❝The path was just there to be crashed into to find their lost way❞

∞

8:23 pm

Los Angeles, CA, USA.

The stars in the darkening sky had filled up with its respective time, and in their respective places with their own twinkling shine yet the sight beneath their shade had shined more; a brightened city of the world was lightened up with the people. 

The murmurs. Raises of champagne glasses. Gossips. Shine of the jewelries for the one that was their presence for; that one particular brand of the brands had taken the most valuable award tonight. 

Shimmer. 

Chaos. 

A familiar chaos had engulfed around the city; something familiar, something to used to, for the people gathered here in the very place of a lightened up outdoor banquet, a celebration of the succession of the particular person; a male to be precise who had his feet glued on the floor of the balcony. 

In an attire of the black full suit, his eyes gazed down at the unfamiliar yet familiar acquainted business tycoons with a neutral glint; without any ounce of any emotion, like the shine of his silver hair stood out the most in the eyes of the people as he raised the glass of champagne in his hold with a slow twirl and a graze of the rim to his lips that burned down his throat with a bittersweet taste yet his gaze showed no ounce of faze. 

The emotions and faze of feelings were long forgotten to react now. 

He could still feel the burning holes of stares at his visage; he was standing alone but probably it wasn't just the mere curiosity of his reason for standing out of reach to them, it was their curiosity to his different persona or it might be the reason he had been known to for years. 

Reason that came with names. Detest words. Change of his life. His place. His emotions. His purpose to be here at the most unfamiliar place. 

The hard to forget years and moments. 

Yet the people standing down there had gathered to be his acquaintance for their greed. 

A smirk raised on the corner of his lips; indeed, the greediness of people put them do the most detest thing to do. 

He was aware; seen but never to give in to the emotions. 

Once did but got the detest words in return and learned to never do that again; his purpose was foremost and that was his only purpose of his life. 

The only path he had been preparing to take for years but unknown of the happenings his life would bring; the enormous change of his life was yet to come. 

And he didn't have to know it yet. 

"Are you not going to join them, sir?" 

He heard a familiar voice behind him; a male one, and he didn't have to turn around to recognize him, where placing the glass on the top of the railing, he had leaned forward with his hands on it as he continued to stare at the people. 

"They aren't very excited to join me either." 

His secretary; Lee Kang-min, stood in his formal suit behind the man he had been working under for five years now but along with just being someone who works with him, he happens to be his only friend in his life and how it had happened was still vivid in his mind, and what goes around in this man's head, and life had followed afterwards. 

And he couldn't back out after coming known to it. 

His eyes stared at his broad back a few minutes more before he stood beside him, and glanced at the people murmuring; the different people of different region had gathered here and the reason of their murmurs was only one word of a topic; shimmer. 

The brand launched four years ago in this very place; a brand highlighting the essence of jewelries that shines like the lights around the banquet had illuminated, and just like that light, the business had skyrocketed in a way that the brand's name, and the owner of the brand's name had been on people's mouth. 

Byun Baekhyun. 

"They are here to join in your celebration though." 

He uttered, and spared a glance at him and found him shaking his head, "They aren't here to celebrate my success," Baekhyun trailed off, with a subtle smirk on his lips of amusement at Kang-min's words as his eyes looked around to see the people; familiar yet unfamiliar. 

"They are here to see how a man who doesn't belong here could stand among them," He blinked, and his eyes still unfazed. "They are here to see the Byun Baekhyun who is leading above them but still not able to accept it." 

And he gives no damn about it; he left doing it years ago. 

A glance up to the darkened shade above him, the stars were gone covered by the thundering clouds and the glint of his eyes turned cold like the clench of his jaw; in a moment, he stepped back, as he grabbed the glass to chug down the remaining champagne before glancing at the waiter as within a nod towards him, he was standing in front of him for him to put the glass back on the tray. 

"Serve the dinner inside," 

Baekhyun took a step back, his fingers ing his blazer as he turned around until he heard Kang-min behind him; pacing to his steps. "What do you mean?"

"The champagne wasn't that intoxicating to get into your head already, Lee." 

Kang-min rolled his eyes; there goes his sarcasm. "Could you please elaborate more, sir?"

"It's going to rain and I'm going home." 

Home; didn't feel like it. 

Baekhyun walked down the floor towards the staircase leading to the down floor while taking off his blazer that he hung it over his forearm as his fingers were already ing the first two buttons followed by the loosening of his black tie draped around the collar of his white button down. 

"You are the main character of this party." 

"Of course," Baekhyun nodded, descending the stairs, "People have got to see me like they wanted, and I don't have to join them like I don't want to, so it's settled."

"Can you be serious for once?" 

"Don't I seem serious?" 

Baekhyun questioned his question; his steps stopping the moment he halted at the lobby to look at Kang-min and the latter gave him a blink of his eyes. "You want me to be honest?" 

Baekhyun patted his shoulder. "I got it." 

"Let me call the car for you, sir." 

"Hurry it up because I'm not fond of this weather, Kang-min." 

A mumble out of Baekhyun's mouth, and a speed up action of Kang-min's as he was aware of this fact, unknown to the reason behind but he never asked him; it wasn't his place but he was sensible enough to get that it was something not likable to the other person; the reason and his question. 

"Take care of the rest for me, Lee." 

"Yes, sir." 

"I'll gift you a present for being a hard working person." 

Baekhyun tilted his head; a look of positive glint in his eyes and getting a not interested reaction from the latter had him crease his forehead in amusement. "You want something more?" 

Kang-min smiled; a smile of done with his doings for tonight. "Have a good night, sir." 

Baekhyun had to nod; a smile threatening to get onto his lips but he restrained, yet his playful glinting eyes had given Kang-min a good understanding of his mood, the man was trying hard to ease himself up at the moment, the one that had engulfed him in a sudden gloom because of the weather like his threatening smile. 

He couldn't even recall the last time this man had smiled genuinely; it's been years to that sight. 

The next thing Baekhyun had found himself in his car; his grip on the steering in a firm pressure like his other hand was brought to his lips through the lean of his elbow against the window as he sped up through the bustling city of lights like his eyes glanced up at the sky that gave him a glimpse of lightning followed by the thunder aloud. 

His eyes sharp like the clench of his jaw and his grip tightened more on the steering as he swallowed to speed up more. 

The weather hasn't been the best one in his list; the reasons were the unpleasant memories, his loved ones, a woman, and the one he didn't want to remember yet lived in his mind like a chant for nine years. 

And he hated it. 

The night continued with the passing hours; the visage of a building stood tall among the various ones and a particular apartment was brightened up through the light of the living room and the man owning it was pacing around as his steps strolled out of the kitchen with a bottle of water in his hands; his figure changed into a black pair of sweatpants while his silver hair in a slight damp that he had brushed back through his fingers that grazed the small ink-printed words on the side his nape. 

Fearless. 

Just like he had been living in this life; the world gave him many reasons to be in fear but he couldn't live up to it. 

Not after the happenings in his life; not after the happenings going to happen in his life afterwards and he had to live upto this word now. 

A sound of thunder and his quick glance at the glass window; a few rolls of rain drops streaming down the glass in a flow of its pace blurring the view of lights and his mind flashed a reminder of the happening on a particular rainy day, something unforgettable, and something heart wrenching one. 

Not once but twice in his life. 

And it involved his beloved ones; latter was a woman he had thought to be a beloved but was caught wrong about it yet the flashes of that moment still sparks like a throbbing light into his mind, and heart and both happened on the very rainy days. 

Rain is beautiful in no doubt but it isn't always endearing to live in; he was the living epitome of it.

A harsh gulp of his water and he was pacing inside the particular room of his apartment; a vacant one but had so much in it as he stood in the middle of it while his fingers were quick to turn on the lights, and ahead of him was his life purpose etched on the wall of the room. 

A board. Pictures of familiar and unfamiliar people. Torn headlines from newspapers. Alvarados; The Royals. His father, Byun Beom-Seok's name on the headlines of articles with a claim of traitor. A familiar and a business tycoon of South Korea; Choi Myung-Soo. 

And the first step to execute his plan. 

Baekhyun stood there for a moment with his hand in the pocket of his pants; his eyes glued to the board with a serious glint in his eyes and a determination in his mind before bringing the bottle to his mouth for a few sips as he roamed his eyes around the things he had been gathering; the information of these people connected to his father's incident from the past nine years, but happened fourteen years ago and he had his own belief that it was connected to The Royals. 

The one he was a part of; the silver tresses were the inheritance from his late mother and the daughter of Alvarado in Spain. 

Yet this place was all he could connect the dots to; it was all where it started from and he had no emotions for this place now. 

At the moment, his phone pinged with an echo of his ringtone where he was quick to step back and exit the room, as the second he plopped on the couch with the bottle on the coffee table; his laptop open beside his phone as he grabbed it to find a message from Kang-min informing him about the event ending successfully behind his tired emoji. 

Baekhyun's lips had a soft upward curve; the man had been a good friend, and support from the time he had gotten at this unfamiliar place nine years ago and even before that to fulfill his dream because where he wanted to have didn't give him the familiarity anymore while this unfamiliar place had him get where he had wanted to be; the proof of it was the award trophy on the table before his eyes. 

And only he knew how it got him to reach here; the words of people in the most detest ways still ring sometimes in his ears like an unpleasant throb but those were the words that motivated him to do what he wanted to do from the time he was shown the cruelty of life; his only purpose to clear his father's name and get the actual people behind the incident in the light of the world. 

The world was in a gloom of darkened lies and the truth was yet to be in a light. 

He his lips, and his eyes glanced at the glass window to find the pour of rain still flowing in a pace to glance at the sudden lightning striking over the darkening sky with a roar. 

A darkness within him but his roar was in a silent chaos and the light was nowhere to be found nor he was in a desperation of it because it was something else. 

His eyes glanced at the screen of his laptop and a few articles in a list before his eyes; his forefinger was quick to scroll down to find the familiar faces connected to him in a possible way he could think of and a reflection of his own in the article of tonight's award event that he had taken it home. 

But was it really his home? He had been to places that he hadn't been able to feel like home anywhere and where he thought could be was nowhere. 

But it probably was there and he had yet to be known. 

Another second of scroll to the screen, and his eyes blanked at the familiar name; a familiar face of a woman lost in his memories yet residing there like a throbbing pain as his eyes flashed memories in a few blinks behind the sound of rain flashing another unpleasant memory had his chest in an engulf of tightness and the next second, Baekhyun had closed the laptop shut in a swift. 

His back leaned against the backrest, and his head against the headrest as he swallowed, the flashbacks had him tighten his grip on his phone like his eyes squeezed shut; the silent place of his was still echoing with the pour of rain like the flashes in his mind, appearing through his closed eyes as his jaw clenched with the deepen furrow of his eyebrows. 

A throb of pain but a confusion; this woman wasn't supposed to be in the list of business tycoons. 

Not in his memories, not on this screen and hopefully not in his life again. 

Another ping of his phone, and Baekhyun was quick to raise it to his eyes to find another message from Kang-min; his ticket to South Korea was booked, and they'll be departing soon from this place for the execution of his purpose. 

He stared at the name for a good minute; the particular place had so many memories of his beloved ones, the woman he wanted to have nothing with, and his purpose, where his eyes glanced at the glass window to find the rain slowing down with a blank stare. 

He was going back to the place where he had left everything behind and was going to get everything he had lost, like his path was decided from the beginning he had planned it. 

Yet unaware of his only destined path being found there. 

The one where his darkness would persist the light through and the one where his lost destination resides. 

________________________

10:01 am

Seoul, South Korea. 

The scorching weather had engulfed the corner of the city; a morning with a suffocating heat in the late month of May that gave a knock of June with a roar of darkness covering the blue shade by emerging the white patches of clouds like a curtain to the heated sun. 

A few sighs of relief in some people's mouth for the pour of rain on the paths for them to continue their doings with a smile as the storming weather had brought a calming coolness in their lives; rain indeed was beautiful and peaceful. 

Only for a few people and the one who thought otherwise was a silent figure seated silently on the chair of her cabin where her name palate with a CEO title etched like a shine; that one building that stood tall among others like a shining light under the scorching sun until now. 

The One. 

Attired in a pair of black pants, a dark sleeveless top hugged her curves while her matching blazer was hung around the headrest of her swivel chair; her eyes behind the black frames seemed sharp as her fingers scrolled down the screen with a focused mind yet it was somewhere else at the moment. 

A man on the screen of her laptop. 

A familiar face lost in one of her past memories like a throbbing pain, and the same man was pictured with an award displaying on her screen of his succession; he had gotten where he had wanted to be but she was where she never wanted to be as her forefinger reached out to flick her nose that itched in a lost memory. 

The moments that brought her here; a place she never wanted yet was the owner of it. 

A glance at the familiar date that has been arriving every year with a recall of her unpleasant memories; her chest tightened to lean back with a hardened jaw until a thunder sound had taken her attention as her blank eyes found the rapid pour of rain streaming down the glass window of her cabin. 

Chaos. 

She could listen to the chaos outside; people were relieved at the weather and the cold drops of drizzle over them where the same chaos was living in her but the difference was that there was no relief; just pain and reminders of the happenings that happened in her life nine years ago. 

The memories that involved her only dream being shattered; a passing of her loved one, and a man whom she never wants to recall yet was being reminded like a painful alarm. 

And she hated it. 

Her eyes burned, and her chest tightened more for her to stand up with a deep breath and a harsh swallow of her dry throat before her steps walked to the window; glued in front of it as she stared at the drizzle with a sharp yet cold glint in her eyes while her hair stood behind her lower back in smooth curls that grazed her wrists the moment she had locked her hands behind her back. 

Rain was beautiful and relieving but for her it was a silent chaos in her heart reliving the moments in her mind she couldn't forget nor could bring herself to; heart-wrenching and unpleasant it was to forget. 

A knock on her door twice had her snap out as she had her feet glued like her eyes on the drizzling rain with a calm yet serious tone voicing her words out. 

"Come in." 

"Ma'am." 

Jeon Iseul glanced over her shoulder with a questioning glint in her eyes to her secretary standing with a panicking state; Jung Hae-Jin, the male working under her for three years now as he cleared his throat. "An emergency has occurred in the factory, ma'am." 

"What emergency, Mr. Jung?" 

Iseul was facing him now; her eyes still sharp adding more panic in Hae-Jin's system and he swallowed nervously. "Mr. Kwon is causing a ruckus in the factory and won't leave until he gets to talk to you." 

Her browns knitted as she took off her frames while her steps paced to her table, "What about the security guards?" 

"One of them has been attacked, ma'am." 

Iseul's eyes sharpened at him in a second, and Hae-Jin's