The city streets blurred past as Alina balanced the coffee tray in her hands. It had been a long morning already, customers spilling in one after the other, the smell of roasted beans clinging to her clothes, the machine hissing behind the counter. When Maya had called her out for the first order.
''Listen carefully, it's a Big client, so be careful, and I'll send you the location... By saying that, she handed over the delivery. ...Handle carefully''
She hadn't thought much of it. Just another delivery, just another chance to step out for air and feel the drop of each rain. She hadn't even looked properly at the address while looking at her phone and tucked it into her apron.
But the moment she stopped in front of the building, her breath caught. The gleaming glass, the massive silver letters carved boldly into the side: Arden Entertainment.
Her stomach dropped, the coffee tray trembling faintly in her hands. For a second, she thought she was imagining it, that maybe her eyes were playing tricks on her, but no. The name stared back at her, merciless, sharp as a knife. Her pulse hammered. Heat surged up her neck, a mix of disbelief and fury. Of all the places. Of all the companies in this city, it had to be this one.
She took a step back, nearly spilling the drinks. Her mind raced. What kind of sick joke is this? Why here? Why me? Arden Entertainment.... Arden... She utters his name.. Kai.....Arden
The name "Kai Arden" pressed into her chest like a bruise she couldn't escape. She hated him. Hated the way his shadow seemed to stretch into places he wasn't even in. She had built walls around herself, promising never to let his name or his world touch hers again, and yet here she was, standing at his empire's front door, coffee trembling in her hands.
Her throat tightened. She wanted to turn around, walk away, leave the order abandoned on the sidewalk. She can deliver anywhere but here. She wasn't going in there. Not there. Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out quickly, dialing before she even thought about it. Maya.
The line rang once, twice, three times. No answer. Alina's jaw clenched. "Fine," she muttered under her breath, her voice sharp with frustration. "Don't pick up. Just leave me to deal with this."
She hung up and immediately dialed again. This time, on the second ring, the line clicked. Finally, she didn't even let Maya greet her. The words burst out, raw and furious. "Great. So this is it? This is the place you want me to die?" Her voice trembled with the heat she couldn't hold back.
There was a pause on the other end. Maya's voice, softer, careful, filtered through the line. Something about promises, about how this mattered, about how she needed her to just deliver the coffee and not overthink.
Alina barely listened. Her chest was pounding too loudly, her own thoughts screaming over everything Maya said. How could she? How could she send me here, knowing how much I hate him? Knowing I swore never to step near this world again?
Every nerve in her body screamed against it. She wasn't just angry at Maya; she was angry at fate, at the cruel circle that kept spinning her right back toward him. It was as if her whole world was built to rotate around. No matter how far she ran, she always ended up here. Near him
She pressed her eyes shut, her knuckles white around the coffee tray. Maya's voice wove back in, urging her, reminding her of the promise she'd made, the one she couldn't break without tearing something fragile between them. Alina's fury burned, but guilt slid in beside it. That promise mattered. And Maya knew it.
Her throat ached. "Fine," she whispered finally, the word bitter on her tongue. She didn't wait for Maya's response. She cut the call and shoved the phone back into her pocket, breathing hard.
The building loomed in front of her, glass and steel catching the morning light. She hated it. Hated the way it seemed to swallow the sky, hated the arrogance of its height, hated the man whose name crowned it. Her legs felt heavy as stone, but she forced them forward. Step by step, closer to the doors. The coffee trembled in her grip, but she held it steady, her jaw tight, her eyes narrowed in defiance.
If the world wanted her to orbit him, fine. But she would burn before she let it consume her. Still, deep down, the dread wouldn't ease. Because no matter how much she told herself she hated him, no matter how many times she tried to shove his name into the dark corners of her mind, she couldn't erase the truth that lingered in her bones: Kai Arden was everywhere. And now, she was walking straight into his world again.
Alina stood outside the tall glass building, her hand tightening around the tray of coffee cups as if holding on to them would somehow keep her from falling apart. For a moment, she just stared at the name glowing on the huge board in front of her: Arden Entertainment.
Her stomach twisted. Her legs screamed to turn around and run. But then Maya's voice replayed in her head the promise she had extracted from her best friend. "Listen… this is big for me. For us. Promise me you won't mess this up, okay? Just this one delivery. It could open doors we can't even imagine."
Alina closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. Why am I even scared? He's just a man. A man with no emotions, no heart. A man who doesn't deserve the energy of my hate.
She exhaled, forcing her body to relax. Her grip loosened a little, but her steps were still stiff. I'm not here to see him. I'm not here to meet him. I'm here to drop off coffee at the reception. That's it. That's all.
Her heels clicked against the smooth floor as she walked inside. The air-conditioned lobby felt colder than she expected, brushing against her skin like a warning. Everywhere she looked, she could see his shadow in the posters framed on the walls, in the murmurs of the employees who seemed to breathe his name, in the very shine of the marble floor.
Why does it always come back to him? she thought bitterly. I don't want to think of him, yet every road leads to him. Every twist of fate drags me closer. It's as if the universe is mocking me. And forcing me to return to him. She tightened her jaw, raising her chin high. No. I won't let this place swallow me. I'm not weak. Not anymore.
But her mind betrayed her. Flashbacks played like an old film in the corners of her vision. That first cruel look he gave her. The way his words used to slice through her skin like blades. How cold his eyes were... and yet, how impossible to forget. Her lips pressed into a thin line. Enough, Alina. Stop giving him space in your head.
The receptionist's desk came into view. Relief flooded her chest like cool water after a long run. Almost there. Just drop it off and leave. Quick. No encounters, no risks. But with each step closer, she felt her pulse hammer harder, as if her heart already knew something she didn't.
She whispered to herself, her voice so soft only she could hear, "Why would I be afraid of a man who doesn't even know how to feel?"
Still, her fingers trembled slightly when she placed the tray down on the counter. Little did she know the universe was already moving its strings. The harder she pushed him away, the stronger fate pulled him back into her orbit. Because that's how it always worked. Her world… somehow, always rotated around him. And no amount of denial could change that.
"Sorry, ma'am," the receptionist's polite voice cut through her thoughts, "you can't leave the order here. You'll need to deliver it upstairs."
Alina blinked, her stomach dropping. "Upstairs?"
"Yes. Seventh floor. Conference room."
For a moment, her grip on the tray tightened so hard her knuckles turned white. This was not what she imagined. Not what she planned. She thought she could slip in quietly, drop the coffee, and vanish before fate noticed her. Her throat went dry. She wanted to argue, to say no, and run from there. But instead, she drew in a slow breath, steadying herself.
Why am I afraid? she asked herself. It's just a building. Just another floor. Just another delivery. I don't care about him. I don't care about anyone here.