Chapter 109:
When Silje arrived in Milan, it was snowing hard. This was her second time participating in the Milan fashion week.
She had been more involved in the New York fashion shows during her career, and as a model, walking on the runway in Milan was a special thing. The three biggest fashion stages in the world were New York, Paris, and Milan.
When she first started out, it seemed like there was no light at the end of the tunnel. She never imagined she would come this far. Silje started from the bottom of New York, and finally, she was making it. Silje felt like she was the heroine of a tragic story who climbed one bloody step at a time to get to the top.
And now, she was finally here.
Looking at the beautiful but harsh snow, Silje felt like she was the Snow Queen. Her life had been like one giant winter storm, but a new phase was beginning and she was going to bloom as the model.
Silje couldn’t stop looking at the white dust. She was only focused on her work for so many years now that she didn’t have the time to take some time and just relax.
It was near the end of February, yet it was still snowing here. Suddenly, Silje became curious.
She wondered, ‘Is it snowing in Oslo too?’
The Norway she remembered was a winter wonderland. The cold and harsh seemed to last there forever, but the white innocence she thought she would keep forever was bloodied one winter.
Silje sometimes missed her old life before everything happened.
After a few minutes of looking out, Silje turned around. It was time to go to work.
“Era Veloce e vestita in fretta. Sto iniziando le prove…!”
Despite the heavy snow, the fashion show was filled with crowds. No one wanted to miss the show. Silje got her makeup and hair done backstage, and she was able to finish her rehearsal safely.
Now, the real show was on.
Behind the stage, it was hectic as usual with the designers and the assistants yelling for the models to hurry up. Silje moved quickly and walked out to the stage.
The music was pounding loudly, and the other models were walking on the black marble floor with emotionless expressions.
Beautiful slim bodies moved under the dim light and Silje joined them. Like the other models, her hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail and her eyes were thickly painted with purple eye shadow. Wearing a skin-tight leather skirt and fishnet stockings, Silje looked like a dark and seductive vampire.
Not a single strand of hair escaped, and her forehead was bare. Silje’s silky black hair hung on top of her head beautifully and her body looked especially fragile.
Pale skin and purple makeup. Her face looked blank, making her look even more exotic.
As usual, Silje showed off a completely different side of her when she was on stage. It was the magic of the show.
For a few seconds, she could be anyone she wanted to be, and she was seduced by the charm of it. She felt like Cinderella before midnight.
Silje was incredibly sexy and the male audience turned around as if awestruck.
The music continued and Silje put on the second outfit. It was a very different look than the first.
This time, she wore a black leather one-piece dress with a delicate red-flower pattern. With the first outfit, she walked fast and confidently, while with the second look, she walked much slower with an empty expression on her face.
As she moved delicately, her striking Asian look grabbed the audience’s attention.
But among the enthralled audience, there was one man who was glaring at her with burning intensity. He was sitting in the VIP seat, which meant he was a recognizable figure. Under the dark light, the man stared obsessively at Silje as if he wanted to swallow her whole.
Prada, Gucci, and Fendi.
Silje participated in the greatest brands for their S/S collections and after her last show, she visited the Duomo di Milano.
Every moment she spent in Milan was like a dream to her. She cherished it with all her heart. She could still feel the excitement of the backstage and the audience as she walked on the runways.
Finally, Milan fashion week was over. She felt proud to be one of the few Asian models in the Milan shows, and now, she was free to enjoy her brief time off as she walked around the church leisurely. The winter was almost over, both in the world and in her heart.
Spring was coming.
“…!”
Silje slowly looked around as the cathedral stood beautifully in the dark. She smiled quietly. It had been a long hard journey, and she patted herself for fighting without giving up.
From nearby, she heard music. Someone was playing the violin and enjoying the quiet sound, Silje continued to study the building.
Then suddenly, a husky baritone voice said to her, “…Are you having fun?”
A dark yet seductive voice.
Silje flinched and took a deep breath without moving. She thought it might have been just a wind, a hallucination, but the voice sounded so clear.
This wasn’t a dream.
Could it be…
The familiar voice asked her again.
“Do you like it here? I purposely chose this place as our reunion spot for you. I thought you might like it. What do you think?”
Silje became pale with shock.
He wasn’t expecting her to answer. His voice sounded casual, yet she could hear the burning fury in it.
A shadow slowly walked out and the man grabbed her fragile shoulders hard. Before she could make a sound, he grabbed her face and made her look up at his eyes.
The eyes of an eagle.
The familiar deep green eyes.
They were looking at her. He was back.
“Hello, Silje.”
Kail smiled and greeted her.