The boardroom lights dimmed automatically as the final slide disappeared from the screen.
Ji-Ah didn't look at it.
She was already reading the room.
A director cleared his throat."Before we adjourn there's one more update."
Min-Ho felt it before the name was spoken.That slight tightening in Ji-Ah's jaw.Almost invisible. Almost missed.
"AstraVale Group has entered preliminary talks with two of our overseas partners."
Silence.
Not the surprised kind.The calculating kind.
Ji-Ah folded her hands on the table, fingers perfectly aligned.
"AstraVale doesn't enter talks," she said calmly."They enter territory."
A few executives exchanged looks.
Someone tried to sound casual."They're positioning it as a collaboration."
Ji-Ah smiled.
Not warmth.Recognition.
After the meeting, voices overlapped in controlled concern.Min-Ho stayed back, pretending to review notes.
That's when he heard it.
"…last time cost us three quarters," a senior advisor muttered."And almost her position."
Ji-Ah's reply came low. Precise.
"That was because I trusted the wrong smile."
Min-Ho froze.
Not the wordsthe history behind them.
AstraVale's representative appeared two days later.
Not in person.Not yet.
A video call. Crisp resolution. Neutral background.
The man on-screen looked… pleasant.
Tailored suit. Soft voice. Perfect posture.
"Director Ji-Ah," he said warmly, inclining his head."It's been a long time."
Her expression didn't change.But something old surfaced in her eyes.
"Mr. Rhee," she replied."You're early."
He chuckled lightly."I always was."
Smiling danger.
The kind that never rushes—because it already knows where you'll step.
"We're simply exploring opportunities," he continued politely."Like the old days."
The phrase landed like a quiet knife.
Old deal.Old trust.Old betrayal.
Min-Ho stood just outside the glass partition.
He hadn't meant to listen.
But he caught enough.
Enough to understand this wasn't new.It was unfinished.
When the call ended, Ji-Ah didn't move for a moment.
Then she spoke—without turning.
"This part doesn't concern you."
Clear boundary.Professional.Unemotional.
Min-Ho answered just as calmly.
"Understood."
He should have left.
He didn't.
He stayed where he was silent, steady, present.
Not pushing.Not questioning.Not claiming.
Just… there.
Ji-Ah finally looked at him.
For the first time, the mask slipped just a fraction.
Not fear.
Resolve.
Across the city, Mr. Rhee leaned back in his chair, smile fading into calculation.
"So," he murmured, replaying the call,"she's built walls now."
His eyes sharpened.
"Let's see who she's standing with."
End Beat:This is no longer just business.Not romance either.
It's alignment under pressure.Shared silence.Parallel resolve.
And the shadow has finally stepped close enough to touch.