She crouched lower, biting her lip. Kai's strides were calm, steady, almost slow, as if he owned the very air. His PA walked a few steps behind him, shoulders tense. People at the entrance froze the moment they saw Kai, bowing slightly, whispering in awe. He didn't even acknowledge them. This guy… Alina thought, narrowing her eyes. Does he practice arrogance in the mirror? Or does it just come naturally? She shook herself. "Focus, Alina. You can mock him later. Get the picture first."
Her thumb found the shutter button. She lifted the camera. Click. Nothing happened. Her brows furrowed. She looked down. Oh no. Oh no. The lens cap was still on. Her stomach dropped. "You've got to be kidding me…"
Fumbling, she yanked the cap off, shoved it into her pocket, and raised the camera again, her tongue sticking out in concentration. Kai was right there, just a few steps from the glass doors. Perfect shot. Perfect profile.
"Say cheese, Iceking," she whispered. Her finger pressed the button. And the camera didn't focus. "Wha..." She stared at the blurry screen. Her hands shook as she tried to adjust the settings, turning the dial left, then right. The camera beeped, too slow, too late..And Kai stepped inside. The doors shut behind him with a hiss. Gone.
Alina's jaw dropped. All that effort. All that waiting. And what did she have to show for it? A black screen from the lens cap and a blur that looked like a ghost with long legs.
She slumped against the pillar, groaning. "Ughhhhhh, why am I like this?!"
She buried her face in her hands, cheeks burning. Somewhere, the universe was laughing at her.
By the time she peeked out again, Kai was gone. But his PA was still there, scanning the street, eyes sharp like a hawk. For a terrifying second, Alina thought he looked straight at her. She ducked back down, clutching her camera to her chest. Her heart wouldn't stop pounding.
"That's fine," she muttered to herself, crawling backward until she was behind a parked scooter. "This was just the first round. Nobody gets it right the first time. Next time, Alina, you'll nail it. Next time, you'll show him who's dummy."
She sat there for a minute, cheeks puffed, replaying the scene in her head. Kai's walk. His coat. The faint outline of his jaw under the morning light. The way people froze when he passed. Her stomach fluttered annoyingly.
"No," she hissed to herself. "Do not get fluttery about the enemy. He is the IceKing, the Emotionless Emperor. I'm just here to expose him. That's all."
But her mind betrayed her. The image of him sliding through the glass doors played again, like a slow-motion reel. Alina groaned, kicking the scooter tire softly. "Ughhh, why does he even walk like that? Like he knows he's being watched. Like… like he knows I'm here." A cold shiver ran down her spine. Wait… what if he does know?
Meanwhile, inside the building, Kai leaned back in his office chair, his coat draped over the armrest. He set his sunglasses down, his expression calm, too calm. Ryan's PA placed the files on his desk. "Sir, should I...'' before he could finish the sentence, Kai stopped him.
Kai's lips curved faintly, the kind of smile that wasn't really a smile. "She won't get what she came for." Ryan blinked, confused, but didn't ask. He knew better than to pry. Kai turned his chair slightly, looking out the wide window at the street below. His eyes found the faint outline of a girl crouching behind a scooter, her camera clutched desperately like it was a shield. He leaned his chin on his hand. "Dummy girl," he murmured, amusement dancing in his voice. "Let's see how long you last."
Alina, still behind the scooter, sneezed suddenly. She froze. Looked around. No one. But somehow… somehow she had the weirdest feeling she was already caught.
Alina sat cross-legged on her bed that night, surrounded by empty snack wrappers and her open laptop.
Her blurry, useless "ghost photo" of Kai glared back at her from the screen. She zoomed in until the pixels became giant squares. Still, it was nothing more than a shapeless blob with long legs.
"Perfect," she groaned, throwing herself backward into her pillow. "I risked my life hiding behind a scooter for this? It doesn't even look like him. It looks like Slender Man's cousin!"
She rolled onto her stomach, glaring at the screen. "No. No, Alina. You are not giving up. Tomorrow, you'll go again. This time, no mistakes. Lens cap off, focus on, shutter speed right. Tomorrow, you'll get your shot."
She jabbed a finger at the blurry blob. "And then I'll wave it in his arrogant face'' With that pep talk, her night got passed.
The next morning, Alina was up early, outfit ready, mask, oversized hoodie, baseball cap pulled low, camera tucked safely into her crossbody bag. She looked in the mirror and smirked.
"Paparazzi level: professional."
By 8:15 a.m., she was back outside Arden Entertainment, crouched behind a flower cart this time. She adjusted her camera, heart drumming with excitement. He'll come any minute now.
Sure enough, at 8:30 sharp, Kai's black car pulled up. The tinted door opened, and out he stepped, flawless as ever. Long coat, dark shades, hair styled like the wind listened to him.
Alina lifted her camera lens cap, already off this time, thank you very much. She grinned in victory.
"Got you, Iceking." Click. Click . Click.
Three perfect shots. Crisp. Clear. His jawline was sharp, his stride effortless. Alina's heart soared. Yes! Victory is mine! Operation Paparazzi: Success!
She quickly ducked lower, reviewing the pictures on her screen. Perfect. Absolutely perfect. She giggled, covering her mouth. But then....
Bzzzzzzzzzzzz.
A faint hum tickled her ears. Alina froze. Slowly, she tilted her head up.
Hovering above the flower cart, not more than ten feet away, was a sleek black drone. Its little red light blinked steadily, and its camera lens was… directly pointed at her. Her soul left her body. "Oh. My. God."
She scrambled backward, almost tipping the cart. The drone followed, smooth as a hawk tracking prey. "Nope. Nope nope nope nope." She darted to the side, clutching her camera, trying to use her cap brim as a shield. "Go spy on someone else, you flying vacuum cleaner!"
But the drone wasn't fooled. It zipped right, matching her pace. Then left, blocking her again. Her chest tightened. Don't panic. It's just… It's just a random drone. Drones are normal. Maybe someone's filming for a vlog. She murmured to herself while trying to escape from the drone , but then, through the building's tall glass windows, on the seventh floor, she saw him.
Kai Arden. Standing there, calm as ever, one hand in his pocket, the other resting on the windowsill. His sunglasses were off this time, his dark eyes sharp and focused. Focused on her.
Alina's breath hitched. He wasn't shouting. He wasn't laughing. He wasn't even moving. Just standing there, watching her through the glass like a cat amused by a trapped mouse.
And then...he smirked. That infuriating, knowing curve of his lips. Alina gasped, heat rushing to her cheeks.
"He....he knows. He totally knows."
She scrambled behind the flower cart again, whispering furiously to herself. "Okay, Alina, play it cool. Pretend you're just… admiring flowers. Yeah, normal people admire flowers. With cameras. While crouching. Totally normal."
She peeked out. The drone was still there, blinking, recording. Alina buried her face in her hands. "I hate my life."
Inside, Ryan glanced at Kai. "Sir, should I call security?"
Kai shook his head, amusement tugging at his lips. ''No need."
''But she...."
"She won't get it." He leaned back, smirk widening as he tapped the glass once with his finger. "Not yet."
By the time the drone finally flew back up, Alina was a sweaty, panicked mess. She darted out of the alley and ran three blocks before finally collapsing against a lamppost, clutching her camera. Her forehead lightly pressed against the lamppost. "Why is this man living in Mission Impossible while I'm stuck in Tom & Jerry?"
Meanwhile, back in his office, Kai swirled the glass of water on his desk lazily, still amused.
"Keep playing, little mouse," he murmured under his breath, eyes glinting. "Let's see how many times you try before you realize…"
He leaned back, letting the smirk bloom fully. "You'll never beat me at my own game."