The best option would have been to disappear far away just like this. But Haejin understood quickly that it was unrealistic.
He felt as though he were a lake covered in thin ice. This was different from enduring inside the Estate. Like when he had fainted, he was now in a state where even something trivial could shatter him.
Even if he wished to let go of everything, it did not mean he would not feel the pain of breaking.
So he realized that accepting the deal Lyle offered was the only viable method.
Just as Lyle had abducted him without hesitation this time, he possessed countless extralegal ways to force Haejin into compliance. With no one backing him, Haejin’s existence could vanish legally without much difficulty. Strangely, disappearing itself did not frighten him. But the process—the pain required to reach that point—did.
In that sense, the contract Lyle presented in this reality functioned almost like a protective device.
After running again and again, when he finally looked back at the document, that was the meaning it carried.
“…Why three months.”
“There’s no special reason.”
“It’s too short.”
“It isn’t. If you can’t find someone by then, that’s your incompetence.”
“….”
That alone was not enough.
Haejin did not want to be trapped there indefinitely. He deliberately chose words that would provoke Lyle’s pride, hoping stubbornness would force his acceptance. His chapped lips split, and he tasted blood.
Endure a little pain, then wait for calm. That was the best course available to him now. The IV attached to his wrist felt like another tether, not unlike when his body was entangled with Lyle’s.
“…Fine.”
Haejin, who had been staring blankly at the ceiling, seemed as though he might vanish at any moment despite lying plainly before him. Lyle was certain the pheromones were affecting even his own perception.
And now Haejin, who had avoided the contract so desperately, was agreeing so readily. It was what Lyle had wanted, yet the sudden shift in attitude made him uneasy.
While waiting for Haejin to regain consciousness, Lyle had analyzed his own condition. Perhaps relying on a single pheromone source for discharge had caused a fixation. If so, he could bring Haejin back to the Estate and gradually neutralize the effect with others. Even if inconvenient, maintaining multiple contracts might be wiser going forward.
So accepting, even conditionally, was beneficial.
And yet the words three months scraped unpleasantly against his ears.
“And I need a clause stating I can quit at any time. Like before.”
Haejin did not stop there.
The suggestion that even those three months might not be guaranteed sent a cold sensation through Lyle, as if winter air had invaded the hospital room.
“…No. You’ll fulfill the full term.”
“Without that clause, what does the contract mean to me?”
“….”
His voice trembled, but the meaning pierced cleanly.
Lyle narrowed his eyes and looked at those lips again—the ones that had irritated him since earlier. The faint blood where they had split was visible even in the dim room.
“If you don’t like it, then bind me and force it. Like you suggested.”
The words from that rough, small mouth struck Lyle somewhere deeper than he expected.
Had he truly spoken with such cruelty?
“…That clause will be included.”
He nodded at last.
After the chaos of the night, this was an outcome he could not dismiss. For now, this was the point at which he would concede.
“Rest.”
He turned without hesitation. There was no reason to remain. He did not even consider that until now he had been lingering there without clear purpose.
“….”
Watching the hospital door slide shut, Haejin sank inward.
He had argued over a single clause, yet contracts had never protected him before. Three months was only a temporary measure. Lyle possessed the power to alter his word at any time and detain him regardless.
Unless Lyle chose to release him, there would be no escape.
This clumsy attempt had proven useless.
And for some reason, Lyle did not seem inclined to let him go anytime soon.
So Haejin thought calmly.
If he was to leave the Estate, next time he would need something more definitive.
And he already knew what that method was.
***
“Prepare the contract. Include every condition last presented to Haejin. Term: three months.”
Given the shortened duration, it was unnecessary to uphold all the previously proposed conditions. Besides, Haejin had shown little interest in the material compensation Lyle offered. He was fixated only on the end of the contract. That stubbornness stirred Lyle’s pride, prompting him to add even more than necessary.
Perhaps Haejin’s detachment stemmed from not yet grasping the scale of what was being handed to him. Once he realized what he held, relinquishing it would become difficult.
“The ownership of the downtown building and the penthouse in Rain Tower—shall those remain included?”
“Yes.”
“…Understood.”
The secretary paused briefly while taking notes. For a three-month term, the compensation was excessive. In Heavy Rain City, even vast sums could not easily purchase land or buildings in the central district.
Thus, when instructed to include the clause allowing Haejin to terminate at will, the secretary offered advice.
“Let us limit those assets to cases where the full three-month term is completed. The agreed monetary compensation will remain unchanged regardless.”
“…Do that.”
Only then did Lyle realize he had responded emotionally. He frowned slightly. As the secretary continued writing, Lyle recalled Haejin’s empty gaze scanning the hospital room. His pheromones had been as dry as desert air.
“And add a clause requiring notification of destination whenever he leaves. If location tracking becomes necessary, report separately.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
The secretary understood immediately. He was well aware of the circumstances surrounding Haejin’s disappearance.
“Why wasn’t there a personal living allowance clause in the previous contract?”
“Initially, the hospital expenses for Mr. Bright’s parents were considerable. Additionally, you stated that all necessities within the Estate would be fully provided.”
“That’s right.”
“Furthermore, if a living allowance issue arose, it was believed you intended to leverage it in renegotiation. That is why it was omitted.”
“…I see.”
Suddenly, he remembered that small hand signing the contract without a lawyer present. He could not recall what he had felt watching it tremble faintly.
“Shall we include a living allowance clause this time? Since hospital expenses are no longer the primary objective, it may be unnecessary.”
“No. It’s different now. There’s no need.”
Life within the Estate would lack nothing.
Lyle stared down at the glossy black surface of his desk, unsettled.
Where was this irritation coming from?
The secretary, having finished his notes, spoke after a brief hesitation. There were reports he had delayed, uncertain whether Lyle would truly pursue re-contracting Haejin.
“You had stated you preferred a healthy Omega, did you not?”
The first thing that came to mind was Haejin’s recent blood test.
The Chairman had wanted an Omega with faint pheromones and robust health. He despised schedule disruptions caused by a partner’s illness.
In that regard, Haejin no longer fit the standards Lyle had previously insisted upon.
Regardless of intent, Haejin’s condition was now relevant. It was time to report it.
“And?”
“The previous blood test indicated malnutrition at a dangerous level. The findings during this hospitalization were similar.”
“…Malnutrition?”
“Yes. The hospital has reported multiple concerns. At present, Mr. Bright is not in suitable condition to proceed with the contract. If you prefer, I will continue searching for another healthy Omega.”
As he spoke at length, the secretary carefully observed Lyle’s expression. He was not one to pass judgment—only to execute the Chairman’s will. If that will shifted, he would adjust accordingly.
Lyle found himself incredulous.
Haejin had been away from the Estate for less than a month.
What had he done to himself to reach malnutrition?
“Did he touch drugs?”
The empty expression. The unsteady body. Suspicion flared instantly. The thought of investigating Haejin’s movements irritated him further. Who had he met? With whom had he entangled himself?
The discomfort sharpened into something uglier.
But the secretary calmly placed additional documents before him.
“I don’t believe that is the case.”