Lost in translation

Chapter 5: Forgotten Echoes

Ms. Cha, the company director of Lumina Beauty Co., expressing her admiration for the successful launch of the celestial collection. She praises Evelyn specifically for her contributions to the project, highlighting how her hard work and creativity have been instrumental in its success. Evelyn, once shy and reserved, has blossomed in her role and is now a confident and valued member of the team.

Ms. Cha calls for a meeting to inform the team that the CEO of Lumina Beauty Co. is returning to Seoul and that it is crucial for everyone to be at their best during this important time.

She emphasizes the need for professionalism and attention to detail, as the CEO will be reviewing the company's recent projects and performance.

It's a bright Monday morning, and Evelyn is feeling under the weather. She decides to take a day off from work, which is granted by her supervisor. However, things take a turn when Ms. Joen, the company manager, calls her into the office unexpectedly. Despite her illness, Evelyn heads to work, unsure of what awaits her.

Upon arriving at the office, Evelyn is met with harsh words from Ms. Joen, who accuses her of being incompetent and lazy. The manager demands a specific file containing the company's new deals that need to be signed by the CEO. Evelyn, confused, searches for the file on her desk, only to remember that she had already handed it over to Ms. Joen the previous week. Denying this, Ms. Joen creates a tense situation, leaving Evelyn flustered and frustrated. Evelyn tries to explain that she had given the file to Ms. Joen, but her words fall on deaf ears. The director intervenes, having overheard the commotion. She calmly informs Evelyn that a copy of the file exists on her hard drive and asks her to print it immediately. Feeling wronged, Evelyn complies, creating a new file and handing it over to the director. Evelyn is in tears as she leaves the office, her confidence shaken. Evelyn, still upset, requests a taxi to take her home.

A stunning black car pulls up in front of her, and she enters without a second thought, too consumed by her emotions to notice her surroundings. As she sits in the backseat, crying and complaining about her unfair treatment at work, she is unaware of the man sitting beside her. The driver, noticing her distress, asks if she is alright. Evelyn responds with a vehement 'no', explaining that her manager deliberately set her up to fail. The man beside Evelyn, Park Min-jun, mimics her words softly, causing her to snap out of her tears and realize his presence. They argue about her failure to check the car’s license plate before getting in, setting the tone for their unconventional first encounter.

Evelyn, now aware of the man's presence in the car, apologizes for her earlier behavior. She expresses her embarrassment. Park Min-jun, intrigued by her, accepts her apology and introduces himself formally. As they arrive at her apartment, Park Min-jun opens the door for Evelyn, who is now composed. He offers a silent apology for the earlier argument, and as Evelyn steps out, he finds himself having flashbacks of the first time they met—a night he spent with an unknown woman.

Park Min-jun reveals that he has been searching for the woman he spent that fateful night with, and he believes it might be Evelyn. He explains that he has been trying to piece together his memories of that night, and their unexpected encounter in the taxi has provided him with a missing puzzle piece. Evelyn, shocked and confused, tries to recall the events of that night, but her memories are hazy.

Evelyn’s breaths came in ragged bursts as she locked her apartment door. The dim hallway offered no solace; it only amplified her fear. Min-jun’s face haunted her—the way he’d looked at her, the questions unspoken. She had to be strong, even if her heart trembled.

In the elevator, she leaned against the mirrored wall. The rain had plastered her hair to her scalp, and her clothes clung uncomfortably. The memory of that other night—the night she’d been drugged—swirled like smoke. The stranger’s touch, the tattoos etched into his skin, and the raw desire that had consumed her. But Min-jun? He wore a suit, not inked artistry. Yet, what if appearances deceived?

“What if he’s the one?” she whispered to her reflection. “The man who took me to that hotel room.”

The elevator chimed, and she stepped out onto her floor. Her mind raced, piecing together fragments. Minjun’s eyes—the intensity, the secrets. Could he be the stranger? The one who had ignited her senses and then vanished, leaving her with nothing but a foggy memory?

Meanwhile, Park Min-jun arrives at his house, stood in the rain, Evelyn’s handbag in hand. The phone rang—a jarring interruption. He answered, raindrops blurring his vision.

“Nomsa,” he said in a low tone.

“Evelyn are you all right? Mr. Kim mentioned that you were taken to a room by some man.”

“She’s safe,” Min-jun assured her. “I just dropped her off at her apartment. But which hotel did this happen?”

“The Grand Royale,” Nomsa replied.

Min-jun’s silence stretched as he hung the call.

And so, Min-jun’s path led back to the Grand Royale—a place of secrets and revelations. As he walked, conviction settled within him. Evelyn was the woman he’d searched for—the one who held the missing pieces of his past. The rain washed away doubts, leaving only determination.

Evelyn, on the other hand, retraced her steps—the wrong cab, the forgotten bag. Panic clawed at her throat. Her cellphone was lost, and with it, perhaps the truth. She had to find it, even if it meant facing the stranger—or Min-jun—as memories collided like stars in her mind.