"Han, what's the reason for this sudden return?" Sanjay's question pulled Hanley out of his thoughts, and he turned to face him.
"For someone who means something to me," Hanley responded quietly.
"You're not referring to me, are you?" Sanjay asked, his lips curling into a playful grin. Hanley remained silent.
Before Sanjay could continue his teasing, Hanley stood up and gently nudged him to his feet. "That's enough, Sanjay," he said firmly, cutting him off.
Hanley handed the keys to the driver and sent him on his way. When he returned to the room to take a call, he noticed a small tag lying on the spot where Sanjay had been sitting. He picked it up, slipped it into the pocket of his coat, and continued on with his evening. After freshening up, he lay down on the bed, allowing the quiet of the room to settle over him as he drifted into a well-needed rest.
The next day, Bella walked into the office wearing a white gown, her face hidden behind glasses and a mask. She gazed at her reflection in the mirror, mentally preparing herself. "Can I do this?" she wondered. She recalled Lala's words—"Why are you so afraid?" It made sense. Why should she hide? Hanley would hardly notice her anyway. She had to hold her head high and just go for it, no matter what. "You've got this, Bella!" she whispered to herself.
With a deep breath, Bella removed the mask, smiled at her reflection, and tried to pump herself up.
But as soon as she stepped into the office, the mask was back on. It was as if it had a mind of its own. She tried to keep her gaze down, avoiding looking up for fear of seeing Hanley. She hesitated, peering around the room like a secret agent, making sure Hanley wasn't lurking somewhere.
Finally, after a careful scan of her surroundings, she took a few tentative steps forward—slowly, like a character in a slow-motion action scene. She made her way to her cabin.
Once inside, she collapsed into her chair, closed her eyes, and let out a long sigh of relief. "Phew, that wasn't so bad…" she muttered to herself, but just as she opened her eyes, she froze. There, standing right in front of her, was Vicky—grinning ear to ear.
"Good morning, BS!" Vicky greeted, clearly amused, standing there with her arms crossed.
Bella's heart skipped a beat, and she nearly choked on her own breath. She flailed around in her chair, trying to recover from the shock. "G-good morning!" she stammered, her voice coming out in a croak. "Why are you smiling like that?"
Vicky's grin widened, clearly enjoying the confusion she'd caused. "Well, I was following you," she said casually, as if this was perfectly normal. "I saw you acting all sneaky, like a ninja, trying to avoid... something. Actually, it was kind of fun to watch."
Bella blinked, her brain struggling to process what Vicky just said. "Wait... you were following me?"
Vicky nodded enthusiastically. "Yep! I was just making sure you didn't, you know, run into a wall or something. You were practically tiptoeing around like a cartoon character."
Bella's jaw dropped. "I wasn't tiptoeing!" she protested.
"Oh, you totally were. Anyway, what's going on? You got a case of the secret agent vibes today?" Vicky asked, leaning in, teasing her.
Bella sighed, feeling the heat rising to her cheeks. "Ugh, I was just... doing a background check for the webtoon. Nothing exciting."
Vicky raised an eyebrow. "A background check? Really? So, you mean to tell me you're using your ninja skills to research stuff? I need to step up my game!"
Bella could only shake her head, laughing nervously. "Yeah, sure. It's all part of my professional process."
Vicky smirked, clearly impressed. "Wow, I have so much to learn from you, BS. This is next-level stuff!"
Bella didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Vicky's blind admiration was both funny and sweet, but it also felt a little... ridiculous. She had to admit though, she loved how Vicky was so over-the-top with her compliments.
"You're something else, you know that?" Bella said, shaking her head, trying not to giggle.
Vicky winked. "Well, you taught me to be a professional... now I'm just waiting for you to teach me how to ninja my way out of awkward situations."
Bella couldn't help it anymore. She laughed. And for the first time that day, her nerves seemed to disappear.
Before Vicky could say anything more, the office phone rang. Bella picked it up and placed it to her ear.
"Hello, Miss Bella Sebastian. The chairman would like to see you," came the voice of the chairman's secretary. Bella hung up, but her hand started trembling as thoughts raced through her mind.
Would Hanley recognize her? Was that why he called? It wouldn't be hard for him to find out that she worked here. But how did he find out so quickly? She couldn't make sense of it. After a moment of contemplation, she decided to send Vicky to Hanley's office.
Five minutes later, Vicky bounced back into the room like a rubber ball.
"What happened?" Bella asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well... let's just say I learned that 'head' doesn't mean 'tile,'" Vicky said with a grin. "I went in all ready to charm Hanley, but apparently, 'the head' is who I should've been looking for. The secretary was like, 'You're not the head, move along.' So, now I've got five minutes to find the right person, or they'll report me to HR for 'misleading identification.'"
Bella stared at her for a moment before bursting into laughter. "So, you went in there and they sent you out like a lost puppy?"
"Pretty much!" Vicky shrugged dramatically. "But hey, at least I learned the difference between a head and a tile. Not something you learn in a weekend webinar."
Bella knew that there was no way out now. She had made the decision to face reality. After a brief pause, she mustered the courage and walked towards the office. She reached the door, gently knocked, and without waiting for a response, pulled it open and asked,
"May I come in, sir?"
With her voice steady and composed, Bella spoke, but when Hanley looked up at her, he was immediately taken aback. The hat that covered her entire head, the large spectacles, and the mask covering her face made it almost impossible for him to recognize her. In fact, Hanley couldn't even tell if it was Bella or his own mother, Victoria. Bella was 100% sure that she had successfully disguised herself.
Looking at Hanley's surprised expression, Bella tried again, her voice more strained this time,
"Excuse me, may I come in?"
She realized that altering her tone wasn't an easy task. It was clear that creating this imitation of a voice was no simple feat—she now understood the challenges mimics face. Still, she couldn't back out.
Hanley, as if jolted from a shock, nodded at her to come in and gestured to the seat.
"What's all this about?" Hanley asked, unable to hide his curiosity.
"Allergy, sir," Bella replied calmly.
"An allergy on your face?" Hanley asked again, and Bella felt a flare of irritation rise within her. She just wanted to escape the situation, and that was all that mattered to her.
"My doctor advised me to cover up completely when I have an allergy flare-up," Bella replied, brushing off the annoyance with a cough.
"Whatever," Hanley said nonchalantly, as if he didn't care much, and grabbed a file from the table, handing it over to Bella. She took it cautiously, her skepticism apparent.
"Look, BS, I don't know anything more about Webtoons. Sanjay hinted at it the other day. He said you're really great at it. I didn't believe him," Hanley said, pausing. Bella didn't like hearing that at all. There was nothing wrong with not believing in it, but Hanley had no idea how to trust others, did he?
"Miss B s, are you listening?" Even though Bella's face was mostly covered, Hanley noticed her drifting off into thought, and with a snap of his fingers, he called her back. Bella lifted her head, acknowledging with a look that said "yes."
"So, BS, today we have an offer. What was the name of your first Webtoon?" Hanley looked at her, waiting for an answer.
"Do you believe in soulmates?" Bella said suddenly.
"I do," Hanley replied with great seriousness. Bella looked at him, confused.
"I do believe in soulmates," Hanley clarified.
"Bella's heart tightened with an unfamiliar mixture of resentment and disbelief. Her breath caught as she processed his words—what did he mean by that? He didn't really believe in soulmates, did he? The words seemed out of place, as if the truth of their past had slipped through his fingers. She fought to steady herself, but the sting of his dismissal lingered, a bitter echo in her chest.
There was a time when she liked hearing those words from his lips, but now, it felt like a big joke. Seeing her narrowed eyes full of irritation, Hanley paused and stood still, sensing her frustration.
"That's the name of my Webtoon, sir," Bella concluded, shaking off her thoughts.
"Oh, I see. Then you have good news," Hanley said with a small smile. Bella waited silently, trying to figure out what Hanley was implying.
"Do you believe in soulmates? The production team has received an agreement from a famous channel to release a series. If you're interested, you can sign," Hanley said, pointing to the file and pausing.
"Really?" Bella asked, her excitement making her forget everything else.
Bella took the file and flipped through it. Everything Hanley had said was true. But she couldn't bring herself to believe it, especially since it was coming from Hanley. She shot him a curious glance, and he met her gaze, resting back in his chair with his fingers gently tapping his lips, lost in thought. Bella adjusted her mask and flipped through the file again.
It was 'Cinet', a famous channel, that had made the agreement. Bella felt a rush of happiness. Getting her Webtoon into the hands of a wider audience had always been her dream.
"You can take your time. Think it over, and if you decide, just sign. Actually, I don't think it's a big deal," Hanley said, his face showing a hint of indifference.
Bella was truly angry this time. How casually he had said it—"It's not a big deal." To him, her hard work and success seemed like nothing. What was there to even think about? To just give up in front of him? Bella had made up her mind that she wouldn't let that happen. She glared at him in frustration. She grabbed the pen lying on the table, and without even bothering to read further, signed the file. Then, she immediately stood up.
Hanley, too, rose from his chair with a slight smile on his face. He reached out his hand toward her. "Well, congratulations. I'm really glad to be working with you."
"The pleasure is all mine," Bella said, shaking his hand with forced politeness. She was sure he couldn't see her facial expression under the mask. As he smiled more mischievously, Bella felt an uneasy discomfort settle in. She realized that staying there any longer would only make her more uneasy. Quickly, she released his hand and walked out.
A sharp ache suddenly pierced her chest. It felt as though the courage she had mustered up until then had drained away. She rushed to the door, her hand trembling as she pushed against it. But it wouldn't open. Bella called out to every god she could think of, praying as she exerted all her strength, but the door still wouldn't budge.
At that moment, Bella sensed Hanley's presence behind her. She didn't know how he had gotten so close so suddenly. She turned around in shock, her eyes locking with his, both standing still. Hanley didn't move forward any further. Bella found herself unable to breathe. It had been years since she had seen his face this close. Slowly, his right hand reached up to her head.
Bella's eyes followed his hand, moving with it. She wanted to stop him, but her limbs felt frozen, unable to move. She wished to resist, but no sound came from her.
Hanley gently removed her hat and placed it on the floor. Bella looked at the hat, then at him. His face was calm. He took the name tag that had been in his hand and carefully placed it around her neck. Then, with a soft and beautiful smile, he whispered into her ears.
"Long hair suits you more, Bella Sebastian."
Bella's heart skipped a beat upon hearing that. She stood frozen, staring at him, lost in the moment.