-“Congratulations on your promotion to Executive Director.”
-“I’m sure Chairman Han must be very reassured.”
-“Looking at Executive Director Han Tae-seok, I can see a bright future ahead for NI.”
People began approaching Tae-seok, showering him with flattery and bowing obsequiously.
Jae-kyung felt as though he didn’t belong there, so he quietly stepped back.
The place I’m supposed to be is probably over there, with the Omegas.
He had a job to do, after all. He might as well do it properly.
Jae-kyung walked over casually, picked up a wineglass, and greeted them.
-“Hello.”
“Ah, hello.”
He could feel the complicated gazes of the Omegas, regardless of age or gender, all directed at him at once.
It might actually be easier among the people flattering Tae-seok.
At least their gazes weren’t nearly this complicated.
Trying to read the minds of so many people and adjust his words accordingly suddenly made Jae-kyung realize just how impressive Director Ji was. She had managed to firmly hold her place as the hostess of NI for several decades.
-“Thank you so much for coming despite your busy schedules.”
“Not at all. Of course I had to attend a celebration for Executive Director Han Tae-seok’s promotion. Thank you for inviting me.”
This person… must be Chairman Kim’s partner from the Byeolho Bank.
As Jae-kyung greeted them one by one, he mentally scanned the faces and identified who each person was.
Before the marriage, Director Ji had already handed Jae-kyung a list of the prominent families from every major conglomerate in Korea and told him to memorize them. Today was the day that preparation finally came in handy.
When Jae-kyung greeted each person by name, they all looked surprised.
More than that, thanks to the fact that he had carefully kept up with newspaper articles, online news, and television reports, he was even able to ask about their recent activities and offer greetings tailored to each individual.
That made them even more hesitant to approach him.
At least I’ve managed to put on a decent show of appearances.
-“You’ve been married for a year and a half now, haven’t you?”
“Yes, it’s been that long.”
-“I was there for your wedding, too.”
“Yes, I remember. I was so overwhelmed that day that I wasn’t able to greet you properly. I’m sorry.”
-“Oh, it’s all right. I know how hectic weddings can be. And then there’s the honeymoon afterward… Whew. I wouldn’t want to do it twice. Not that I’ll ever have the chance to do it twice.”
-“By the way, where did the two of you go for your honeymoon?”
Jae-kyung was talking to the granddaughter of a cable network executive when another Omega suddenly joined the conversation from beside them.
“Ah, we went to Northern Europe.”
-“Northern Europe~ I’ve always wanted to go there… If NI arranged your honeymoon, I bet the hotels and itinerary were all top-notch. Would you mind telling me about them? I’d love to follow the same itinerary myself. I’d really appreciate it if you could tell me the hotel names and things like that, too.”
Hmm… She’s definitely asking this on purpose.
Jae-kyung wondered how he should handle it. Of course, not a trace of that deliberation showed on his face.
“As you know, all of our plans were unofficial. There were also some business-related matters involved… I’d love to brag about it, too, but I think I should probably ask Executive Director Han first. Would you mind waiting?”
-“Ah, no. I don’t think you need to go that far.”
Then why ask in the first place if you were going to back off that easily?
Jae-kyung clicked his tongue in exasperation, then raised his head when he sensed the faint trace of pheromones creeping through the air from somewhere nearby.
Perfume?
No. This was someone’s pheromones.
An Alpha? An Omega?
The scent was so faint that he couldn’t tell.
But one thing was certain—it wasn’t Han Tae-seok’s pheromones.
Who would be so inconsiderate as to release pheromones at a gathering like this?
-“Mr. Jae-kyung, hello.”
The heir of M Publishing approached to greet him. Since it was a publishing house that put out books Jae-kyung enjoyed reading, he was happy to return the greeting.
But something was strange.
The pheromone scent was stronger now than it had been before.
It seemed that others had noticed it as well. Several people began murmuring among themselves. One by one, they started taking their Omegas aside and moving away, or taking suppressants.
Jae-kyung thought he should leave, too.
The owner of these pheromones must be in rut.
Rut could have a direct effect on Omegas. It could even cause an Omega’s heat cycle to come earlier than expected.
What on earth was he thinking, doing something like this here…?
Jae-kyung looked toward Han Tae-seok. He was still busy dealing with the guests.
Instead, the people around him had noticed what was happening and hurriedly began searching for the Alpha who had gone into rut.
-“Mr. Jae-kyung, I think you should leave, too.”
-“We’ve called a car for you downstairs. Please go in the car.”
The security guards approached Jae-kyung as they ushered the other Omegas away. Secretary Oh also came rushing over, clearly frantic, and told Jae-kyung which route to take to get away from the area.
Jae-kyung covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief for the time being.
He had recently received a hormone injection and hadn’t taken any suppressants, which made this dangerous.
I need to hurry.
Following Secretary Oh’s instructions, Jae-kyung hurried toward the elevators.
Then, suddenly, someone grabbed him by the arm and yanked him around.
Startled, Jae-kyung turned around.
An unfamiliar Alpha was holding onto him.
-"You're Park Jae-gyeong, aren't you?"
"What?"
The man's breath was ragged, his face flushed crimson. He looked as if he were about to explode. And the pheromones wafting from his body—stinging his nose and paralyzing his limbs—revealed that he was the one in rut. Where had he come from? No, it felt as if he had been waiting here. Waiting for him to come out... Come to think of it, this Alpha knew his name.
“Who are you?" Jaekyung glared at him and asked.
The man gave a sickeningly sweet smile and tried to drag Jaekyung away. An Alpha in rut possessed immense strength. Even if they were the same gender, an Omega stood no chance. Fear gripped Jaekyung.
Then, the man chuckled darkly.
The man fully unleashed his pheromones. Jaekyung, absorbing the raw power of an Alpha in rut, felt the strength drain from his legs. *No, not like this.* As if struck by a contagious disease, a heat cycle instantly overwhelmed his body.
His Omega instincts began to devour him.
Just then, another Alpha's pheromones shoved the man away. They were intense and terrifying—pheromones he had never experienced in all his life. He could feel everyone inside and outside the banquet hall stop breathing. The man suddenly gasped for air, choking, his body twisting under the crushing weight of the pheromones before he collapsed to the floor. Soon, security guards grabbed him.
As Jaekyung collapsed, losing all strength, someone caught him from behind. Trembling with terror and the sudden onset of his heat, Jaekyung gripped the fabric of his savior's clothes. His mind went blank, and a ringing sound filled his ears.
-"Managing Director, what should we do?"
-"Take care of it."
I can't hear... What are they saying? Managing Director...?
I felt my body being lifted and completely held in someone's arms. Though the person was a stranger, I was certain they wouldn't harm me, so I could peacefully accept the encroaching darkness.
The humming sound continued. I could sense the commotion, and someone's fiery anger. It sounded like someone was shouting, but I wasn't afraid. I was just worried. What would follow this commotion... What would torment me next...
"Hmm..."
He blinked a couple of times. His blurry vision gradually came into focus, revealing the familiar ceiling. After all, he had lived here for a year and a half—it would be absurd not to recognize the ceiling of his own home. The moment he saw it, Jaekyung felt a wave of relief and blinked again.
What on earth happened? When did I get here?
Moreover, his body felt strange. A heavy lethargy had settled over him, leaving him unable to move. It felt like sleep paralysis—a sickening, unpleasant sensation. Yet, unlike a typical episode...
-"Oh, you're awake!"
The door swung open, and the housekeeper stared at Jaekyung in surprise. She hurriedly set the glass of water she was holding on the table and rushed out of the room.
-"Madam! Young Master Jaekyung is awake!"
Madam? Mother?
Jae-gyeong struggled to push himself up. He wanted to get out of bed, but managing to sit up was the best he could do. Whenever he tried to move any more, his vision swam, forcing him to give up and lean back against a large pillow.
A glance out the window revealed darkness. Had the day already changed? Or was it still the same day?
-"Are you awake?"
Contrary to his hopes, the figure he had mistaken for his mother was Director Ji. *Of course,* he thought. *Why would Mother ever come here... Did I hope for too much?* It wasn't something he should have gotten his hopes up for in the first place, yet he had allowed himself to expect and then feel disappointed. He still had a long way to go.
"Yes. I'm sorry."
Jae-gyeong didn't know exactly what had happened, but Director Ji's grim expression was enough to set off alarm bells. He quickly apologized. The only skill he'd developed while working under her was the ability to read her moods.
She stood before him, waiting. A moment later, a woman brought over a chair, and Director Ji sat down with an elegant cross of her legs, gazing at Jaekyung with pure disdain.
-"Do you have any idea what you've done?" she asked. "Thanks to you, I can't even show my face in public."
*Why? What did I do?*
-"Going into heat in front of all those people... Don't you realize you've just announced to the whole neighborhood that you and Taeseok haven't bonded? I told you to hurry up and get it over with."
Go into heat?
Only then did Jae-kyung realize what had happened to him.
At the banquet, an Alpha had gone into rut, and while Jae-kyung was trying to get away, that Alpha had grabbed him.
And then…
An unbearable wave of pheromones had engulfed him. Unable to withstand the heat of arousal surging up from within his body, Jae-kyung had collapsed, feeling someone catch and support him.
After that, there was nothing.
A complete blackout.
He remembered nothing at all.