THE OTHER SIDE OF YOU

CHAPTER 10: THE AUCTION OF SHADOWS

The Grand Ballroom of the Crystal Plaza was a sea of shimmering sequins, clinking champagne flutes, and the low, hummed roar of high-society gossip.

Nari stepped into the room and immediately felt the temperature drop. It wasn't the air conditioning; it was the weight of a hundred gazes assessing her worth.

"Nari? Is that you?"

Zara appeared from the crowd, looking like a peacock in an iridescent green gown that left very little to the imagination. She stopped dead, her eyes scanning Nari’s black silk dress with a mixture of shock and immediate resentment.

"You actually came," Zara said, her voice dropping the artificial sweetness. "And you... you look..."

"Like I belong here?" Nari finished, her voice steady and cool.

"You look like you're trying too hard," Zara snapped, though her eyes kept flickering to the way the silk moved against Nari’s skin. "Your mother is by the stage. She’s been telling everyone you were delayed by 'academic duties'. Try not to embarrass her."

Nari walked past her, the silk whispering against her legs. She felt a strange, detached confidence. She found her mother standing near a group of older women, all of whom were draped in diamonds that could fund a small country.

"Nari," Soo-Yeon said, her eyes widening as she took in her daughter’s appearance. She didn't offer a compliment. She simply reached out and adjusted the strap of Nari’s dress. "You’re late. The silent auction is almost over."

"I’m here now, Mother."

"Good. Stay close. The Director of MK International is expected to make an appearance for the live bidding. This is a rare opportunity, Nari. Try to look... available."

Nari turned away, her stomach churning. She drifted toward the silent auction tables, looking at the items displayed under glass: vintage watches, rare jade, and pieces of art that felt cold and lifeless.

She stopped in front of a small, hand-drawn map from the 16th century. It was a map of the very region she taught in her lectures, a piece of history showing the original trade routes before the borders were redrawn.

She leaned in, her fingers tracing the glass. It was beautiful. It was the only thing in the room that felt real.

"It’s a beautiful piece of topography, isn't it?"

Nari froze. That voice.

She didn't have to turn around to know who it was. The scent of sandalwood and winter air hit her first, followed by the undeniable heat of a body standing just a few inches behind her.

She turned slowly.

Kang Dae was standing there. But he wasn't the "student" she had seen in the hallway.

He was dressed in a black tuxedo that fit him with a precision that bordered on lethal. His hair was styled back, revealing the full, sharp planes of his face. He wasn't wearing his glasses. Without them, his eyes were predatory, dark, and utterly focused on her.

"Mr. Kang," Nari whispered, her heart hammering against her ribs. "What are you doing here? This is a private event."

"I have a very generous family, Professor," Dae said. He didn't look at the map. He looked at her. "And as I told you, I’m a student of geography. I couldn't miss an opportunity to see how the landscape changes under... moonlight."

"You shouldn't be here," Nari said, her voice trembling. "If my mother sees me talking to a student”

"Then tell her I’m an admirer," Dae interrupted. He stepped closer, his hand coming up to rest on the edge of the glass case, effectively trapping her between his arms and the table. "Tell her I’m someone who recognizes the value of a rare map."

He leaned down, his lips inches from her ear. "You look breathtaking in the silk, Nari. Ren was right about the black dress."

Nari’s world shattered.

She pushed against his chest, her eyes wide with a terror so sharp it felt like ice. "What did you say?"

Dae didn't flinch. He looked down at her, his expression unreadable, his gaze locked onto hers.

"I said the map is a beautiful piece of history," he said, his voice smooth and calm, as if he hadn't just spoken her secret name. "I think I’ll bid on it. For you."

Before Nari could speak, the lights in the ballroom dimmed. A spotlight hit the main stage.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," the auctioneer announced. "Please take your seats. We are honored to welcome the successor of MK International, Director Kang Dae, to open the live bidding."

Nari looked at the stage, then back at the man standing in front of her.

Dae gave her a slow, dark smile, the kind of smile that didn't belong to a student. It belonged to a king.

"Excuse me, Professor," he murmured. "I believe they’re calling my name."

He turned and walked toward the stage, his silhouette tall and imposing against the lights.

Nari stood by the silent auction table, her hand clutching the brass compass in her bag until the metal bit into her palm. Her mind was screaming.

Ren. Dae. Ren. Dae.

The two worlds hadn't just collided. They had merged. And as she watched the man she thought she knew walk into the spotlight of his empire, Nari realized the "Babycakes" she had fallen in love with was the most dangerous man in the room.