The day had finally come, a coffin was placed in the middle while people dressed up in black surrounded it. The framed picture of a young girl with a beaming smile sat on top of the closed coffin.“We are gathered here today, to not only console the grieving family but to also pray for and share all the loving memories we had with Miss Layla Johnson.” The Reverend began the service. “We will start with whoever wishes to begin then we will round up with her parents.”Someone from the crowd raised up her hands. “My name is Rebecca Milton, I used to be a classmate to the deceased. Trust me when I say that I was not the least close to Layla. I was actually jealous of her, I envied her beaming smile, her elegant steps, her charismatic words and her beautiful aura. Each time I stared at her I saw a competition and not a human. When I heard of Layla's death I was stunned, I spent half of my life in the shadows trying to surpass Layla. Now I have no idea what to do with my life, maybe I will
FOUR YEARS LATER:A man is seated in a spacious office, files are scattered across his table. When a lady walks into his office, with a stack of files in her hands.“Is there a problem? Carol.” The man asked, still engrossed in his laptop.“Well I reviewed these files and discovered that there had been some sort of miscalculations made in the company's records.”The man was about to reply when his phone suddenly started ringing. He stared at the caller Id and hissed loudly. He decided to ignore the call but the caller was persistent so he decided to pick up the call.“What is it?” The man asked, picking up the call.“What's up bro, I called to invite you to Imani’s baby shower.” The person at the other end of the phone announced happily. But the man remained silent. “Why are you so quiet Michael? Are you not happy for me?”“When is it?” Michael asked, ignoring his questions.“Tomorrow.” Vince replied.“And I am being told about this now.” Michael commented. “Did you ever consider the
Michael sat on the edge of his king-sized bed, a towel draped over his waist, droplets of water still dripping from the tips of his wet hair. The morning sun filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow on the luxurious room. He reached for his phone on the bedside table. As he scrolled through his emails, his phone rang, displaying an unknown number.Expecting it might be the masked model, he picked up the call. "Hello, this is Michael.""Good morning, Mr. Brown. This is Jerry, the manager of the masked model you spoke to at The Rosewood Hotel, yesterday."“Good morning, Jerry. What can I do for you?""Your business proposal intrigued her, and she informed me about it. I'd like to discuss it further."Michael leaned back against the headboard, his curiosity deepening. "I was hoping to discuss it over lunch with her directly."“I'm afraid that's not possible. Any business matters must go through me. We can meet for lunch, and I'll convey the details to her."Jerry said, politely
Three sleek, black cars pulled up in front of the towering building of Brown's Inc, their glossy surfaces reflecting the morning sunlight. The building, an architectural marvel of glass and steel, stood tall against the city skyline. As the cars came to a halt, a bulky man dressed in black emerged from the first vehicle. He made his way to the middle car and opened the back door.Jerry stepped out first, adjusting his suit jacket and scanning the area with a keen eye. He then extended a hand, and the masked model gracefully exited the vehicle. Her face as usual was hidden behind the mask that had become her signature. She was flanked by a team of security guards, who formed a protective circle around her as they moved towards the entrance of the building.Inside the grand lobby of Brown's Inc, the receptionist, a young woman with a professional demeanor, looked up in awe as the entourage approached. "Good morning. How can I assist you?" She asked, her eyes briefly meeting The masked m
Li Sun Mi slipped into her purple pajamas, the soft fabric gliding over her skin. She moved to her room's dressing table and began her nightly skincare routine, applying a hydrating facial mask. The mask felt cool and soothing. She glanced at the reflection of Jerry, who was seated on the edge of her bed, legs crossed with a concerned expression on his face."You shouldn't give out too much information about yourself.” Jerry warned, referring to her discussion earlier with Vince.Li Sun Mi sighed, adjusting the mask on her face. "I guess I got too comfortable.” She admitted.Jerry's brow furrowed. "Your parents would have my head if any harm befalls you.” He said.She turned to face him, leaning against the vanity. "I know, Jerry. It's just... I feel different when I'm around Michael. There's something about him that makes me feel safe, like I can be myself.”Jerry looked at her thoughtfully. "Different how?"Li Sun Mi paused, searching for the right words. "It's hard to explain. I fe
Michael stood in the expansive lobby of the event center, his phone pressed to his ear as he spoke with one of the event planners. Around him, people bustled about, setting up decorations and adjusting lighting fixtures, it was a hive of activity."Yes, I understand the requirements. Please ensure everything is in place by tomorrow morning," Michael instructed.As he ended the call, he glanced at his watch, noting the time. The preparations were progressing well, thanks to the meticulous planning of the event team. Just then, he spotted Vince striding towards him through the bustling crowd."Michael!" Vince greeted. "How are the preparations going?" He inquired.Michael turned to face his friend, a brief smile touching his lips. "Everything is on track. The event planners are making good progress."Vince nodded, suddenly his expression became serious. "That's good to hear. I also wanted to talk to you about something else."Michael raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"Vince hesitated for
The day for the remembrance ceremony finally came, guests mingled quietly. At the front of the room, a large photograph of Layla smiled down on them, capturing her vibrant spirit.Imani stood at the podium with her protruding belly, her eyes glistening with tears as she looked out over the assembled guests. She took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts before speaking."Thank you all for coming to remember Layla with us.” Imani began. "She was a bright light in our lives, and though she's no longer with us, her memory lives on in our hearts."Imani paused, glancing at the photograph of Layla. “I remember this one time during a camping trip in middle school, Layla decided she wanted to bake cookies for everyone. But instead of sugar, she accidentally used salt. The look on her face when we all took a bite was priceless! She was so embarrassed, but we all ended up laughing about it for days.” Imani said and the guests chuckled softly.One of Layla's friends, Sarah, stepped forward to s
Michael boarded a plane that took himself, Carol, his company's manager, Sun Mi, Jerry, Vince, Imani and all other business partners to Korea for the preparation of the grand opening of his new branch.Michael, Jerry, Sun Mi, Carol, and a few others boarded business class. While Mrs. Brown, Imani, Vince and other well wishers boarded the first class.IN THE FIRST CLASS:Imani and Vince sat opposite each other, while Mrs Brown sat together with a friend of hers who was around the same age as her.“Have you received any valuable updates on Layla's mother's whereabouts?” Imani asked Vince, while nibbling on a cupcake.“Not yet, he is quite a busy man. He should find something by tonight.” Vince replied, letting out a deep breath. “How are you feeling? You know the doctor advised you not to travel in your condition but you insisted.”“I feel fine Vince, I am perfectly fine. I just desperately wish to lay my eyes on Mrs Johnson, it's been such a long time.” Imani replied, still munching
He shut the door and dipped his hands into his pocket, admiring our cozy home. I felt a chill run down my spine."I don't understand what's going on. What is he doing here?" I whispered to my friend, trying to make sense of the situation."Let's just hear him out." She replied calmly.I glared at him, who was still grinning at me. "So, this is what you do? Go around saving girls to get into their pants?"He didn't seem surprised by my words, for reasons best known to him."Layla, it's not like that." My friend said, touching my arm, trying to calm me down, but I was having none of it.“You're never going to stop, are you?" He shook his head, turning around to admire our home further."Imani, he has to leave.” I whispered urgently."What? It's raining heavily outside. Where do you want him to go?" She replied, defending him.I was shocked. "No... he can't stay here! I don't want him in this house, and that's final!"Her expression changed, and she lashed out at me. "And what makes you
Vince stepped into his apartment, greeted by the savory aroma of pizza.Imani sat on the kitchen counter, devouring a family-sized pie."Hey, babe! How was your meeting with Michael?" Imani asked, mouth full of pizza.Vince sighed, taking a seat next to her. "It was a disaster. He refused to listen to me, and now he's in denial."“What happened?" Imani asked, concerned.Vince recounted the entire ordeal, from him informing Michael about Sun Mi's true identity, that her parents were trying so hard to hide to Michael's refusal to believe him."...and then Michael told me to drop it, that I was being paranoid.” Vince concluded.Imani shook her head. "He's just scared, Vince. He'll come around once he realizes the truth."Vince nodded. "I know, but time is running out. Sun Mi's life is at stake and his as well. He might die from depression at this rate. It's been four years already, yet Michael is still grieving this hard.” He explained.Imani placed a hand on Vince's arm. "We'll figure i
Vince stepped into Michael's office, with a warm smile."What's good, my man?" Michael asked, flashing a bright smile."Not much, just trying to stay out of trouble," Vince replied, chuckling."Trouble? You? Nah, you're a straight shooter, Vince." Michael said, laughing out loud."Hey, watch it, I can get into some trouble if I want to." Vince jokes."Oh, I'm shakin' in my boots." Michael teased.Vince playfully rolled his eyes. "Anyway, enough about that. I got some serious business to discuss."Michael's expression suddenly became serious. "Okay, what's up?" He asked.Vince took a deep breath and began to narrate the whole story, starting from when he paused his speech to run after Jerry, only to bump into Mrs. Johnson."So, while I was about to give my speech during your grand opening in Seoul. I had seen you run out of the building, obviously annoyed, so I decided to run after you but I got lost in the hallways and I saw someone I never expected.I saw Jerry talking to a strange
Vince immediately ripped the box open, and they were met with a surprise. Inside, they found a packet of drugs, drips, syringes and a small paper containing instructions on when and how the drugs should be taken."What the hell is this?" Vince asked, puzzled.Bunker shook his head. "I don't know, but I can find the contact of a doctor or nurse, or at least a friend of mine that works in a hospital, they must know what these drugs are used for." He suggested.“Sure let's go with that.” Vince responded.Bunker made himself comfortable on his rusty cushion and picked up his laptop from the side table and turned it on.He scrolled through the laptop a few times before he announced joyfully. “I found someone's contact on the net, but she is not allowed to give out certain information except in crucial situations.” He explained.“So how do we go about this?” Vince asked.“Well, we will just have to put on a good show.” Bunker replied as dialed the number and the person picked up after the t
Sun Mi sat at the edge of her bed, sipping her coffee and staring out the window. She had been having the strangest dreams ever since she returned to America. Every night, it was the same thing - she would see herself in a different scenario, but the faces of the people around her were always blurry. Except for hers, she could see her own face clearly, but everyone else's was a blur.Jerry walked into the room, carrying a bunch of grocery bags. "Hey, good morning!" He said, setting the bags down on the counter. "I brought breakfast."Sun Mi smiled, she was grateful for the distraction. "Thanks, Jerry. You're a lifesaver."As Jerry started setting the table, he noticed that Sun Mi looked a bit off. "Hey, is everything okay?" he asked, concern marred on his face. "You look like you've lost your last marble."Sun Mi sighed, rubbing her temples. "I don't know, Jerry. I just can't shake off these weird dreams I've been having. And the weirdest part is, I can only see my own face. Everyone
Sun Mi slept peacefully in her hotel room, her facial mask placed on her face as usual . She was exhausted from the long flight and the events of the day. As she drifted off to sleep, she began to dream.In her dream, she saw two men in a car, speeding down the road. They were laughing and playing loud music, oblivious to the road ahead. Sun Mi's heart raced as she saw herself running into the road, trying to get to the other side. She tried to scream, but her voice was muffled.The car screeched to a halt just inches from her face. Sun Mi's heart skipped a beat as she saw the two men staring at her in shock. One of them looked like he had seen a ghost. The other was grinning from ear to ear."Is she alive?" The second guy whispered."We should take her to the hospital.” The first guy suggested, his eyes fixed on Sun Mi's face.Sun Mi felt a jolt of fear as the first guy approached her. He was handsome, but there was something strange about him. She tried to move away, but her body fe
Vince's mind was racing as he sat back in the airplane seat room, staring at the footage Travis had sent him. The grainy video showed Mrs. Johnson arguing with the masked Sun Mi backstage at a runway show. Vince's eyes narrowed as he watched the video again, this time paying closer attention to the body language of the two women."I think Sun Mi might be Layla.” Vince whispered to Imani, who was sleeping beside him. Imani's eyes snapped open, and she sat up straight, her eyes locking onto Vince's."What? Why do you think that?" Imani asked her with her eyes wide open in shock.Vince showed her the footage, and Imani's eyes widened as she watched."This is getting juicier by the minute," Vince said, his eyes locked onto Imani's. "I think we need to dig deeper."Imani nodded in agreement, then asked . "Are you sure about this?”Vince nodded. “I am not a hundred percent sure that Sun Mi and Layla are one and the same person. It's only a hunch and my intuition is never wrong.” He said, gr
As the plane soared through the skies, Michael, Sun Mi, Carol, Jerry, Imani, Vince, Mrs Brown and other business partners settled into their seats, exhausted from the events of the past few days.In business class, Jerry and Sun Mi chatted quietly, their conversation carrying over to where Michael sat."So, what was it like dancing with Michael?" Jerry asked, his eyes sparkled with curiosity.Sun Mi shrugged. "It was nothing special. Just a dance.”She said with a nonchalant expression.“Are you sure? Your heart did not flutter or skip a beat when he placed his hands on your waist?” He inquired.“Was it meant to?” She clapped back.Michael felt a pang of hurt listening to her words.“Why do I feel this way? I should be happy, this is what I wanted after all.” Michael said, trying so hard to convince himself.He decided to push his emotions aside, trying to focus on preparing for the conference call he would have in a few hours time.IN THE FIRST CLASS:Vince was on a mission, he neede
The event had long ended and every guest had gone to their respective homes or hotel rooms. Michael stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist, while he made use of a smaller towel to wipe out the beads of water on his body.When he was done he sat down at the edge of the bed and began to think about everything that went down today during the grand opening. From being rude to Senator Bong Won Yun, because he had belittled Sun Mi. To actually listening to Imani and asking Sun Mi for a dance and finally finding it hard to say that he doesn't care about her.He couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt that had been weighing on him since Imani's words. He couldn't believe he was developing feelings for Sun Mi, especially after being responsible for Layla's death. He started questioning his own morality and wondered why he was capable of loving anyone else.“Michael, you need to forget about the past and move on.” Imani had said, but it was easier said than done.~~