Chapter 4

Kelvin's words tempted me.

Forget it, I'd just treat this as a vacation.

I sent him my ID number.

[Thanks, Mr. Whitten,] I said.

[You're welcome,] Kelvin replied.

Kelvin's tone suddenly turned sunny.

He was noticeably much nicer to me after that.

Clearly, he was genuinely worried I'd start pestering him.

After signing the agreement, I waited for Kelvin's assistant to show up.

Kelvin only messaged me at the last minute.

Kelvin wrote, [Sorry, Miss Stovall, I have a meeting that just came up and my assistant can't get away. Sorry to trouble you, but could you come over yourself?

[I'd feel more at ease if you brought it over in person. Let's get this settled today so we both have some assurance.]

That sounded legit.

He was worried I wouldn't stick to the deal.

I hoped he wouldn't catch on that I'd bumped up the amount.

I looked up at the sky. Lightning snaked across the clouds and the storm was raging.

Screw it.

I braced myself, took a deep breath, and marched straight over to Kelvin's place.

Luckily, his place wasn't far from mine.

It was less than a five-minute drive.

I looked inside through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Why did his home feel so familiar?

Where have I seen this setup before?

I keyed in the code and slipped inside. Since all the buildings here had pretty much the same layout, I found Kelvin's study in no time.

But seriously, what was up with that neon blue door?

I froze on the spot, completely thrown off.

The whole place was decked out in black, white, and gray minimalist vibes, everything looking sharp and meticulous.

Except for that one door, which was a ridiculously eye-catching neon blue, sticking out like a sore thumb.

That neon blue door totally clashed with the whole minimalist vibe of the place.

After hesitating for a few seconds, I slowly pushed the door open.

Suddenly, I was face-to-face with a life-size standee of myself, and my brain short-circuited.

Wait, what the hell? That was me.

I couldn't believe my eyes, and I even forgot to breathe.

This standee was from my first ever public appearance, back when I was just a trainee.

If I hadn't randomly come across it today, I probably wouldn't even remember I once wore that look.

I was never all that popular, so there really weren't many events or merch with my face on it.

But the owner of these things treated them like prized collectibles, displaying everything perfectly and guarding them with care.

As I moved closer to the desk to get a better look, a notebook wrapped up like it was some kind of treasure caught my eye right away.

I opened the clear box, and the pages inside were yellowed with age.

Every page was crammed with Kelvin's confessions about his secret feelings for me.

I pinched myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

Instinctively, I looked around, and the more I took in his desk and all the stuff on it, the more familiar it all felt.

A hazy thought popped into my head, so I grabbed my phone and scrolled through my photos to check.

And then it hit me, an answer so wild I could barely wrap my head around it.

Kelvin Whitten, the guy who acted all cold and ruthless, so paranoid I'd bail on the deal that he made me sign a contract, was actually my legendary superfan, the mysterious "KW."

He'd been head over heels for me since the very first time we met, secretly crushing on me all this time.

I was still in shock, totally unable to snap out of it.

Just then, a message from Kelvin popped up on my phone.

He texted: [Oh, and Miss Stovall, my study's on the second floor, not the first. Don't go to the wrong one.]

I scratched my head, feeling a bit awkward.

I replied, [Sorry, I'm already in the study on the first floor.]

Kelvin sent an exclamation mark, and texted hastily, [Just drop off the agreement and leave right away. Don't touch anything in there.

[Everything in that room is my most precious stuff. If you break even one thing, you'll seriously regret it.]

Kelvin was genuinely anxious.

[Don't worry. I already dropped it the agreement and left. Didn't touch a single thing,] I replied.

I paused for a second, taking in the room stuffed with all kinds of fan merch.

There were even things I couldn't get my hands on myself.

But Kelvin had kept everything in mint condition. Some looked like they'd never even been touched.

Suddenly, a bold idea popped into my head.

[Mr. Whitten, don't tell me your crush is that girl group trainee?] I texted.

After a long pause, Kelvin replied, firm and certain, [Yeah.]

Me: [Huh? Seriously?]

Kelvin: [Do you know her? Or are you a fan too?]

Me: [LOL. I guess not. I don't really know her.]

Kelvin was quiet for a few seconds before he finally replied, [Right. She was the least popular trainee in her whole batch, didn't even get a spot in the final group.

[I was actually planning to throw insane amounts of resources at her once I fully took over the company, so that damn agency couldn't ignore her anymore. But then she suddenly announced her retirement.

[I wonder what she's going to do now that she's quit. Did she leave to be with someone she likes?

[Seriously, which damn guy is lucky enough to win her heart?

[If that jerk doesn't know how to treat her right, I'll hunt him down no matter what and tear him to pieces, make him wish he'd never been born. There's no way I'd ever let him off.]

I was speechless.

I ran my fingers through my hair, feeling a bit awkward, and asked the same question I'd asked before.

Me: [So, Mr. Whitten, are you really not going to meet me before we get the marriage license?]