Chapter Eighteen: Jin-Rae's voice silenced the whole event.

The event went on with a few pictures and cocktails. Jin-Rae did not let Rose sip any wine because of her alcohol intolerance, though Rose did not object.

Jin-Rae talked with a lot of important people, and surprisingly Rose already knew all of them since her father, who was not only the President of Shen Medical Group but also a major stockholder of a lot of the companies present, mostly medical-related. The connections her father built made them one of the influential families in the North City.

It was impressive that half of them knew that they were childhood friends and that they were brought in nostalgia to see them now as an adult.

"I just need to go to the comfort room for a bit," Rose told Jin-Rae as soon as he was done speaking with a guest.

"I'll guide you."

"No, it's fine. I'll find you after." Rose told him and gave him a reassuring smile.

...

"I'd like to add another name for the auction later."

"I'm sorry mam but the lists are already closed. unless one of the participants back out."

"Then take my name out of the List. I really don't want to participate since my Fiancé is here. He won't like it."

"Are you sure Ms. Ling? You're the main--"

"Yes, replace it with my good friend Rose Olivia Shen. Thank you!"

The staff looked worried because the name Ling is the last participant, the main event for the charity ball. How could he replace it with just a good friend...

"Don't worry, here's for being a good staff. Your kindness is much appreciated." The woman with the pretty red nails handed over a fat envelope to the staff. "I promise you, the one replacing me won't be a disappointment."

...

"Alright, I think everyone is settled down. Let's start the main event for this Charity Ball! before we start, I'd like to call all the bachelors to sit tight and enjoy. All the ten ladies present are here to accompany you for a date you will never forget. Okay, now let us call... June August!"

The lady with a fitted blue gown was guided on stage with a staff. The lady looked stunningly beautiful as she stood tall on the stage. She was recognized as one of the models who walked on a very famous lingerie designer. One man bid her with 200,000 dollars then ended with 500,000 dollars.

Jin-Rae looked at his watch and noticed that Rose had been gone for 20 minutes. He tried to call her cellphone but he would go straight to her voice mail. After the third call, he stood from the table and went straight to the comfort room, where he searched the halls only to see that there was no trace of Rose in the comfort room.

He dialed his bodyguard, who had been blending with the crowd, and told him to find Rose immediately.

"Jin-Rae." One voice called out from the end of the hallways. Thinking it was Rose, Jin-Rae strode forward to the end of the hall. He turned left at the end and was disappointed to see that there was no sign of a white silk gown, only a red studded one.

"Jin-Rae." The woman greeted, grinning as she approached him. "You look sexy with your black hair."

"I'm not here to play games, Shirley. Where's Rose?"

The woman's stunning face turned sour when Rose's name came out of his mouth. "I don't know."

Jin-Rae only looked at her coldly, pushing his hand to his pockets balling them into fists. "Where's Rose?"

Shirley Ling took slow steps forward and managed to put her hand on Jin-Rae's right arm. "You are supposed to be my date, remember? Our families have been planning this union for centuries. Once the Mo family would bore a son, he would automatically be united with the Ling Family. It's been three generations, Jin-Rae, you won't have the power to break that tradition."

Jin-Rae smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. The way he looked at Ms. Ling's feature made the room drop a few degrees from his icy stare. Shirley didn't even flinch when she caught sight of him staring at her with a murderous look. Instead, she rested her head on his chest. "Would you like my father to destroy your family's reputation?"

Jin-Rae closed his eyes in irritation. He felt his phone vibrate from his pocket.

"She's in the stage right now currently being bid at 1 million dollars."

"Bid 2 million now!" Jin-Rae quickly went out of the halls in haste, not even giving Ms. Ling a second look.

As soon as Jin-Rae was back to the event, he saw the white silk gown on stage with Rose's frightened expression, her eyes kept looking at the crowd.

"3 million!"

"oh my god I don't think someone could bid that--"

"10 million dollars." Jin-Rae's voice silenced the whole event.