Unexpected Encounter

A blonde man named Nate Zachary Delvano glared fiercely at the camera in front of him, his left hand resting on his chin and his mouth slightly open. He made sure to show off the stylish, glimmering rings on his fingers as he posed casually on a fluffy white couch.

“That’s it! Hold that! No unnecessary movements! Ready! 1! 2! 3—”

Click-click.

“Nice, nice! Good job!” the director finally exclaimed, giving a thumbs-up after doing countless agonizing retakes—for just two poses out of a dozen.

“Director, can we do one more shot?” Nate demanded shamelessly.

The Director chuckled, “You're getting motivated now, okay. Let's do it!”

In reality, the old, chubby director could barely stop himself from scowling and wanting to end it all right then and there. If it weren’t for his saint-like image and professionalism, he might have already punched the arrogant young man for wasting so much of his precious time.

The director called over the stylist and makeup artists to do some quick touch-ups while he adjusted the lens of his camera. Afterward, the shoot continued much more smoothly. Unlike earlier, Nate wasn’t making as many mistakes anymore.

“Tch. If only he had done that earlier, we could’ve saved so much time,” a staff member muttered under her breath.

Clair heard her clearly but said nothing.

“....”

Having witnessed the entire embarrassment unfold before her tired eyes, Clair could sympathize with everyone in the studio.

Still, all she could do was let out a frustrated sigh from the corner of the dimly lit room. She couldn't help but wonder why that blonde buffoon had insisted on doing the photoshoot in the first place when he couldn’t even follow the director’s simple instructions.

***

“Here—!”

Nate roughly snatched the bottled water from Clair and chugged it down to the last drop. When he finished, he casually tossed it back at her, and she barely managed to catch it.

Now back in the dressing room after wrapping up the shoot, Clair—who worked as Nate’s road manager—stood silently behind him. She had grown used to this kind of treatment. Complaining wasn’t an option if she wanted to keep her job in this industry.

She was already exhausted and just wanted to finish up and go home.

She remained quiet.

“Fuck!”

In a fit of anger, Nate suddenly kicked a chair, and it unfortunately struck Clair’s leg. The timid woman could only hiss in pain.

Nate roared, “That fucking old fart! Who does he think he is, ordering me around like that?! He should be thankful I even acc—”

Clack.

“H-Huh...? Uhh... H-Hello!”

Clair’s awkward greeting to the two men entering the room cut off Nate’s tantrum.

“Oh, I see you’re here too, Ms. Delvano. Long time no see,” said Steffan, the manager with curly hair and a buffed figure. He glanced at Nate, who was now clenching his fists and shooting daggers at him with his eyes. Steffan had deliberately emphasized Clair’s surname to irritate the rude blonde he’d dealt with before.

Clair Chadlyn Delvano was actually Nate’s younger half-sister, born from a scandalous affair between his douchebag father and a nun he met during a business trip. To this day, no one knew who her mother was, where she might be, or whether she was even alive.

Clair simply nodded and lowered her head, not wanting to provoke Nate further. Thinking about it now, she finally understood why her buffoon of a brother had insisted on doing this magazine photo shoot.

She stole a glance at the handsome, tall man beside the curly-haired manager, his hands in his pockets. His slicked-back black hair framed a sharp face, and he wore a brown leather jacket paired with baggy pants.

“So you’re the big-time model they were talking about earlier, huh? You should’ve given me a heads-up, Zaid,” Nate said, trying to sound friendly as he addressed the man called Zaid… but he was completely ignored.

“....”

Instead, Zaid turned to Clair.

“Are you all right?”

“Pardon?” Clair tilted her head, only to find Zaid staring at her exposed legs beneath her tight skirt. Her face flushed, and she quickly tried to cover up—until she realized he was actually looking at the bleeding cut on her right leg.

“It might leave a scar,” he said.

“Uh... I-I’m fine. It’s just a small scratch...”

“Scar?” Clair flinched as Nate butt in. “What are you—” Sensing the shift in atmosphere, he stopped himself. A chill ran down his spine as the two men glared at him with animosity.

The heavy silence was finally broken by a knock on the door. Instinctively, everyone turned their heads in that direction.

“Mr. Hamilton?”

Steffan cleared his throat. “Yes. He’s here.”

A female staff member entered the dressing room cautiously, a wide smile on her face and a visible blush as she finally laid eyes on the 190 cm tall, handsome actor Zaiden Hamilton—standing right next to Steffan.

“The director said to get ready. The shoot will begin shortly, at 2 p.m.,” she relayed the message professionally.

“Got it. We’ll get ready now,” Steffan replied, unable to take his eyes off the woman like a fool.

Clair couldn’t help but feel a wave of relief. She was about to tidy up their things and leave when the staff member suddenly walked past them and approached Zaiden.

“B-By the way, I’m your fan...” the blushing woman trailed off as she pulled a pen from her pocket. “Can I get your autograph?” She shyly offered him the white sleeve of her sweater to have it signed.

Steffan scoffed quietly on the side. Of course, he should have known.

On the other hand, Nate's already sour expression darkened even further. His eyes betrayed a mix of jealousy and a deep sense of inferiority.

***

[Really?! You ran into him?! You mean, THE Zaiden Hamilton?!]

Midanna, her friend, couldn’t stop screaming on the other end of the line.

“Yeah, I did.” Clair replied lazily.

How many times has she repeated it now?

[Oh my girl, you’re so lucky! I wish I’d been with you! So, how was it?!]

“We just said hi. That’s it,” she sighed as she peeled off the band-aid she’d just bought from a nearby pharmacy after dropping Nate off at his apartment.

‘And it seems he wasn't thrilled to see me, either...’

What happened earlier still lingered in her mind.

The more she tried to forget it, the deeper it seemed to etch itself into her thoughts. Thankfully, her friend had called to check on her, and before she knew it, she’d ended up sharing everything—including the part about unexpectedly running into her former suitor.

Now it seems, Clair just dug up her own grave.

[What?! That’s it?! No flirting or—]

“Shut up, Danna,” she cut her off before she could spout more nonsense, carefully placing the band-aid over the cut on her leg. “It’s been three years since we last saw each other. And don’t forget—I’m getting married next month. I don’t want any drama.”

[I know, I know, but still...]

Clair let out a soft chuckle. “Hey, Danna.”

[What?]

“...Are you encouraging me to cheat right now?”

[No way! Don’t accuse me like that! I’m just saying—it’s a shame, that’s all!]

Clair shook her head, clearly frustrated. “I love my fiancé, and you know that. I rather die than cheat on him.”

[Heh. But what if he’s the one who ends up cheating on you? You love him, that much is clear—clearer than my future. But still... You deserves better, Clair.]

Midanna continued, [He doesn’t care about you as much as you care about him—and once again, that’s clearer than my future. Honestly? Zaiden treated you better than he ever did!]

“Like I said, it’s all in the past now. My fiancé will never hurt me. He will never cheat on me.” Clair sighed. She's getting tired of this now. “Besides…”

[Besides what...??]

Clair picked up her phone and held it to her ear as she stood from the wide staircase where she’d been sitting. A faint, bitter smile tugged at her lips as she lifted her hand to block the sunlight hitting her face.

“Zaiden has probably forgotten about me already. So, my friend, it’s better for you to move on too—and forget about him.”

[....]

[...My silly friend, that's not for you to decide.]

“....”

***

After a long day filled with the sound of camera shutters and flashes, the sun set and the moon rose unnoticed. Zaiden finally returned to his penthouse, and the first thing he did was take a shower.

Water poured down his body as he stood under the stream, eyes closed in silence. His soaked hair clung to his forehead until he ran his hands through it, slicking it back. He let out a deep sigh and opened his eyes, staring blankly at the ceiling—lost in thought.

Drip-drip.

Moments later, Zaiden turned off the shower and stepped out of the bathroom into his dimly lit bedroom, wearing nothing but a white towel wrapped around his waist.

Zaiden hadn’t expected to run into Clair earlier. Seeing her again after three years made his heart flutter—and ache at the same time. How could fate be so cruel? He had always tried to avoid crossing paths with her. Even when he worked on the same projects as her half-brother, Nate, he always found a way to keep his distance.

What's worse? He had to see her in that pitiful state.

So, unable to focus earlier due to his concern, he even asked Steffan to discreetly give her a box of band-aid from their first aid kit, but by the time he checked, she had already left.

“Damn it.”

He was about to head to his walk-in closet when his phone, placed on the table, started ringing. When he looked at the caller ID, his eyes narrowed.

It was his sister, Leticia Brown.

“....”

Though he would’ve preferred not to answer, he still slid his finger to the green button. “What is it now?” he asked, his voice low and uninterested.

[Still cold as ever, I'm impressed.]

“We’re not close enough for small talk. Get to the point.”

[Okay, fine. Clear your schedule this weekend and come to the house. It’s time to meet your nephew’s fiancée.]

Zaiden had always postponed this meeting with various excuses such as his health, filming schedules, or overseas photo shoots and events. But he knew he couldn't avoid it forever.

Painful as it is, he has to face reality now.

“....”

He clenched his fists and tightened his jaw as he walked over to the floor-to-ceiling window in his bedroom, staring down at the vast city lights below, which reflected his figure. Water still dripped from his hair as his expression grew emotionless.

“...All right, I’ll be there,” he said, his voice trailing off. “But make sure my visit is worth it… Dear sister.”

The woman on the other end of the line, holding a teacup and sitting gracefully, smirked. “Don't worry, I wouldn’t have it any other way for my little brother.”

[....]

Just like that, the line clicked with a short, final beep before going silent.

Zaiden hung up abruptly.

“What a rude brat,” Leticia couldn't help but feel annoyed. “He really does take after the old man.”

She glanced at her tea, her expression turned serious. “Is Yohan back already?”

The young male secretary in neat suit, wearing glasses and standing two steps behind her, respectfully replied, “Yes, Madam. The young master went directly to the hotel suite you prepared for him.”

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