Starlight

Chapter 1

Mina has paid for the full hour, but she already finds herself checking her watch. Thirty-five minutes in. It's the least entertaining head she has ever received. This girl is making it painfully obvious that she has rarely had sex with another girl. That is, if she ever has. Her kisses are boring. Her tongue is lazy. Her movements are uncertain. She might as well be a virgin.

Mina has even booked a lavish suite on the top floor for this. Tinted floor-to-ceiling windows span the entire wall on one side of the bed, granting a lavish view of the light-speckled cityscape. The lighting is soft and warm, like the sheets Mina lies on. Everything is clean, sleek, and worth more than most people make in a few months.

Yet Mina still finds herself checking her watch. Again. The prostitute is kissing and licking and moaning, desperately trying to elicit any arousal from Mina that had dried up many minutes ago. Mina sighs.

Then a ringtone blares. The prostitute freezes.

Mina glares down at her. "Did I say you could stop?" Mina asks. Her voice is soft, yet with a hard undertone that assumes compliance. "And don't make a sound."

It may be mediocre head, but it is better than nothing. It's certainly better than him . Anything is.

The prostitute ducks her head and stutters an apology. The mediocre head continues. Mina reaches over to the bedside table and picks up her phone. It's her mother. Mina's eyes close briefly. Her brow furrows. What will it be this time?

After a deep breath, Mina answers. "Yes, mother?"

"You're not at home. Where are you? The board meeting is in fifteen minutes," her mother says. Each word slices at Mina's nerves. It's only a phone call but she still has to fight to keep herself from freezing.

"Out," Mina replies simply.

Her mother tuts. "Still misbehaving? You embarrass us! How can you make your father face the board when you don't take anything seriously? You need to be more like Jihoon."

Mina blanches at that, her spare hand scrunching the sheets. "I'd rather be anything but him."

"And that, my daughter, is the problem," her mother replies. "Be here in fifteen minutes." She hangs up before Mina can reply.

Just like that, the world clenches on her chest. Her heart rises to her throat. She has to force her breath into a deep, steady rhythm. Mina tries to get off the bed, and is reminded of the prostitute only when she lets out a startled yelp as she ducks away from Mina's moving legs.

The corner of Mina's lip twitches wryly. "You must be so disappointed."

The girl avoids Mina's eyes. She kneels plaintively on the bed. "No, I'm not. I'm just worried that you are."

Without even glancing at the girl, Mina begins to get dressed. "You're right to be worried. That was awful."

The girl blinks. "Oh. I'm sorry."

"Whatever," Mina replies, pulling her dress up. "Come and zip up the back."

The girl hurries to comply. Ginger hands tug softly up at the zip. Mina bets she hasn't touched anything so expensive before.

"You're too slow," Mina says. "It's not going to rip. Just zip it up."

The girl hesitates, then obeys.

Mina spins around to face her, flashing a brilliant smile. "There, that wasn't so hard, was it?"

The girl chuckles nervously. "I guess not." She walks over to her discarded clothes with little, shuffling steps and begins to put them on almost despondently.

Mina feels a small tug in her heart. She opens her purse and pulls out a few notes. Without even checking how much it is, she throws them to the girl. The girl flinches and then gasps, wide-eyed, when she notices what is showering around her.

"There," Mina says. "Now you can buy a dress like this one."

The girl simply stands there, blinking. Mina gives her a smile that she hopes is comforting. But it doesn't seem to work. The girl still doesn't move, so Mina simply shrugs and, with long, steady strides, walks out of the room.

The board meeting starts in fifteen minutes. Well, closer to ten minutes now. But Mina knows the power of a fashionably late entrance, so she takes her time making her way down to the front of the hotel. Her driver is already parked there, waiting in front of the usual seamless, black car. Tinted windows, of course.

Mina takes a moment to savour one more drop of freedom. She savours the smell of the air after rain. The sounds of cars barreling through wet roads. The sight of people in their sharp, tailored clothes bustling between shining, elegant buildings.

But it is only for a moment, because Mina quickly remembers where she is heading. What happens behind closed doors.

She wipes her clammy hands on her dress and strides down to the car. Her driver dutifully opens the door for her. After she sits, he closes it too. She is trapped. Her heart is racing. There is no-where to go but home.

It's like she's been sucked down a whirlpool, since the drive takes almost no time at all. The surroundings whip by until she finds herself parked in front of it .

Her family's building.

The building of MyouiTech™.

It reaches high up into the sky, a prominence even in the upper level. The people gaze up at the glittering tower in envy, but no one knows what really happens inside.

Except Mina.

She gulps, her heart thudding in her ears. There's nothing for it. Schooling her features into an impassive mask, the heiress of the most powerful tech conglomerate in the world strides forth.