The three women in the room turned to the source of the dramatic entrance.

Baek Ah-ri could swear that she saw a nerve twitched on Na Re-yee's temple.

"What are you doing here?"

Was it just Ah-ri's imagination or the Golden Ticket's voice seemed to go down a few degrees colder too.

Kyo Ri-yan stood there in a casual white polo shirt, khaki shorts and a pair of espadrilles[1].

But the three women knew that this simple outfit cost tens or even up to hundreds of thousands.

This brat was the image of filthy rich. But who could blame him for being a top ambassador of different luxury brands?

"Uh, Leigh's also here." Kyo Ri-yan pouted. "No fun."

Calling Na Re-yee with her English name somewhat indicated their closeness but there was something wrong with the way his jolly entrance transformed into a subtly hostile one.

Kyo Ri-yan was sulking but it didn't diminish his peerless appearance at all. His platinum blonde hair framed his foxy eyes, straight nose and pale pink lips.

All in all, he had a mischievous playboy aura.

"Scram!"

Ah-ri never expected to see the entertainment empress lose her cool like this.

The man only playfully laughed.

"Nope, can't do. My dear Ah-ri's injured so I must be her protector during these times."

"Too late to protect. She's already injured."

Ri-yan got upset by this and he threw an aggrieved glance at Kim Hyun-soo.

"Yeah, Ah-ri's manager knows how to contact Leigh in times of emergency but not me. Me who's always by Ah-ri's side caring for her, defending her from bullies, promoting her albums and shows for free."

Manager Kim wanted to interject but she couldn't.

"I only knew something happened because Leigh's side threatened multiple news companies earlier. If I didn't get curious, I wouldn't have known. All the years of pursuing my darling, it's all for naught because she has a knight in shining armor here!"

He glared at Na Re-yee as though they were sworn enemies.

The manager and the talent didn't have the mind to ask how Kyo Ri-yan learned of Na Re-yee's movements.

They were completely stupefied by the sparks of electricity practically shooting off from the two's eyes.

"Hyun-soo unni, were they always this unfriendly?" Ah-ri whispered.

Manager Kim scooted closer. "No idea... But there were unfounded rumors before of their rocky relationship. Still, didn't Miss Na also manage BoM[2] during their debut era?"

They gossiped in hushed voices but didn't come to any conclusions.

Ah-ri had seen the two interact in public numerous times before but they were always civil and neutral. Maybe they only tried to get along when needed?

But now that Ah-ri knew such a secret, she wouldn't be able to keep her mouth shut ah.

Just imagine: the unapproachable showbiz Empress had a secret enmity with the King of Swag!

Ah-ri would never believe that there wasn't a background story. She felt her gossiping self drooling for the tea.

Meanwhile, the two continued duking it out.

"She needs rest, Ri-yan."

Na Re-yee's meaning was obvious.

Go home, don't disturb!

"Eh? No way! I'll sleep here if I have to!"

The elegant woman exhaled slowly, steadying herself.

After a while, she calmed down and seemed to realize that she was arguing with an idiot.

"Tsk. Suit yourself. I'll be off." She waved her hand at Ah-ri once and walked out with her chin up.

The way she walked was really unparalleled like a king!

Ah-ri sighed. Such handsomeness, aloofness, cold temperament and gestures. If Miss Na Re-yee wanted, she could take the modeling world by storm.

But even if she chose to be behind cam, it didn't diminish her loftiness one bit.

Kyo Ri-yan watched the woman go with a triumphant arc on his lips.

The way his eyes twinkled with audacity and mischief, Ah-ri suddenly had an epiphany.

And a word kept echoing in her mind out of the blue.

Demon.

"Demon? Why? Because I have devilishly handsome looks?" The rapper-actor-model arched his brow in amusement.

She didn't know that she said the word aloud.

Ah-ri weakly laughed to cover up her blunder. Something must have gone wrong with her brain somehow.

But deep inside, she knew that the way her soul stirred twice today didn't have anything to do with her mind.

"Oppa[3], why do you annoy Re-yee unni like that?"

Kyo Ri-yan's lips parted in mock surprise. "What? We have very good relationship ah. Who says I annoy her?"

Ah-ri understood from this reply that she wouldn't get a good answer from this man. Sigh, her thirst for gossip had to wait.

"You." He narrowed his eyes at Ah-ri. "What're you doing, getting yourself hurt like this? Tsk, if someone threw something at you, throw it back ten times! Always getting bullied for no reason, stupid!"

Ri-yan could have flicked her forehead but decided not to when he saw how her head was bandaged.

Ah-ri couldn't remember when this man told her that he liked her but he'd always been pursuing her ever since.

She never took it seriously though. Kyo Ri-yan liked everyone he saw. This man was the king of seduction! He captured hearts left and right but no one could capture his.

There had been countless ladies and even gents who were rumored to be his lover but none of them were ever confirmed. The amazing thing was when reporters asked him, Ri-yan would answer with his usual playful smile and silky voice, "Take a guess."

He had the ability to wrap the press in the palm of his hand and toy with them like a cat would to a mouse, that the reporters were the first to give up.

It should be the media harassing a celeb but with Kyo Ri-yan, it was him stressing them out because they couldn't get one appropriate answer from this guy.

Nevertheless, Baek Ah-ri would forever be grateful to this male seductress because nine years ago, he was the one who reached out a hand to her during the darkest hours of her life.

---

[1]Espadrilles- https://images.app.goo.gl/fVDyoG4VFckDj3ZN9

[2]BoM- Kyo Ri-yan's boy group, Born Muses. Pronounced as 'bom' and not as the individual letters of B.O.M.

[3]Oppa- address of younger females to older males. Can be used to call blood-relatives, friends and also a potential boyfriend. But here, Ah-ri calls him like a younger sis would to her elder bro.

Media above: rare screenshot of an angelic demon. (Readers: Get ur fangirl crap outta here!
Author: hehe mofo, our Ri-yan is slightly based on that man upstairs. Protecc Ri-yan!!!)

If you get weirded out by my naming sense. Sighsss I'm embracing my weirdness okay??

And one last thing, each chap of this book will have around 900-1200 words only which is half of what I did with NGVM. SOOO in terms of the number of chapters, this will most probably be longer (unless my psycho killer persona takes over rawr!) Votes and feedbacks won't cost you anything ahh, says this shameless author~