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He was sent away from the spotlight. She’s been stuck in the same place her whole life.

Layla Shaw never meant to work at her family’s rundown motel in Cedar Creek forever, but obligation has a way of turning temporary sacrifices into permanent ones. Every check-in and dated room is a reminder of the life she didn’t choose.

When Minjun arrives, he’s quiet, guarded, and clearly hiding more than just his past. Layla assumes he’s another guest who’ll leave while she stays behind.

What she doesn’t know is that Minjun is a world-famous K-pop idol hiding from a scandal that’s really just a misunderstanding. What he sees in Layla is someone who understands how suffocating it is to be owned by expectations.

When the spotlight inevitably finds him, Layla and Minjun must decide: return to the lives that trapped them, or risk everything to change the narrative and face the unknown together.

A cozy K-pop celebrity romance featuring small-town charm, hidden identity, forced proximity, found family, and a happily-ever-after worth the risk.