Between Their Lights and My Secrets: Chapter 1
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Chapter 1
Between the walls of extreme wealth and the coldness of billion-dollar deals, Tara Mars lives like a flawless human machine, until the stillness of her world is pierced by a mysterious tone of voice at a party in "Seoul." A voice she had never heard the likes of before, thinking for a moment that it belonged to the calmness and sobriety of Kyungsoo, only to start a gamble with fate that cost her millions of dollars; renting the entire band "EXO" for a month in her California mansion. Behind closed doors and far from the stage lights, the mystery begins to unfold. As Tara gets closer to Kyungsoo searching for the owner of that echo, Baekhyun watches her with warm glances that hide an amazing truth behind them. In this mansion, the threads intertwine in a complex love triangle; where Tara discovers that the voice which captured her heart did not belong to Kyungsoo, but rather to Baekhyun, who was secretly playing the strings of her soul. Between a hidden truth and scattered feelings, Tara finds herself stuck between two men: one whose calmness she fell in love with, thinking it was the source of her voice, and the other who possesses the voice that awakened her soul but hides it behind a mask of fun and mystery. A journey not only to search for love, but to uncover the falsity of first impressions in a world where there is no place for coincidence.
Tara Mars woke up in her private suite inside her antique London mansion. The silence in the room was tangible and heavy, interrupted only by the light hum of the air purifier and the sound of her regular breaths, which she was counting in an attempt to set the rhythm of her day before it began. Tara stood in the middle of the spacious room, which seemed empty despite the precious pieces of furniture distributed with geometric precision. Since the departure of her parents in a plane crash four years ago, the mansion had transformed for her from a dwelling of memories into merely a massive property she owns and manages, and she began moving through its halls with mechanism and rigidity, driven by a packed schedule that leaves her no chance to think about the nature of her life or its usefulness. She knew for certain that she was the third richest woman in the world, but this number represented a responsibility that restricted her breath more than being a source of luxury.
Tara headed towards the tall mirror made of ebony wood and began examining her features with cold focus. She had a clearly defined oval face, and pale skin so clear that fine veins showed at her wrists. Her eyes were wide in the color of dark garnet, surrounded by thick, natural black eyelashes that gave her gaze a weight and seriousness befitting her position as CEO of the global "Mars" Group. Her nose was straight, her lips symmetrically full, and her soft black hair fell in complete stillness to the middle of her back. She stood at her full height of 165 cm, contemplating her slender athletic body weighing 63 kilograms; she realized that this body was her only tool for work and survival, so she made sure to keep up her grueling morning workouts regularly to ensure the highest levels of concentration.
The annoying ring of her phone cut her train of thought. She looked at the screen and sighed in annoyance, but she didn't hesitate to answer because she knew the caller wouldn't stop. Tara said in a voice filled with sleepiness and rigidity:
"Hello, Rella. I hope there is a truly compelling reason to bother me at this hour, otherwise I will have to carry out my threat and change my number for the tenth time this year."
Rella's voice came loud and full of energy that almost burst out of the phone speaker:
"I got them, Tara! Finally, after a bitter struggle with the websites, the two tickets are in my hands! EXO's concert in Seoul, and right in the front row! We will be just a few meters away from them, can you imagine that?"
Tara sat up straight, pushed strands of hair away from her face, and said in a tone she tried to make firm and objective:
"Rella, do you actually realize what you're asking? Seoul is on another continent, the flight takes long hours, and I have crucial meetings in Singapore next week regarding the next quarter's budget and mining sector expansions. I cannot leave work for a music concert by a group of young men."
Rella replied with a clear pleading tone, using the only weapon that weakened Tara's defenses:
"Tara, please. A whole year has passed and you are drowning in papers and dry deals. When was the last time you did something just for personal enjoyment? I don't want to go with security guards or paid escorts, I want my only friend by my side. This trip means a lot to me, does my credit with you not allow for three days of rest?"
Tara closed her eyes and felt her psychological sharpness retreat. Rella was the only person on this planet who dared to address her in this direct manner. Rella, who was no more than 155 cm tall, seemed petite and short next to Tara, but her psychological impact was huge and deep. With her fresh rosy skin and wavy blonde hair, Rella was the vital opposite that Tara needed to know she was still a feeling human being, not just a money-managing machine. Tara said, surrendering:
"Alright, Rella, stop this dramatic approach. We will go. But the return will be immediately after the concert ends to head to Singapore right away. There will be no time for shopping or extra sightseeing, is that understood?"
Rella screamed with childish happiness:
"I promise you everything! I will start packing my bags right away. You are the best, Tara, and I don't know how I would have lived without this endearing strictness of yours."
Tara hung up and summoned her private secretary, "William," via the intercom. The man in his fifties entered the room with customary dignity; his gray hair neatly styled back and his blue eyes observing Tara's reactions with a professional intelligence he acquired through decades of service to her family. Tara said in a practical tone:
"William, cancel all my appointments in London for the next three days or switch them to virtual meetings. We will leave for Seoul tomorrow at dawn on the private jet. Arrange bookings in the quietest hotel suite available, and I want complete and invisible security for the concert. I don't want any harassment from the press or fans."
William nodded calmly and steadily:
"As you command, Miss Tara. I will coordinate with the security team in Seoul immediately. Are there any special arrangements for Miss Rella?"
Tara replied as she headed towards her desk:
"Just make sure the meals she prefers are available on the plane, and ensure the quality of the internet connection; I don't want to hear her complain about boredom throughout the flight."
**
The next day, inside the luxurious cabin of the private jet, Rella was constantly moving between the seats, checking song playlists and talking about the band members enthusiastically, while Tara sat quietly, reviewing some complex legal contracts on her tablet. Rella said, suddenly shoving her phone in front of Tara's face:
"Tara, stop reading these boring numbers for one minute! Look at this video, their voices require amazing training. Doesn't this remind you of some of the precision you look for in your work?"
Tara gently and calmly pushed the phone away with her hand, and said with a rare light smile appearing on her lips:
"Rella, I have watched these clips with you a lot. They are artists performing work they trained for over years, exactly as I perform my work now. The difference is that their work requires noise and my work requires silence."
Rella frowned, sat in the seat opposite Tara, and tried to look serious:
"You always try to strip things of their aesthetic value. Have you really forgotten how you used to spend hours in your old studio years ago? Art is not just work, Tara, it's a way to breathe. These young men provide positive energy to thousands, and that in itself is an achievement worthy of respect."
Tara fell silent for a moment, placed her tablet on the side table, and looked at the thick clouds from the small window. She remembered her studio that was now covered in dust, and remembered the smell of oil paints that she had replaced with the smell of official paper and bitter coffee. Tara said in a low voice:
"Painting was the dream of a girl who did not have the responsibility of providing for thousands of employees and securing their pensions. Now, numbers are the only language the world understands me in, Rella. But I will honestly try to open my eyes and my heart at this concert for you, I promise you that."
Rella smiled gently, held Tara's hand, and squeezed it:
"That is all I ask of you, to be Tara the friend for one night, not Tara Mars the Chairman of the Board."
**
The two friends arrived in the city of Seoul. In Tara's eyes, it was not the most beautiful city she had visited, but Rella's constantly sparkling eyes gave the place a special magic. The city seemed to Rella like Wonderland, and she was "Alice" passionately discovering its secrets.
Rella looked at Tara with a shining gaze and said: "I see happiness in your eyes, Tara."
Tara answered her while observing her features with interest: "Rather, I see that happiness in your eyes... and that is enough for me."
Rella muttered enthusiastically as she pressed against the car window: "I will see EXO tonight! Can you believe that? We are now in Korea, their homeland!"
Tara sighed as she watched her friend's madness: "But we came here three years ago, Rella, don't you remember?"
Rella said with childish grumbling: "That was a business trip! But this time... we came for fun, for them alone!"
Tara put her palm on her face, letting out a short sigh: "You really are obsessed."
Rella replied, a tone of artificial anger in her voice: "They deserve all this love! But you don't understand anything because you have never heard their songs, even though you master the Korean language brilliantly!"
Tara hugged her, laughing lightly: "Alright, Rella... let's hear them tonight, and see what the secret of this madness that has struck you is."
Rella said cunningly while smiling: "What do you think of a bet? If you like the concert tonight, you grant me a wish of my choosing."
Tara raised an eyebrow in challenge: "And if I don't like it?"
Rella winked slyly as she pulled away a little: "You will like it."
Tara laughed and nodded in agreement: "Then... we'll see what happens."
They entered the luxurious suite that William had chosen with utmost care, as usual. The giant window overlooked a city that never rests, and the colored lights flowed on the glass like dreams suspended on the horizon. Tara told the guards that today was an official day off for them, and invited them to rest and enjoy their time. As for William, he objected at first with his usual dignity and caution, then finally gave in, knowing that there was no point in arguing with Tara when she was with Rella.
For the first time in a long while, the two friends stood in front of a single mirror to appear as strangers meeting in one frame. Rella outpaced Tara lightly, jumping around the room like a restless butterfly. As for Tara, she was her silent opposite.
Rella said as she spun around in the room: "The view from here... is truly magical!"
Tara answered her with a warm smile: "Relax now, take your bath, and wear what resembles you... wear your madness, Rella."
Rella giggled as she headed towards her suitcase: "And you? What will you do?"
Tara replied as she calmly opened her closet:
"I will wear what makes me look like a normal fan... even if just for a few brief moments for your sake."
Tara closed the bathroom door behind her and stared long into the mirror. She wondered, as calmness enveloped her: Is she Tara Mars, the powerful businesswoman? Or is she now just a friend trying to search for a piece of lost happiness?