Ryan's grip was firm but not harsh as he led Alina out of Kai's office. She struggled at first, trying to let go of his grip and go back to him as she had a lot of things to say, her arm jerking, but his strength was unyielding.
"Leave me," she hissed under her breath, cheeks burning not just with embarrassment but with the storm still raging inside her from Kai's cold words. Ryan didn't loosen his hold until they reached the hallway where Maya was waiting.
Maya had been pacing, nervously waiting for a blast to definitely be waiting for her. She should have guessed it, that it's going to happen. When Alina agrees to the auditions. Her phone clutched in her hand, biting her lip anxiously. Even if she is planning something, she should have informed me beforehand so that I could protect her. The second she spotted them, her eyes widened.
"Alina?!" Maya's voice shot up in alarm as she rushed over. Her gaze darted to Ryan's hand still around Alina's wrist. "What on earth.....why are you holding her like that? What happened?"
''Oh, so this is your friend. As expected, just like you.''
Maya doesn't reply instantly, raises an eyebrow, and starts 'Whatexactly happened?''
Ryan exhaled, visibly annoyed, but didn't answer immediately. His dark brows furrowed as he looked at Maya, then back at Alina. "You should ask your friend what she was doing barging into the CEO's office without permission."
Alina jerked her wrist free, finally, glaring at both of them. "So what if I did?"
Maya's mouth dropped open. "Alina. What exactly is going on? Can you guys tell me?
Ryan pinched the bridge of his nose like he was fighting a headache. "Your friend is reckless. Do you know what could've happened if anyone else had seen her? Security would've dragged her out of the building. And Mr. Arden…" he shook his head, muttering, "He doesn't tolerate...."
"I don't care what he tolerates!" Alina snapped, cutting Ryan off. Her voice cracked with anger and something else she couldn't name. "He needed to hear it. Someone had to say it."
Maya's eyes widened further, panic flickering across her face. "Hear what? What did you even say to him?"
Alina turned away, pressing her trembling hands into fists at her sides. "That he doesn't understand. That he has no heart. That he's cold, cruel ...." She stopped, swallowing hard, her chest tight.
Ryan's jaw clenched, but for the first time, his expression softened as he studied her. Not pity, more like… curiosity. Like he couldn't figure out how a girl who looked so fragile could burn with that kind of fire.
He was so stunted that a girl like her could speak the truth in front of Kai Arden... The Arden.... in between his slow breath, he wanted to say Bravo! Butt couldn't do so
Maya stepped closer, lowering her voice urgently. "Alina, why? Why would you do this?"
Alina met her friend's eyes, and in that moment, all the emotions she had been holding back rushed forward: the sleepless nights, the quiet heartbreak of being unseen, the sting of watching other dreamers crumble under rejection.
"Because someone needed to remind him," she whispered hoarsely, "that stories aren't just words on paper. They're people's souls. And he has no right to treat them like nothing."
Maya's lips parted, but no words came. She had never seen Alina like this, so fierce, so broken, all at once.
Ryan looked so confused, hearing her words like He didn't unders.? Like, seriously? Maybe she got the wrong person. No one can understand better. The stories, the words, the feelings, more than Mr. Arden and her? She blamed him? His thoughts were running inside his mind like a rolling machine, and yet he watched silently. But his grip around the folder he carried tightened just a little.
Everyone came here to see Mr. Arden for a photo, for an interview, for an autograph, and she? She was the very first person who escaped into the office so that she could show anger at him. Like she owns him?
The silence between them stretched.
Then Ryan cleared his throat, pulling himself back to business. "Whatever you think, you accomplished ....it won't change him. Mr. Arden doesn't bend for anyone." His voice was steady, dismissive, but a flicker of doubt lingered in his eyes.
Alina didn't reply. She just turned away, her chest rising and falling unevenly, refusing to let either of them see the sting still burning in her heart.
Maya reached for her arm gently, like grounding her. "Come on, let's just… go from here."
Alina's gaze drifted back toward the closed office door down the hall.
Ryan was still there waiting for them to leave, and in a second, he remembered ''Oh, no, I need to check on Mr. Arden right now. Maybe he is furious over the incident that happened. I need to check on him''
The silence in his office felt heavier after the door clicked shut. The faint echo of Alina's voice still lingered, harsh and emotional, almost trembling with a conviction he can't quite ignore. Ryan slipped into the office, his steps careful, almost hesitant. He half-expected to see a storm papers scattered, Kai's temper flaring, his voice ricocheting off the walls. But instead… silence.
He found Kai exactly as he had left him, seated, collected, with the same detached apportionment, composed eyes fixed on the city skyline beyond the glass. The light cut sharp lines across his face, only highlighting how unreadable he looked. No frown, no smile. Just that stillness he wore like armor
Ryan began cautiously, "Are you… alright? I thought.... you'd be furious'' he said carefully, testing the waters. ''No one talks to you like that. Not in this building, Nnotever.
Kai didn't turn. He was calm, precise, and sharper than any anger could ever be.
"When people can't put their thoughts into words, they turn to anger. It's easier to raise your voice than to make sense."
Ryan blinked, caught off guard by the stillness in his tone.
Kai finally leaned back, closing the file on his desk with a clean, final snap. "I don't waste my time and energy on those who try to provoke me. If someone wants me to break, it already means they've lost their balance. And I don't break for anyone."
There was no heat in his words, just cold certainty. That was far more terrifying.
Ryan exhaled slowly, studying him. "But sir… that girl.....she wasn't like the others. She had something… different."
For the first time, Kai's gaze shifted, thoughtful. He almost smirked, though it was gone before Ryan could confirm it.
"She has fire in her. I'll give her that. But fire that burns without direction is nothing more than smoke. She'll only choke herself if she doesn't learn to control it."
Ryan tilted his head, recognizing something unusual in his boss's tone. There was no dismissal, not completely. Almost as if Kai had noticed her more than he wanted to admit. But then Kai turned his chair slightly, picking up another document as if the matter was closed. His final words left no space for argument.
"If she learns to use that fire the right way, maybe it will mean something. Until then… she's just noise."
Ryan pressed his lips together, holding back a smile. Calm on the outside, maybe, but he had worked for Kai long enough to notice the tiniest cracks. Kai Arden never gave this much thought to anyone, yet here he was, dissecting the fire of a girl who had barged into his office.
Kai finally set the file aside and let out the faintest sigh, as though speaking more to himself than to Ryan. She raised her voice. That takes a certain kind of courage, even if it was wasted''
Ryan nearly choked. In all the years he had worked for Kai Arden, he had never once heard him speak of a woman with anything other than cold indifference. Not admiration. Not respect. And now this?
Kai leaned back in his chair, dismissive once more.
''Still, courage without direction is a fire that burns everything in its path. She'll learn ... or she'll break''
Ryan studied him silently, his confusion deepening. Kai Arden did not notice people. Yet today, for the first time, it seemed he had