybe," Lian said, stepping closer, "but at least I'm trying. Can you say the same?"
A faint, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of Nomin's lips. For a moment, the cold façade cracked.
But then, just as quickly, the moment passed. He turned sharply and entered the building, leaving Lian standing in the swirling crowd, her heart pounding.
This was only the beginning.