A shiver of gooseflesh ran over me. The sudden switch to banmal was one thing, but it was the pheromones he pushed into the space between us that truly hit. On my breath, against my skin—there was only one intent behind them.

“You don’t honestly think I spilled that wine by accident, do you?”

“...”

They were crude, filthy pheromones meant solely to trigger my heat. The sticky way they clung was unlike anything I’d ever felt.

I had never once been faced with alpha pheromones used to force arousal. In fact, the first proper alpha pheromones I’d ever experienced were Kwon Yido’s, so it was no wonder this felt so revolting. With every shallow inhale, my lungs prickled as if insects were crawling along the lining.

“Let’s just make this fun for both of us. No need to complicate things between people who know how this all works, yeah?”

“...Do you even realize what you’re saying right now?”

My mind lagged behind my mouth. Part of it was the shock of the situation, but there was also this constant churn in my stomach I couldn’t explain. It wasn’t as though I hadn’t anticipated something like this. I’d been sure I could handle it calmly—yet reality was refusing to cooperate.

“You can’t do this.”

He was a man, and so was I. No matter how much pheromone Kwon Ijeong threw at me, I was a dominant omega who couldn’t even secrete pheromones. This level of stimulation was something I should’ve been able to ignore without so much as blinking.

“Don’t—”

“Hey, why do you keep saying don’t?”

And yet, unease kept creeping in. The fear that I might be consumed and burn away completely under him took root. The closer he got, the more my vision darkened, as if I were dying right there on my feet.

“You know this game’s a load of shit. You’re keeping quiet because you know you can’t afford to say no, or you’ll end up suing, right?”

He wasn’t entirely wrong. I knew exactly how dirty this game could get. If I pushed him away or refused outright, the fallout could be more than I could guess.

“...That kind of threat doesn’t work on me.”

Because I was someone with nothing left to lose. I’d given up my position as division head with my own hands; there was nothing left to damage.

And besides, my body was already bound by contract to Kwon Yido. If Kwon Ijeong tried anything, I was certain Yido would at least be a minimal line of defense. Which meant I had no reason to let myself be swayed here.

“Threat? When did I threaten you?”

So why was I still afraid? Why were my hands trembling so hard? He hadn’t even touched me yet. If I wanted, I could push him off easily enough. Even with an alpha’s physical strength, there was no reason to simply take it.

“I’ve got no interest in screwing another guy’s hole, but seeing Yido going crazy over you makes me think I should at least try a taste.”

I managed to move my legs, retreating as much as he advanced. Like a predator herding prey, Kwon Ijeong narrowed his eyes, scanning me up and down.

“So this is what he’s been keeping locked away so carefully... Even with the same equipment, I think I could go for it at least once.”

The thicker his pheromones grew, the faster my heart pounded. My teeth clicked together, and bile rose in my throat. I clenched my jaw to keep from gagging outright.

“Shit, he wouldn’t even let me attend your damn engagement—”

“...”

He stopped a short distance away. I’d backed up until there was nowhere left to go, my shoulders against the wall. My breathing was getting ragged; I forced myself to steady it as his expression twisted.

“Jung Sejin.”

'Jung Sejin.'

It felt like I heard it twice—his voice, and another one layered over it from memory. The sounds around us receded into a blur until only Kwon Ijeong’s voice rang clear.

“You’re not getting away.”

“...”

“This place? I’ve used it before. No one comes here. Got it?”

“...”

“You might as well stop wasting energy and behave. Damn it, omegas have no charm anymore, no charm.”

My vision flashed black, then white, over and over. His pheromones coiled around my throat, driving me to the edges of my limbs. My body temperature seemed to drop, as though my blood had turned to ice.

“Now that I think about it... I can’t even smell your pheromones. Are you really an omega?”

“...”

“No, never mind. Doesn’t matter if you are or not.”

He strode forward again, seizing my collar and yanking me down. My legs buckled; even with barely any force, I sank to my knees.

“If you hate it that much, use your mouth. Who knows—if you do it well enough, I might let you off.”

His rough hand raked through my hair, ruining the careful set. Then he clamped his grip on the back of my head, dragging me toward his crotch. The stench of his pheromones thickened, and I could see the swollen bulge in his trousers.

“Put some effort into it.”

'If you want to save the company...'

“I don’t even expect skill. Just start by unzipping.”

Act like a whore.

“...”

The hard floor pressed into my knees. The physical humiliation was nothing compared to the nausea churning in my gut. The sensation of my lip splitting, of something forcing its way into my mouth, of it prying at my throat—it all came rushing back.

“...”

My eyelids fluttered blankly. Somewhere along the way, tears had gathered at the corners of my eyes and begun to slip down my cheeks. Kwon Ijeong swallowed visibly, licking his lips as he watched.

“Wow, you’re crying... that’s hot.”

I had no strength left to move a finger. Opening my mouth felt like my insides would spill out. Tears streamed steadily, but I barely even noticed I was crying.

'Can’t even do this right?'

The grip in my hair wasn’t unfamiliar. Forcing my face down to rub against his fly wasn’t unfamiliar either. The bulge in his trousers brushed my cheek, his hand locking at the back of my head.

“What are you waiting ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ for?”

My trembling hand came up to his thigh—not to entice him, but because my sense of reality was warping. The man before me didn’t feel like Kwon Ijeong, but someone else I was bound to obey.

“Yeah, fuck. If you’d just been like this from the start—”

It didn’t last. The moment he grabbed my head with both hands, the grip vanished just as roughly. Before I could even open my mouth, his pheromones blew away.

“...Ugh!”

Bang! The sound was explosive—loud enough to believe a rock had shattered. The jarring crack snapped me back.

“...”

I slowly lifted my head toward the shadow looming over me. A black suit, slightly lighter buttons, a jeweled brooch on the chest, and above a strong neckline—an all-too-familiar face.

“...Mr. Kwon Yido.”

“...”

He looked down at me once, his lips curling as he muttered something under his breath. It sounded like a curse, though I couldn’t be sure. All I knew was that the calm, composed gaze I’d always seen was now filled entirely with rage.

“What the fuck—do you know where the hell we are?!”

Kwon Ijeong’s angry shout cut off midway. Yido had closed the distance, yanked him in by the collar, and slammed a fist into his face. With a wet crack, his head snapped to the side, spitting blood-tinged saliva.

“...”

It didn’t stop at one hit. Yido kept hold of him and drove his fist in again and again. There was no trace of the man who’d ever shown me kindness—only raw, merciless violence.

“Executive Director!”

Lee Taeseong burst into the restroom at last. He froze at the sight of me on the floor, then moved toward Yido, who was still pummeling Ijeong.

“You’ll kill him at this rate.”

Another punch landed. Ijeong was already limp, unconscious. They were both alphas, both men, yet the gulf in strength was terrifying.

“If you keep going—”

“Kill him?”

Cold pheromones flooded the space, carried on his frigid voice. The anger wasn’t aimed at me, but it was so overwhelming I still flinched. Compared to this, Kwon Ijeong’s pheromones were nothing.

“He’d deserve it.”

Yido’s eyes were wild, stripped of reason. Ignoring Taeseong’s unease, he raised his fist again.

“...Mr. Kwon Yido.”

I called his name softly, almost desperately—not to stop him, but to be sure this was real. That the man in front of me now wasn’t some hallucination.

“How... how are you here—”

But my voice shook pitifully. I hadn’t been touched, I wasn’t even afraid anymore. The instant I saw his face, every shred of fear had vanished—yet still, my voice trembled.

“...”

He closed his eyes tightly, as if to rein in his temper, then exhaled deeply. With a careless toss, he let go of Ijeong. Taeseong caught the falling body on reflex.

“Get him out of my sight.”

Yido turned toward the sinks. I thought he might wash his hands—and sure enough, he scrubbed away the blood. Without even drying them, he came straight toward me, lips pressed in a thin line.

“...”

“...”

What would he say? A flicker of worry rose. That I’d been foolish to follow, that I’d walked into this myself—it felt like he might blame me.

“Sejin.”

Instead, he knelt without hesitation, shrugging off his jacket to wrap around my shoulders. His hands cupped my face, scanning it intently, before he set one on the back of my head and pulled me into his chest.

“Sorry I’m late.”

“...”

The tension drained from my body. Time began moving again, warmth returning to my chilled fingertips. The gentleness in that heat left me unable to speak.

“Sorry.”

He rubbed his chin against my hair, voice low enough for me alone. I cautiously brought my arms around his waist. Burying my face against his neck, I breathed in his familiar scent.

“Ah...”

It was overwhelming—not gratitude that he’d saved me, but the relief of knowing my fear had been for nothing.

So I let my eyes close in peace, and with the scent of wood in my nose, I slipped into unconsciousness.

***

Someone was stroking my hair. Careful fingers traced through it, light enough to graze my forehead. As though memorizing my features, they brushed the edge of my eye and wiped away the tears still clinging there.

'If you can’t spread your legs, at least open your mouth.'

But the voice at my ear was icy, nothing like the warmth of the touch. It sliced into my chest like a thin blade.

'What can you even do without that skill...'

The gentle caress turned rough, gripping my throat, fisting in my hair, forcing my head back painfully.

'Behave, Jung Sejin.'

It was a shackle, binding my hands and feet, allowing no chance to resist. All I could do was collapse to my knees and obey.

'Fucking worthless omega...'

The scene kept shifting, endlessly. Or maybe “scene” wasn’t the right word—just an unbroken stream of voices whispering, hands roaming, relentless torment.

I realized quickly it was a nightmare. I’d had it often enough that it barely rattled me anymore; I’d learned to wait it out. But this time, the line between dream and reality was too thin.

'So this is what he’s been keeping locked away...'

Every word from Kwon Ijeong stuck in my head, down to the look in his eyes—recorded with perfect clarity.

“...Ugh.”

So I kept wanting to throw up. Nothing in my stomach, yet I felt like I could vomit it all out. Nothing had even happened in that restroom, yet I felt as if I’d been raped.

“Good boy...”

A gentle voice soothed me. Pheromones spilled in a warm tide—the scent of rain-soaked wood, heavy and familiar. They seeped into my lungs, comforting in their familiarity.

“It’s all right. Nothing happened.”

The words were so tender that the ugly thoughts from a moment ago dissolved. My mind was empty now but for one wish.

“Sleep...”

I wished this moment could last forever. Not fleeting peace that slipped away in a blink, but comfort that stayed.

I didn’t dream again. I simply fell into a deep sleep, as if reclaiming all the hours insomnia had stolen. The one stroking my hair stayed until I was fully asleep.

I don’t know how much time passed. When I opened my eyes, it was silent all around. I blinked slowly, staring up at a ceiling I’d never seen before. White wallpaper, unlit lights, a ceiling far higher than in my own room.

“...”

It was unfamiliar, but I wasn’t startled. The reason was simple—the room was saturated with a familiar pheromone. The same subtle presence I’d felt before bed, and while I slept.

“You’re awake?”

Kwon Yido was sitting on the bed, watching me. He was in just a shirt and loosened tie, the dim light giving him a lazier air than usual.

“This is...”

“A hotel.”

My still-sleepy mind began piecing things together: the anniversary ceremony, Kwon Ijeong spilling wine on me, the unavoidable incident in the restroom.

“I figured going home would draw too many eyes, so I brought you to a room I use.”

“...”

“If you’re uncomfortable, tell me. I’ll have a car prepared.”

As he spoke, he smoothed my hair gently. The touch was so tender that the drowsiness threatened to drag me under again.

“Are you going to sleep more?”

“...No.”

“You look tired.”

“No... I should get up. The ceremony’s still...”

I blinked, halfway closing my eyes again. He gave a quiet laugh.

“The ceremony ended a while ago.”

“...”

“Go back to sleep. I’ll be here when you wake.”