The day had been anything, but chaotic. Juggling between the so called "Damage Control", to her studies and meeting investors. It was half past 8, when she returned home.
Maya scrolled into the apartment with heavy feet, obliviously exhausted, given her situation. Jina was sprawled on the couch, with her tablet in hand when she walked in.
"Maya!" she exclaimed on an impulse, flipping the screen toward her. "You're trending again! 'Adrian Choi and Maya Kim spotted together. Power duo or something more?'"
Maya groaned. "I can't keep doing this."
"Then don't," Jina simply said, "but… if I were you, I'd ride it. Come on, you look like a goddess next to him."
Maya who was now by the couch, tossed a pillow at her as she sank into her seat. "Not helping." She said.
Jina grinned. "Seriously, though, he's not the worst person to be tied to. The man's got power, you know. In it all, something tells me he's not doing this just for PR."
Maya froze. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing," Jina said, pretending to scroll. "Just an observation. The way he looks at you… it's not exactly professional."
Maya rolled her eyes, raising to her feet. " You've been watching so much dramas." She said, making Jina laugh. " I should get some rest." She added as she walked away. But the words followed her like shadows.
For the first time, she wondered if the lines between protection and possession were starting to blur. But the thoughts didn't last long, her set reminder for the assignment's deadline blurred.
Jerking her to reality. She has less than 40mins to complete her work and send it over to the professor's through the students portal.
Without hesitation, she settled behind her desk and got into action. Reading to her assignment and doing the necessary edits and continuation.
☆☆☆☆☆☆
But just like the saying goes;
After the calm, comes a storm.
The day was young and bright. Sunlight streamed weakly through the blinds, cutting through the still air of Maya's apartment. She sat curled on the couch, one knee drawn to her chest, and eyes glued to her phone.
She had thought the worst was over after the first wave of headlines. But she was wrong.
The new video had gone viral. It was undeniable everywhere.
Clipped, edited, and had been slowed down for "emphasis." It showed Adrian carrying her out of the studio, her head resting weakly against his shoulder. From that single moment, the internet had spun an entire romance narrative.
"Adrian Choi seen cradling top model Maya Kim , lovers or more?"
"Maya Kim's secret relationship with billionaire CEO?"
"Exclusive footage confirms the affair!"
She was the point of discussion on various youtube channels. And a million strangers were all over her. People who knew nothing about her, were now dissecting her life, her body, and her expressions. Deciding for themselves what was real.
The comments were worse.
"So this is how she got those contracts."
"Pregnant and playing innocent."
"Of course he's protecting her — she's carrying his kid!"
Each word burned deeper than the last. Not to talk of the hashtags.
Jina sat beside her, clutching a mug of untouched coffee. Her face pale with disbelief. "Maya… this is getting out of control."
"I know," Maya whispered, her voice thin. "I thought it would die down."
"It's not dying down, Maya. It's exploding." Jina turned her phone around. "Even international tabloids are picking it up now."
The video played again in miniature on the screen — Adrian's arm around her waist, and her hand limp against his chest. The faintest glimpse of his face as he looked down at her. It was a perfect cinematic lie.
Maya pressed her palms to her eyes. "This isn't fair."
"It never is," Jina murmured softly.
Maya's phone buzzed, interrupting their conversation. She didn't bother to check who was calling. She just answered.
"Maya Kim here." She said.
"It's Han," came her manager's exhausted voice. "We need to talk. Now.
With that, the line went dead. Both Jina and Maya instinctively, exchanged knowing looks. With hesitation, Maya rose to her full length.
"I'm coming with you." She said, not asking for approval. Maya knew Jina wouldn't stay back even if she asked her to, so allowed her tag along.
.
.
.
The agency was a storm of chaos when Maya and Jina walked in. Assistants were whispering near the glass partitions; phones rang nonstop. And the PR team looked like they hadn't slept.
When she stepped through the doors, heads turned. Conversations stopped mid-sentence.
"Miss Kim, Ms. Kang is waiting for you," the receptionist said quietly, unable to meet her eyes. Maya nodded and strolled on.
The walk down the hall felt endless. Every poster she passed, the glossy campaign photos of her smiling face, now seemed to mock her.
Soon, they found the conference room. Jina robbed Maya's shoulder in encouragment as they stuttered in. Hoping her prescence will make her auntie show more liency towards Maya.
As they stepped through the door, Han gestured her to a seat in his far right of the table. To which, they settled in.
The afternoon light slanted through the tall windows of the room, spilling across the glossy table where Maya sat, her fingers twisting around a cold bottle of water. The air felt heavier than it should have. Thick with tension and the faint hum of whispering speculation trailing her since morning.
On the far side of the table, the agency director, Mrs. Kang, scrolled through her tablet with an expression that was both tired and sharp. She didn't look up as she spoke.
"It's everywhere, Maya. Every entertainment outlet, every gossip page."
"I know," Maya murmured. Her voice barely above a whisper. She had stopped checking her phone since morning, stopped counting the missed calls and messages. But it didn't matter; the world didn't need her permission to talk.
The viral clip had been uploaded just last night. It wasn't long, barely thirty seconds. But that was enough. It showed her at the charity gala, the moment she did nearly lost her balance and Adrian caught her.
His arm steadying her against his chest. The camera had caught them perfectly. Her dazed face, his intense gaze locked on hers, and his hand lingering a heartbeat too long on her waist.
The video froze there, over and over again, replayed on loop with slow motion and zoom-ins, all captioned with the same sensational headline:
"CEO Adrian Lee and Rising Star Maya Kim: Secret Lovers?"
It was another video she had chanced on through a link her course mate, Yuna sent to her.
She felt sick.
Jina sat beside her, visibly anxious but trying to keep her composure. "Mrs. Kang, the video doesn't prove anything," she said quickly. "Anyone with eyes can see Maya fainted. Adrian just—"
"—caught her," Kang finished flatly. "Yes, we know, Jina." But the public doesn't care about context. They care about headlines." She set the tablet down with a soft thud and finally looked at Maya. "We're losing control of the narrative."
Maya swallowed hard. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying the sponsors are panicking," Kang replied. "You have three ongoing endorsement deals. Two have already called asking for statements. And the other, hinted at reconsidering the contract entirely if this scandal doesn't clear up by next week."
The words hit her like blows. Contracts, gone. Her name, tainted. This was hiw fast she was losing. Everything she had fought for, was slipping through her fingers. All because of one stupid mistake and video.
"I didn't do anything wrong," she whispered.
"I believe you," Kang said, though her tone carried the weight of weary experience. "But in this industry, perception is everything."
Silence stretched between them. Outside, the sound of traffic filtered faintly through the glass walls. She wished she could melt into the floor.
After the long silence, Kang finally exhaled. "The board has decided to issue a statement, denying any relationship between you and Adrian Choi. You'll stay off social media for a while. No interviews. No public appearances until this settles down."
Maya nodded numbly. "Understood."
But deep down, she knew this wasn't going to fade quietly. The internet never forgot.
With this, she was dismissed.
That night, back at the apartment, Jina hovered near the kitchen island, watching Maya as she sat on the couch. Knees drawn up, with her laptop open in front of her. The comments section of every article looked like a battlefield.
"She's sleeping her way to the top."
"Of course the CEO 'just happened' to be there to catch her."
"Fake fainting for attention. Classic."
She slammed the laptop shut, her throat burning.
"Maya, stop reading those," Jina said softly, setting down a mug of tea beside her. "You know they're garbage."
"It's not garbage if the whole world believes it," Maya muttered, rubbing her temples. "They think I—" She broke off, unable to even finish the sentence. "This could ruin me, Jina."
Jina sighed and sat beside her. "We'll fix it. Han's working on damage control. Adrian's PR team is apparently involved too."
Maya's head snapped up. "What?"
"I mean… I heard Han talking on the phone earlier," Jina said carefully. "Adrian's team reached out. They said they want to help manage the situation."
Maya frowned, uncertainty tightening her chest. The last thing she wanted was to owe Adrian anything. But considering the chaos outside… she didn't have much of a choice.
Meanwhile, across town in his sleek corner office overlooking Seoul, Adrian sat at his desk. Eyes fixed on the muted television mounted on the wall. The clip played again, looping endlessly. His hand on Maya's waist, her body leaning into him.
His jaw flexed.
He didn't mind being in the headlines; he had lived under that spotlight his entire adult life. But this? This had crossed into her territory. She wasn't built for this kind of media onslaught, not ever.
He had seen enough rising stars burn out under public scrutiny to know how fast things could spiral.
"Sir," his assistant said carefully from the doorway. "Should we issue a statement?"
Adrian leaned back in his chair, eyes narrowing. "No."
The assistant hesitated. "But the public is—"
"I said no," Adrian repeated firmly. "Let them talk."
Because, for once, he wanted to see how far Maya would go before she turned to him. She was stubborn, he admired that. But she couldn't weather this alone. And when she finally came to him, he would make sure the world couldn't touch her again.
He turned off the screen, the room plunging into silence.
.
.
.
As usual, Maya had to do her stop at the agency before heading to school or any shoot or project. It has always been peaceful, calm and a refreshing moment. But this time, it was different.
By 7 am, she arrived at the agency for a scheduled brand meeting only to find a flurry of reporters gathered outside. Microphones and flashing cameras met her the second she stepped out of the car.
"Maya Kim! Is it true you're dating Adrian Choi?"
"Did he finance your last project?"
"Are the pregnancy rumors true?"
Her body instantly froze, panic gripping her chest as the questions grew louder. The circle tighter. Jina tried to shield her, but the crowd was relentless, hands shoving, cameras flashing.
Maya could feel the pressure, the tension and the stress of being corned. Her vision being to blur.
And then suddenly, he was there.