It was Alexander. After ordering a whiskey on the rocks from the bartender, he pulled out a ten-dollar bill and dropped it into the large glass tip jar.
Yeon Yiseo wasn’t particularly fond of sweets, but judging from how he’d polished off the dessert plate, anyone could’ve mistaken him for having a sweet tooth. Alexander seemed to be waiting for the drink he’d just ordered.
“I think you might’ve told me the wrong thing earlier.”
His voice was too quiet compared to the surrounding noise, and Yiseo was about to repeat himself when Alexander seemed to catch on to what he meant.
“If it’s a thank-you, I’ll take it.”
Alexander glanced at Yiseo and lifted the corner of his mouth slightly. The gesture looked like something out of a commercial or magazine shoot—cool and polished.
“You looked like you were in a tough spot.”
It wasn’t exactly wrong. But Yiseo, who prided himself on keeping a straight face, found himself wondering if he’d unconsciously let his emotions show earlier. And the fact that Alexander somehow sensed he was flustered now only made things worse.
“Just a hunch. And my instincts have never been wrong.”
He said it so matter-of-factly that Yiseo just stared up at him, a little dazed. For a moment, he seriously wondered if the man was telepathic. Catching his gaze, Alexander gave a soft chuckle.
“If you’re worried about Muhammad, don’t be. I smoothed things over before leaving. And he’s not the type to hold onto something like that.”
Right as Alexander finished speaking, the bartender returned with his drink—as if perfectly timed. He took a sip, and Yiseo watched his throat bob as he swallowed.
“Does it taste good?”
Yiseo asked. Alexander raised his brows slightly, seemingly surprised by the question, then pulled the glass from his lips. Yiseo quickly continued.
“People with high tolerance always say liquor tastes good, but I wouldn’t know. I mean, does anyone really drink for the flavor?”
“You just have to drink the good stuff.”
“Guess the expensive ones are different, huh.”
That made sense. The only alcohol Yiseo had ever tasted was cheap beer. He’d never touched the kind of drinks served at fancy parties like this. He wasn’t the type to slack off enough to drink while on the clock.
There were Betas with high alcohol tolerance, but Yiseo wasn’t one of them. He could drink moderately, sure, but he’d never once gotten himself into trouble over it.
Natalie was waving at him from a distance, her arm raised high. Looked like something had come up.
“Seems like work’s calling.”
Alexander noticed it before Yiseo did.
“Ah, yeah. Looks like it. I’d better get going.”
After saying goodbye, Yiseo stood from his seat and headed toward Natalie. Thankfully, it wasn’t anything urgent. She’d spotted someone she liked and wanted him to cover her spot for a bit. Yiseo told her to go for it and took the seat she’d been in.
Now that he was sitting still, the weight of what had just happened began to sink in.
He hadn’t expected to run into Tamir here today—not in a million years. What was going on? Sure, the storyline had already started to diverge, but for something like that to happen to Yeon Yiseo instead of Seo Eunwoo… that was definitely not expected.
Just to be clear, becoming anyone’s lover was never Yiseo’s goal. He wasn’t equipped to handle getting tangled up with people that famous. All he’d ever wanted was to be familiar enough to say hi in passing—just that. Maybe build up enough rapport to ask for a letter of recommendation if he ever needed to switch jobs. Nothing more, nothing less.
Feeling emotionally drained, Yiseo asked a passing staff member for a glass of apple juice. While sipping it quietly, he noticed a striking couple standing out even from a distance—Alexander, and the blond man he’d seen outside the executive office before.
The blond beside Alexander wore a deep V-neck sweater under a suit jacket, and somehow, it suited him perfectly. So he was invited too, huh. Then again, as Alexander’s lover, it would’ve been strange if he wasn’t.
They really looked like a perfect match.
“I’m back, Yiseo. What are you looking at?”
“Hm? Oh, Natalie. You’re back. How’d it go?”
Yiseo turned his head to greet her just as he was about to take another sip of apple juice. Standing up to give her back the seat, Natalie thanked him with a playful smile and flushed cheeks.
“Fufufu. What do you think?”
She seemed in good spirits. Anyone invited to this party would have a solid background, and Natalie was an attractive woman. There was a good chance this could go somewhere.
“I really like parties.”
She took a sip of her non-alcoholic cocktail.
“I do too, but today’s feels a bit too chaotic.”
“That’s true.”
As they exchanged light small talk, Yiseo began to feel socially exhausted.
“Let’s step away for a bit and rest somewhere quieter.”
“But… I mean, we are still on duty.”
“They’ll manage without you for a little while. I’m still here. And if anything really urgent comes up, I’ll give you a call.”
She had a point. With a party this large, there were enough staff on hand to cover someone taking a short break. And honestly, standing for so long had started to make his legs ache.
So once again, Yiseo made his escape to a more secluded spot.
Thinking back to the earlier encounter with Tamir, he searched even more carefully for somewhere less populated. But naturally, it wasn’t easy to find such a place. He considered just sitting anywhere for a bit, but the thought of running into Tamir—or worse, some other major character—held him back. He shook his head vigorously.
After wandering for a while, he finally found a decent spot. It looked like a makeshift storage area for unused equipment. It was spacious—too spacious to be called a storage room. Past a stack of whiteboards and tables, Yiseo found a quiet nook where he could stretch out his legs and relax.
It really did feel like a secret hideout. He finally let himself breathe. Life was exhausting, but moments like this reminded him that even in the chaos, there were still pockets of peace.
Then his phone rang. Frowning at the number on the screen, Yiseo hesitated but ultimately picked up.
“Hello? …What is it? I’m working right now. …Wait, hang on. If you spring something on me like this, I—just wait, hold on… haah.”
The other person abruptly hung up mid-sentence. Staring at the now-disconnected call screen, Yiseo slammed the back of his head against the wall in frustration. A sharp, angry breath escaped through his clenched teeth.
As if trying to shut out reality, he closed his eyes tightly and bit down hard on his lower lip.
Creaaak. The door opened, and someone stepped inside. Not just one person—more than one set of footsteps. Peeking through a gap, Yiseo caught sight of them and sucked in a sharp breath.
It was Alexander—and his lover. There were VIP rooms, so what were they doing in a place like this?
Should he announce he was here? He debated it. But then the blond man’s voice rang out.
“What the hell did I even do wrong?”
“Keep your voice down.”
Alexander’s firm tone cut through the air. Yiseo started to rise but quickly stopped himself. Best not to get involved. He decided it’d be smarter to stay quiet and wait until they left before slipping out.
“I don’t want a partner who flirts with others while dating me. I thought I made that clear from the start.”
“Oh, come on. Don’t be so petty. You’re really holding that against me?”
“Which just shows that you and I have different values.”
Alexander’s voice remained cool and steady. That only made Yiseo hold his breath harder, while the blond man clearly didn’t back down. Either he still had hope or was desperate to try anything before the end.
“Different values? So you’re saying I’m wrong now?”
“I’m not criticizing you. I’m saying we’re not compatible. You’d be better off dating someone who shares your mindset.”
Alexander didn’t leave a single opening. The blond man shifted tactics.
“You know I love you. And you’re still gonna break up with me? You won’t regret this at all?”
“Whatever you love about me is irrelevant. That only mattered when I was the only one in your life. The moment you released your pheromones to another Alpha, our relationship was over.”
His calm, emotionless tone somehow hit harder. The blond seemed to realize that too. His exhaled breath carried a tremble, and soon the sound of sniffles filled the storage room.
The tension made Yiseo feel suffocated. His entire body tensed from how uncomfortable it was. Anyone in his place would’ve felt the same.
