Chapter Text
CHAPTER 0
The rain in London had a unique consistency at three o'clock in the morning. It didn't fall with fury, but with a fine, silent insistence that tapped against the large window, blurring the city's hazy lights. From the thirty-second floor of the Schuett Holdings building, Lena stared outside, one hand hidden in the pocket of her dress pants and the other holding a coffee cup that had already gone completely cold.
The silence of the office shattered when her laptop screen lit up with the arrival of a new email. The subject line was concise: Bangkok Campaign Approval. However, the real jolt to Lena's heart occurred a second later, when her eyes traveled down to the sender's signature. Next to the title of Creative Director stood a name she hadn't seen printed on any document in half a decade: Miu Natsha.
Her breath hitched completely. Five years of distance seemed to evaporate in an instant, leaving only an icy sting in her chest.
The office door softly swung open, and Ling walked in holding a fresh cup of coffee. Spotting the rigidity in her friend's posture, she stopped halfway, studying her with evident concern.
"Don't tell me you just saw a ghost," Ling commented, trying to lighten the mood.
Lena didn't break her gaze from the screen, as if she feared the name would vanish if she blinked.
"Worse," she replied, her voice tight.
"Your mother?"
"No."
Silence settled over the room once more, heavy and charged with an uncomfortable anticipation. Lena took a breath, absorbing the reality of what was right in front of her, and finally uttered the words that changed everything.
"Miu is back in my life."
Ling set the cup on the table with extreme slowness, measuring the impact of the revelation.
"Oh," was all she managed to articulate.
Lena traced a small smile—the kind that never quite reached her eyes—and slammed the laptop shut.
"I'm going back to Thailand."
"For business?" Ling asked, though deep down she knew the answer perfectly well.
"No," Lena concluded after a brief pause. "I'm going to find out why she let me go without fighting."