Page 8 of Fallen Starboy

“I thought people hired PR teams for that these days,” Yang-Jin spit at her, crossing his arms to mock her stance. “Not translators.”

“My job description is senior staff of foreign liaisons. Typically, I would be responsible for wining, dining, and negotiating relationships with potential foreign clientele. I am only here today in this capacity as a courtesy to my boss, Ms. Steele, who I am sure you’ll be meeting soon enough.” Her eyes landed just to the right of my face, and I growled as she pointedly refused to meet my gaze. “With any luck, she’ll have a replacement for me before the end of business tomorrow.”

“Good,” Minseo spat, his eyes narrowing even further as we all moved into the deserted lobby, venom lacing his words. “The less time we spend with you, the better.”

He muttered under his breath in Korean, and I watched in real-time as the words not only registered in Arista’s ears, but stopped her in her tracks. She whirled on him, ears red, comprehension of his slur written in her eyes and every line of her face.

The eyes I’d spent many a day staring into in the form of our daughter flashed a dangerous shade I hadn’t seen in a long time.

“Jun might be a client with kNight Records, Minseo, butyouare not. I am not afraid to kick your ass right here in the middle of a public hotel lobby for calling me that.”

His jaw dropped as she turned her attention away from him and pulled a card from the pocket of a jacket slung over her shoulder. I barely registered it all until she shook the little square at me and sighed.

“This is my business card. It has my personal number on it, as well as my email and my office address. Since you’re familiar with this country and the way it operates, and your English is passable, I expect you should be able to get yourself settled in on your own.” Her eyes scanned the lobby, and she frowned, obviously not seeing what she was looking for. “I have other things to attend to. If you have any questions before the lawyer calls back with an updated contract, you can call me.”

Minseo chuckled at her attempt at formality. “So you’re abandoning your new client in a strange hotel with no idea if he needs anything?”

“I’m not abandoning myclient,”she snapped back, her hackles rising. “He hasn’t signed with us yet. As such, he is aprospectiveclient?—”

“All the more reason for you to wine and dine him as you said,” Yang-Jin insisted, his grin wicked and cunning and very much unwanted in this situation. “After all, your company is very interested in him. And you yourself said you’re the head of foreign liaisons. Shouldn’t you act in the capacity of your main role, not just the temporary one you’re filling?”

Her eyes narrowed to slits, and she glared daggers into his chest, but he didn’t seem to notice. “When did you get so cunning, Jinnie?”

He leaned back and crossed his arms, daring her to step up and make a move. “About the same time as you got fluent in Korean.”

“Checkmate,” I muttered, rolling my eyes for good measure. “I’m going up to the room. Unlike the rest of us here, I have a daughter to care for.”

I didn’t give two fucks about the little gasp of surprise she let out as I turned on my heel and marched off, already frustrated that I’d likely have to deal with her regularly, even if I didn’t need a translator. After all, she worked for the company I planned to sign with. I couldn’t avoid her forever, could I?

But I’d be damned if I let her get to me again. I’d done some bad things to keep our—no,mydaughter safe, and I didn’t plan to open her up to more pain by letting this woman back in our lives.

She walked away once before. I’d make the choice easy for her this time.

There was nothing to walk away from when you’d already ruined it.

Chapter

Three

ARISTA

With Jun’s departure,I was now left with the two men who hated me the most: Minseo, and Yang-Jin, his best friends. Also my sworn enemies, if the looks on their faces were any indication.

I heaved a sigh and turned my back on them. I was not about to pander to these two when they’d been nothing but pointedly hostile toward me since they realized who I was.

A hand fell on my shoulder just as I started to walk away, pinning me in place though here was thelastplace I wanted to be right now. I didn’t move, but his voice was clear behind me, filled with anger and barely contained animosity.

“There’s gotta be someone else,” Minseo growled at me, “someone who’s not?—”

“Who’s not me?” I waited patiently for an answer I already had. Of course they were irritated with the situation. But at the end of the day, it didn’t matter. They weren’t staying, and I wouldn’t have to deal with them once they got back on their plane and went home.

Just Jun, and?—

And our daughter.

“I’ll talk to the label and see if I can arrange a replacement.” I didn’t think they’d bite that hook, but it was worth the shot. “Anything else,Minnie?”

His growl reminded me of one of their debut albums, when Yang-Jin and Minseo had both growled and howled in the background during the chorus for effect. When they performed it on the stage, they barked, sending the crowd reeling.

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