Chapter 15: Collaboration

Blaine Jackson glanced at Chloe Grace, then turned to Annie. "Let him in." 

Annie acknowledged with a slight nod and left the room. As she exited, she cast a curious glance at Chloe Grace, who seemed ready to leave but suddenly hesitated. Her expression reflected confusion. 

Chloe pouted, her lips trembling slightly in frustration. She turned around and shot Blaine a glare before blurting out, "I hate you!" Then, without waiting for a response, she stormed out, humming indignantly. 

Blaine blinked in surprise, momentarily stunned. Her words echoed in his mind, leaving him momentarily unable to process their meaning. Before he could fully grasp the situation, a startled cry rang out from the hallway. 

"Chloe Grace!" 

Blaine's heart tightened as he darted toward the sound, his concern overriding all else. 

Outside, Chloe was rubbing her nose, her delicate features scrunched up in pain. 

"Ugh, who's the blind idiot who didn't see me coming and walked straight into me?" she muttered under her breath, holding her nose and glaring in annoyance. 

As she looked up, ready to scold whoever had collided with her, her gaze locked onto a face that froze her in place. 

She had always thought Blaine Jackson was the most handsome man she had ever met. But the man before her now—his features were even more breathtaking. His face seemed impossibly perfect, as though sculpted by an artist with divine precision. His deep eyes radiated an almost magnetic charm, pulling her into their depths and leaving her unable to look away. 

"Ugh, how can a man be this ridiculously good-looking?" Chloe thought, feeling an irrational surge of irritation. "It's not fair! How are women supposed to live up to this?" 

The man, still holding her after the accidental collision, noticed the displeasure in her gaze. His brows arched slightly as he asked in Japanese, "Miss, do you have an issue with me? Or have we met before?" His tone was polite but curious, as if genuinely puzzled. 

"…No, we haven't met," Chloe replied, her mind working slower than usual. Then, in a sudden burst of impulsiveness, she reached out and began touching his face. 

"Chloe Grace! What are you doing?!" Blaine's thunderous voice shattered the moment, nearly making Chloe's legs give out beneath her. If the stranger hadn't been holding her, she might have collapsed on the spot. 

"Are you out of your mind? Someone's holding you, and you don't even think of stepping away!" Blaine growled, his voice thick with frustration. His sharp gaze landed on Chloe, who was still in the stranger's arms, her attention entirely focused on the man she had just met. 

Before she could respond, Blaine strode forward and yanked her out of the man's hold, pulling her possessively into his own arms. 

"I wasn't trying to let him hold me! I didn't know I'd bump into him when I ran out!" Chloe protested, rubbing her wrist where Blaine had grabbed her a little too forcefully. 

"Then why were you touching his face?" Blaine demanded, his eyes narrowing accusingly. "You're such a hopeless flirt! Do you just lose your mind every time you see a handsome man?!" 

"I was checking to see if his face had scars, of course. How else would I know?" Chloe replied indignantly. 

"Scars?" Blaine's gaze shifted to the stranger, who looked genuinely confused, and then back to Chloe. "What do you mean?" 

"I was trying to see if he's had plastic surgery!" Chloe said matter-of-factly. 

"…You're completely out of your mind," Blaine muttered, rolling his eyes. 

Before Chloe could argue further, the stranger finally spoke up. 

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Blaine Jackson, the Director?" His voice was calm and steady, carrying an air of professionalism. Without waiting for an answer, he pulled a business card from his wallet and extended it toward Blaine. "I'm Yuto Miyazawa, the Executive President of Sunray King." 

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Chloe reluctantly stayed by Blaine's side, her expression one of blatant dissatisfaction. 

She couldn't help it—Blaine's earlier attitude had been infuriating. He had treated the cosmetics he received from his beloved more carefully than he treated her, and she wasn't about to let that go. 

"Hmph! Of course, those are more important to him. They're from the woman he actually likes. And me? I'm just some random freshman's little sister he barely knows!" Chloe fumed silently. 

"Director Jackson, I'm sincerely interested in collaborating with Bluish Beauty. I believe this fashion show could allow both Sunray King and Bluish Beauty to shine in the Japanese market," Yuto Miyazawa said smoothly, his warm voice effortlessly commanding attention. 

Blaine raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Mr. Miyazawa, I don't doubt your sincerity. But I'm curious—why are you so determined to work with Bluish Beauty?" 

Though Blaine already had a good idea of Yuto's motives, he wanted to hear the man admit them outright. 

Yuto hesitated briefly, clearly taken aback by the direct question. 

"If it's too difficult to explain, then forget it," Blaine said nonchalantly, employing a deliberate strategy to pressure Yuto into revealing the truth. 

After a moment of contemplation, Yuto spoke. "It's no great secret. If you're curious, I'll explain. As you may know, I recently acquired a struggling modeling team. Partnering with Bluish Beauty is a strategic move to leverage your exceptional styling and makeup artistry to revitalize that team during the fashion show." His dark eyes gleamed with determination, betraying his calm demeanor. 

Blaine allowed himself a small smile. As he had suspected, Yuto's generosity in offering Bluish Beauty such favorable terms was a calculated move to boost the new team's profile. 

"Then please provide the specifics—dates, details, and any additional requirements," Blaine said, standing and extending a hand toward Yuto. 

"Let's work together successfully," Yuto replied, shaking Blaine's hand with a smile. 

While they exchanged pleasantries, Chloe attempted to slip away quietly. However, she only managed a few steps before Blaine's arm shot out, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her back. 

"Chloe Grace, where do you think you're going?" Blaine's voice was low but firm. 

"…Can I at least go upstairs?" Chloe snapped, glaring at him in frustration. 

Yuto chuckled softly, observing their interaction. "Director Jackson, is this young lady your girlfriend?" 

Blaine hesitated, glancing at Chloe. She stared back at him, her eyes wide with expectation, as if eagerly awaiting his answer. 

"She's my junior's younger sister. I promised to look after her," Blaine replied hurriedly, his tone awkward. 

Chloe's eyes blazed with fury at his words. 

"Ah, so she's just a sister you're watching over," Yuto said, a note of intrigue in his voice. 

"Hmph!" Chloe huffed, shaking off Blaine's hold and running out of the room.