Kim Taeyeon's POV

"Don't you have better things to do than to slouch here in my office this morning?" The dry comment that dragged me out of my reverie came from my best friend, the Duke, Choi Sooyoung.

I scowled at him. "Can't I just visit a good friend of mine in my free time?"

"Visit?" the Duke repeated mockingly, without even lifting his eyes from the paper works he's been so busy reading. "I'm sure you have million better things to do than visit me, Taeyeon."

"Ouch." I said theatrically, placing both of my hands in my chest. "You wounded me."

"Really, Taeyeon?" Sooyoung managed to drag his eyes take off from his boring paper he'd been reading. "What's the catch? Why are you here? You are not the type of person who will slouch here in my office for nothing."

"I'm just bored, Your Royal Highness." I answered a little defensively. In truth, it's been a whole week since the luncheon Tiffany and I attended and since then the icy widow manage to dodge me.

The real reason I visited Sooyoung was to discreetly inquire about the maddening woman's whereabouts without he duke suspect anything about my association with cold woman. Dio, if I didn't know better think that she reduces me with one of her lapdogs.

"Bored?" I heard the duke repeated sarcastically. "If you're bored to tears why don't you call your mistress and do something that you will both enjoy."

I frowned and stretch my legs forward. "I don't have a mistress at the moment."

"You don't have what?" Sooyoung gaped at me. Astonishment was visible on his aristocratic face. "Care to repeat that, friend? I think I didn't hear you right."

I shifted my position in the leather chair as I tried to remain unruffled from my unexpected slip of my tongue. "I said I am not currently attached to anyone."

"When?"

"When what?"

"When was the last time you have a mistress?" Sooyoung asked without heartbeat looking at me straight from the eyes.

"Does it matter?"

"When?" the duke repeated his question again. From the look in his face it seems that he will not leave this topic unless I answered him. I cursed myself silently. "When was last time you have a mistress, Taeyeon?"

I swore loudly. "About the time we rescue your wife from that psycho ex-fiancé of hers in Las Vegas."

Choi Sooyoung's eyes widened. "That long?"

"It's that long." I answered defensively, looking away from his scrutinizing gazed. "I've been busy that's all—hey, what with that look?"

"Nothing." The duke answered casually, returning his eyes on the papers on his hands. "Now I understand."

"Understand what?" I gave him thunderous gaze.

The duke sighed without lifting his eyes on the blasted papers. "What you are experiencing now just pure sexual frustration. I didn't realize that I will witness this day you will have a lack of supply with women, friend."

My eyebrows shot upward as I shifted in my position. "Excuse me, Your Excellency. Let me clear this to you. I don't have a lack of supply with women. I just took a break from them."

"Yeah." Sooyoung agreed cheerfully, grinning ear to ear which made me want to strangle him with my bare hands. "You took a break from them half a year. I didn't know that you could be celibate that long."

"Think what you like, Sooyoung." I growled at him darkly.

"You know what," the duke ignored my dark mood and opened his drawer and pulled what look like ticket. "I have a solution to your problem. It's tonight."

"What is this?" I looked at the offer ticket in my hand.

"My wife created a foundation for her late father for the benefits of the orphaned in Moscow tonight there will be a ball. A charity auction."

I shook my head. "I'm not interested." I placed back the ticket on the duke's glass table. I have enough of this charity thing. The last time I attended one I donated half a million Euros to have a cold-hearted woman agreed to help me with my quest.

Sooyoung glared at me insolently. "What kind of friend you are? You won't even help my wife to her charity event? I think you will like it. It's bachelorette auction."

"Not interested."

The duke sighed deeply. "Your donation will be valuable, Taeyeon. Plus, my wife would extremely happy if you help. Hell, even Tiffany agreed to help."

Now that he mentioned that name I suddenly become interested. "Oh? How does she help? Does the ice queen personally selected the bachelorette that to be auction?"

This must be the reason why she hasn't contacted me this week even once. A single phone call to inquire if I am still breathing the reason was she's busy with this event. Damn, why do I feel I am acting like a love sick fool?

"Actually, no." I heard the duke replied, rubbing his jaw if forcing himself not to smile. "Quite the opposite, in fact. She's one of the bachelorette."

"What?" I abruptly stood, as if some had just lit a firecracker in my chair. "What did you just say?"

"There's no need to shout, Taeyeon." Sooyoung said casually unruffled by my outburst.

"I'm stunned if they don't hear to all the way down to the lobby."

"Did you just—"

"Yes." Sooyoung smiled maddeningly as he played with his fountain pen enjoying my reaction. "Kind-hearted friend, isn't she? She agreed to help my wife for this event."

"Does your wife plan all of this?" Every cell in my body was out for blood.

The duke shook his head. "It was a last minute decision when one of the bachelorette back out of her modelling assignment this week. Tiffany stepped in."

She volunteered herself to be auction? The thought was bloody frustrating.

"You know what, Sooyoung?" I heard myself said with a barely controlled rage. "I think I changed my mind. I will help the duchess with her charity work." I am shocked to see that my hands were quite steady when I tucked the ticket in the breast pocket of my coat. "I will see you tonight."

I will kill anyone who will bid even a single centavo to Tiffany Horvejkul with my bare hands. Even if I need to manslaughter everyone inside the ballroom tonight. So be it.

Tiffany Hwang's POV

How far will you go to help your friend?

The question that started all kept playing inside my head repeatedly as I stood at the backstage of the grand ballroom of the Rostov Hotel. My heart is thundering inside my ribcage while my legs were like jelly.

The charity auction was progressing smoothly yet my full glory I couldn't help nut to feel insecure with the other bachelorettes to socialites they all look like goddesses that came from the ancient Rome. Next to them I feel like old and unattractive.

What madness had possessed Jessica to think I can contend with these beauties?

"Tiffany!" I smiled at the very pregnant Jessica Jung approaching me.

"This is the worst thing you could ever done for me, Your Excellency." I told her as I accepted her hug.

"You'll keep." The duchess beamed. "By the way, you look gorgeous. I am sure you will be one of the highest paid for the auction."

"You do know how to make me feel well."

"Trust me, Tiffany." Jessica said proudly. "You are the one of the most beautiful women I ever see. Men will drool to you when they see you later."

I gave a shaky laughed. "You've got some imaginations, dear."

"Pardon, Your Excellency." One of the staff said. "But we need your opinion, ma'am."

"Excuse me, Tiffany. But I need to do my duty, all right?"

I laughed. "Don't mind me, dear."

I watch the very confident Duchess of Caprielle walked with the staff who probably reports about the progressing ball. She is now really capable of her surrounding very different from the wallflower heiress I met over a year ago.

"We're about to start." The one of the organizer said. My nerves spike up again. I took deep breath. I can do this, I told myself.

The first in one to be auction was the redhead bombshell that turned every heads in her direction as she walked.

As one by one the ladies went up to the stage and auctioned by single men for a one night date. And then my time has arrived after that woman on stage I will be facing my fate. As I stood waiting for my number to be called by one of the host I realized one thing.

It is one thing to let yourself be auction but it was entire different thing to be the lowest price to be sold. It was mortifying.

"Excuse me," I asked the passing staff. "What is the highest bid for a sold bachelorette?"

"Two hundred thousand Euros."

Oh, God, I thought dreadfully. "The lowest?"

"Two thousand."

If I could only get 2,100 Euros I will be fine.

"…please welcome candidate number 16. Tiffany Horvejkul." The host had said over the microphone.

My legs nearly give me away. I was shaking badly as I walked to the centre of the stage. I couldn't hear the background about me the host had been promoting to the guest inside the ball room.

"Two thousand!" someone had shouted.

Wow, not bad.

"Three thousand!" Someone shouted on the other side.

'Four!"

"Ten!"

"Ten thousand!" the host repeated, asking for any bid other than that amount.

"Fifteen!" the guy in front said. I'd settle for the amount.

"Fifteen thousand, gents." The host had said. "Any more bid?"

"One million Euros!"

The entire ballroom adopted complete silence as the spotlight search for the person who just spoke that astonishing amount. I could feel my heart is galloping in my chest as I recognized the familiar voice.

Please don't let him be the guy, I prayed earnestly.

"One million Euros, for that woman." He spoke again, finally the spotlight found him leaning casually in the far end wall of the ballroom. His stance was relaxed but I could see the tension in his body as well the defiance in his magnificent eyes.

"One million." The host had swallowed and finally recovered from his shock. "Any bid other than that?'

The room was still stunned at the bid of this crazy man.

"Going one, going twice? Sold. Candidate number sixteen was sold for one million Euros."

The crowd gasped and murmured to themselves at the turn of the events. While I took no notice of them my sole gaze was fixed at the man who might consider as the devil himself and right now he looks like one ready to claim his purchased. He started to advance at the stage. My instinct told me to run but I couldn't move my legs.

"Mine." Kim Taeyeon said once he reached the stage, his eyes held hellfire in their depth. "You are now mine, Tiffany."

Without any notice he swung me on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and gave the audience something they will talk about for decade.

Oh, God. Someone had just awakened the slumbering beast. But who was it?

My last vision of the upside down ballroom before Kim Taeyeon march down the stage was triumph on Jessica's eyes for the enormous amount.