[Morning – Outside ArcTech HQ | 8:28 AM]
The silver Genesis G70 pulled up along the quiet curb, a few blocks from Kartikey's office.
Nancy turned to him from the driver's seat, one eyebrow lifted. "You sure you want to get off here?"
Kartikey nodded quickly. "Yeah, just drop me here. Walking distance."
Nancy tilted her head. "You really don't want to be seen with me?"
He rubbed the back of his neck, awkward but genuine. "No, no! That's not it. It's just… we're not dating. Officially, I mean. Yet. And if someone from my office sees me getting dropped off by someone like you…"
She raised an eyebrow. "Someone like me?"
He laughed nervously. "I mean—look at you. Stylish. Confident. Powerful energy. I know I'm not bad-looking, okay, but next to you? I look like a guy who got lost on the way to a job interview."
Nancy chuckled. "And that's your reason?"
He opened the door, grinning. "Yeah. Office gossip is wild. I'm trying to stay employed."
He stepped out, then leaned down to add, "See you later?"
"Count on it," she said, smiling.
As he disappeared into the morning crowd, Nancy sat in the car for a moment longer, still smiling.
"So he's being careful. Doesn't want rumors. But he does want to be official. Just wants me to ask."
She chuckled softly. "What a boy. Nice, nice. As you wish, Kartikey."
She slid her sunglasses down, speaking quietly to herself.
"I'll arrange it properly."
Then, casually, she opened her door and stepped out.
No one in the crowd noticed the soft click of her heels on the pavement.
Within seconds, a sleek black Rolls-Royce Phantom pulled up beside her.
Her chauffeur stepped out and opened the door. She got in without a word.
[10:14 AM | Seoul's Elite Fashion District – 'ARIEL MODE']
The luxury boutique mall gleamed like a temple of taste. Nancy walked through its designer halls with precision, barely glancing before selecting what she needed.
A few sharp blazers. Elegant but minimalist tops. Smart shoes. A look tailored to "modern working woman on a modest budget."
"Poor, but professional," she mused with a smirk. "Well… poor by my standards."
Nancy didn't shop.
She curated a disguise.
[11:30 AM | LUXENOVA Tower – Executive Meeting Room]
She entered like a storm wrapped in silk.
The meeting room turned silent the second her heels hit the marble.
No one dared interrupt her.
They discussed expansion. Investor reactions to the ArcTech stake. Defense sector pressures.
Her words were exact. Cold. Efficient.
A lion in a room full of well-dressed sheep.
When it was over, she stood without smiling and said:
"Meeting adjourned. Everyone out."
No one argued.
[12:18 PM | Nancy's Executive Office]
Alone now, she kicked off her heels and sat on the armrest of her oversized leather chair, typing into her tablet.
She was scrolling rental listings.
"One-bedroom… clean… cozy... something that screams 'normal human apartment.'"
What she ended up buying was a 1300-square-foot "studio-style" designer condo in Gangseo-gu.
Glass balcony. Rainfall shower. Smart kitchen. Hardwood floors. Indoor heating built into the floorboards.
To Nancy, it was modest. To anyone else, it was luxury hidden behind humility.
"This will do."
Her logic was simple:If she was going to propose that Kartikey move in with her someday, she needed a place that wouldn't scare him.
Because no matter how many times they'd met He still had no idea who she really was.
[5:45 PM | Back at ArcTech HQ – Same Genesis G70]
She had changed back into her earlier outfit fitted coat, casual elegance, tied-back hair.
The Genesis G70 was parked in the same spot she'd dropped him off at that morning.
Nancy sat behind the wheel, scrolling her phone, pretending not to wait.
Then she saw him.
Kartikey stepped out from the building, talking to his only Korean friend.
Jun-ho.
Nancy remembered him from Kartikey's messages.
Jun-ho had many friends. A loud laugh. A social energy Kartikey didn't match. Nancy watched them for a moment.
At first, Jun-ho gave Kartikey all his attention.
Then more people joined.
More laughter. More side conversations.
Nancy's eyes narrowed.
She saw Kartikey say something, then stop. His lips moved, but no one noticed.
Jun-ho didn't hear him.
He tried again, nothing.
Eventually, he stopped speaking altogether, just standing there with a polite, unreadable expression.
That's when Nancy's fingers gripped the steering wheel.
"Nope."
She hit the horn---once.
Everyone turned.
So did Kartikey.
His eyes landed on her car.
His face shifted, first confusion, then shock.
And then… a smile.
Big. Unfiltered. Like it punched through all the dullness of the day.
Nancy felt that smile in her chest.
"Worth it," she whispered.
[Outside ArcTech HQ – 6:01 PM]
As Kartikey walked toward the car, the crowd around him exploded in whispers.
Men who had barely spoken to him before were now crowding around, slapping his back, laughing too loud.
"Who is she, bro?""Where did you meet her?""Number, please! One date only!""Is she a K-drama actress?"
Even Jun-ho blinked, stunned.
"Yah… Kartikey… Who is she, man?"
Before Kartikey could open his mouth—
Nancy opened her window.
"Maybe…" she said, voice smooth but sharp, "his future girlfriend."
The silence was instant.
Mouths fell open.
Then, with one flick of her hand, she gestured.
"Now if you'll let us go?"
The crowd parted like the Red Sea.
Kartikey got in.
She drove off.
[Inside the Car – 6:08 PM]
Kartikey stared at her, stunned into silence.
She kept her eyes on the road, amused.
After a good thirty seconds, she smirked.
"You done staring yet?"
He shook his head slowly. "I—I wasn't expecting that."
"Why not?"
"You just said it. In front of everyone."
Nancy shrugged. "It's not like it wasn't obvious."
Kartikey blinked, then smiled again. "You're something else, you know that?"
She pulled into his street, slowed the car down.
"Tomorrow," she said, "after work. Stay back. Don't go home early."
"Why?"
She looked straight ahead.
"I have something to tell you."
He opened the door.
"You're not gonna tell me now?"
She smiled without answering.
As the car drove off, Kartikey stood there, heart thumping louder than before.
Whatever was coming tomorrow…It was no longer just coffee and quiet walks.
Something bigger was on its way.