Chapter 13

Kang, the executive director, hardened his expression as he dialed the number again. He tried several more times, but each time, the phone monotonously repeated the same automated message.

With each attempt, Kang Jinwook's face grew stiffer. His mind was swirling with the last conversation he had with Choi Sunwoo.

"If you don't want to believe it, don't. I’ll disappear on my own, so why are you acting like this?"

Following that, he shouted that he didn't like him and to get out of his life, but Kang didn’t bother to remember those words.

The only thing remaining in Kang Jinwook's memory was the desperate look in Choi Sunwoo's eyes as he tried to push him away.

"The number you have dialed is no longer in service…"

Once again, the message indicating Choi Sunwoo's disappearance played from the phone.

Clatter.

Kang Jinwook abruptly stood up. The heavy leather chair screeched loudly as it was pushed back. The look on his face as he left the office was terrifying.

Although it was well past quitting time, the employees in the secretary’s office, who had stayed behind out of fear of their boss, were frightened by his demeanor.

But Kang Jinwook didn’t even glance at them as he headed for the elevator. Just as he approached, the elevator doors opened.

"Ah, Executive Director!"

Before he could even hear the voice, Kang Jinwook sensed the faint pheromones exuding from the person. It was a bright and sweet rose scent.

It was the pheromone of an omega in full bloom, confidently showing off its presence.

Kang Jinwook hesitated and looked at the person. As their eyes met, the omega, draped in the rose scent, bowed slightly.

"Im Haewon from the Overseas Business Department. I’ve brought the summarized meeting materials."

"…"

Kang Jinwook barely listened to what Im Haewon was saying and took in the scent of his pheromones once more.

"Is this what your pheromones always smell like?"

"…Sorry?"

Caught off guard by the unexpected question, Im Haewon asked back, dazed.

"I’m asking if this is what your pheromones normally smell like."

"Ah… Does it bother you? Then I’ll suppress it."

Blushing, Im Haewon quickly tried to control his pheromones.

As a dominant omega, he had always let his pheromones surround him naturally, like perfume. He never imagined that someone would find it unpleasant. Embarrassed and flustered, Im Haewon didn’t know what to do.

"Executive Director, I apologize if it bothered you."

Im Haewon bowed his head. The employees in the secretary’s office felt sorry for him, seeing the beautiful young man apologizing with such a remorseful expression.

However, Kang Jinwook didn’t care about Im Haewon at all. He was recalling the pheromones he had randomly encountered before.

"When was that? Ah, it was two months ago."

At that time, Kang Jinwook had sensed pheromones on the street that caught his attention.

Normally, as an extreme dominant alpha, he could thoroughly control his own pheromones, and if he wanted, he could either ignore others' pheromones or completely overpower them with his own.

But that day, he couldn’t do it. Unfortunately, his rut was approaching, and he wasn’t in the best condition.

He had a slight fever, and his temperature was gradually rising, but there was an important dinner with government officials that he couldn’t leave early.

The government officials at the dinner loved to drink late into the night. Many times, they wouldn’t leave until after midnight, and sometimes they wouldn’t go home until they saw the morning sun.

That day, too, Kang Jinwook had to endure until midnight with extraordinary patience. After seeing the guests off, he stood on the street with a somewhat dazed mind.

"It’s been a while since I felt like this."

Kang Jinwook thought, dissatisfied, as he rubbed his face with one hand. No matter how excellent his self-control was as an extreme dominant alpha, he couldn’t avoid the rut cycle that came twice a year.

Feeling unwell, drinking alcohol, and staying late—it all made him feel like he had reached his limit.

Before he lost control and caused an incident, he thought he needed to hole up in a hotel for two days, unable to move.

An alpha in rut was like a beast off the leash. No, an extreme dominant alpha in rut was more like an uncontrollable disaster. Even someone like Kang Jinwook, who prided himself on his self-control, couldn’t be confident in controlling himself during that time.

Soon, a familiar car stopped in front of him. Kang Jinwook was about to get in without thinking when he sensed a strange scent and hesitated.

It was the pheromone of an omega—fresh and crisp like a ripe apple, with a hint of sweetness that made his mouth water.

Kang Jinwook felt both hunger and, surprisingly, desire at the same time from that pheromone. Frowning, he quickly scanned his surroundings and the inside of the car.

The person in the driver’s seat wasn’t his usual driver, but Choi Sunwoo. Choi Sunwoo was a beta, and naturally, couldn’t emit pheromones.

The reason Kang Jinwook hadn’t chased Choi Sunwoo away in the three years he had been around was precisely because of that. Of course, there were other reasons, but they were secrets known only to Kang Jinwook.

"Why are you here?" Kang Jinwook asked coldly.

"The driver said he wasn’t feeling well, so I was waiting to drive you," Choi Sunwoo replied, not turning his gaze toward Kang Jinwook, who was standing outside the car. He was gripping the steering wheel tightly, his upper body pressed forward.

He looked every bit the novice driver.

"Ha."

Kang Jinwook let out an incredulous sigh. He was already irritated that his rut seemed to be coming earlier than usual, and now it was Choi Sunwoo.

Kang Jinwook frowned deeply and was about to close the car door. He was considering taking a taxi instead.

At that moment, the wind blew again, and this time, the omega’s pheromone wafted even more strongly. It was a slightly damp, fresh, sweet apple scent, as if it had been soaked in rain. It was the kind of scent that made your mouth water just thinking about biting into it.

The moment he recognized it, saliva pooled under his tongue.

"…?"

Kang Jinwook quickly looked around. Then he spotted a young man standing with an umbrella. Soon, Kang Jinwook remembered who the young man was.

It was Im Haewon, the omega who had recently joined the overseas business department. The omega emitting the strong pheromones was him.

Of all things, he was an omega working in the same company. If it had been an omega that Secretary Kwak had brought in to help with Kang Jinwook’s rut cycle, he wouldn’t have hesitated to take him away.

Even if it had been an omega he didn’t know at all, it would have been better. But he couldn’t just recklessly touch an employee from his own company.

Although Kang Jinwook was somewhat different from others, his mother’s upbringing had taught him at least to try to uphold certain boundaries.

Of course, it wasn’t just because of that. He also didn’t want to attract unwanted attention from his father, Chairman Kang, or his brother, Kang Jintae, by messing around with an omega in the company.

It was already annoying and troublesome enough that they were both suspicious of him just because he had kept Choi Sunwoo by his side.

Kang Jinwook frowned deeply as he got into the waiting car. Waiting for a taxi with that omega would be dangerous.

But by then, Kang Jinwook was already at a dangerous threshold. It seemed his rut was going to start sooner than expected.

He should have taken his suppressant when he first felt unwell, but he had made a mistake. He hadn’t expected to react to an omega’s pheromones on the street.

If he smelled those pheromones again, all his mother’s lessons about propriety would go out the window, and he might just drag that omega to a hotel.

"Take me to G Hotel."

Kang Jinwook ordered as he got into the car. Choi Sunwoo hesitated for a moment before glancing at him through the rearview mirror. But Kang Jinwook didn’t notice, as he was busy looking at his phone to call Secretary Kwak.

"Secretary Kwak, clear all my schedules for the next three days."

"Yes, understood."

"And send an omega to the penthouse."

Kang Jinwook casually tossed out the order, hung up the phone, and closed his eyes. Whether it was because of the rut or because the alcohol was finally kicking in, his head was spinning.

His ears felt blocked, and his body was starting to heat up.

"Driver Kim, open all the windows!"

Kang Jinwook ordered without opening his eyes. He still felt like the omega’s pheromones were lingering at the tip of his nose and needed some fresh air.

Zzzzz.

The windows rolled down, and the cool spring night air filled the car. Kang Jinwook exhaled slowly and let his body sink into the seat. He had already forgotten that the person driving was not his usual driver, Kim, but Choi Sunwoo, as he drifted off into a light sleep.@@novelbin@@

Not long after, the car came to a stop. By then, Kang Jinwook was barely holding onto consciousness.

He didn’t even realize who was helping him out of the car. All he could focus on was the fresh apple scent still tickling his nose, both troubling and exciting him.

That night, Kang Jinwook spent a wild, heated night with the omega Secretary Kwak had sent. An extreme dominant alpha in rut was a dangerous and threatening beast.

Under him, the omega, whose face he didn’t even know, cried out and begged. Yet, at the same time, they were soaked in pleasure.

Kang Jinwook indulged in the omega, who was thoroughly saturated in his pheromones, greedily devouring him as if he were in heat. The next day, Choi Sunwoo arrived at the hotel, carrying a shopping bag, supposedly running an errand.

Choi Sunwoo looked pale and weak, as if recovering from a severe cold. But oddly, his eyes were filled with a deep sadness that didn’t quite suit him.

This was the first time Kang Jinwook began to see "Choi Sunwoo" as something more than just "Secretary Choi."