The boardroom was colder than usual—not because of the marble walls or chrome finishings, but because *Kang Jae-hyun* had just walked in.
His shoes echoed like judgment on the floor as he took his seat at the head of the long, glass table. Black tailored suit. No expression. Eyes like winter steel. The executives immediately straightened their spines, speaking in hushed tones as if the silence belonged to him.
On the opposite side of the globe—exactly thirteen time zones away—*Ava Montgomery* hurled a pair of stilettos across her New York studio.
"Tell me I didn't just get dropped from Seoul Fashion Week," she snapped, pacing across scattered sketches and fabric swatches.
"You didn't just get dropped," *Elijah King* said from the couch, scrolling through his phone. "You got iced."
Ava stopped. "What does that even mean?!"
"It means the CEO of Hyun Corp pulled your feature, probably because you spilled champagne on his grandmother last year, remember?"
Ava groaned. "That woman tripped into me!"
Elijah shrugged. "Doesn't matter. In Korea, image is everything—and yours is... let's just say... American."
—
Back in Seoul, *Han Soo-min* knocked gently before entering the office.
"They've confirmed her flight," she said. "She'll be here tomorrow."
Jae-hyun looked up from his tablet. "And she agreed to the deal?"
"She doesn't have a choice," Soo-min said with a small smirk. "If she wants back into the fashion world... she has to play fiancée."
His gaze flickered to the city skyline beyond his window. He hated this.
But he needed her.
Not her exactly—her brand, her fire, her Western boldness. A public fake engagement would neutralize scandal, distract the board, and buy him time. Time from his grandmother. From investors. From the ghost of a past he refused to acknowledge.
—
Meanwhile, Ava was stuffing clothes into a suitcase like they were old arguments.
"This is crazy, right?" she asked Elijah.
"You've done crazier," he replied. "Remember dating that actor with two secret kids?"
She groaned. "Shut up."
"Point is," he added, "maybe a fake engagement to a hot, ice-cold billionaire isn't the worst thing that's happened to you."
Ava zipped her bag and grabbed her passport. "We'll see."
—
The next morning, Korea greeted her with clouds.
*Chairwoman Kang* watched the news broadcast about Ava's arrival with narrowed eyes. "An American girl with red lipstick and ripped jeans. This is who he brings into our family?"
Her maid stayed silent.
—
By the time Ava arrived at *Hyun Corp*, the tension had already been set like stage lighting. When she stepped into the CEO's office, Jae-hyun didn't even stand.
Their eyes locked—hers blazing with defiance, his unreadable.
"No handshake?" she asked.
"Not until we're in public," he replied coolly. "Where it counts."
And just like that, the deal began.
Terms signed. Cameras waiting. Hearts… silent.
But not for long.
Because neither of them knew that this fake engagement was about to get very real.
—
*To Be Continued