“It’s something really precious to me, but… is there any way you could help?”
Yeon Yiseo spoke as if pleading, but the officer once again replied with a polite apology. He hadn’t really expected things to go his way. No matter how valuable the item was to him, it couldn’t outweigh the fact that someone had been hurt—or worse, killed. Letting out a deep sigh, Yeon Yiseo muttered a quiet “Okay,” and ran a hand down his face.
The officer asked him a few more questions after that and eventually left. It was well past 3 a.m. by the time they were gone. Yeon Yiseo sat on the couch, completely dazed. He was exhausted, and yet, aside from his eyes feeling a bit dry, he wasn’t sleepy at all.
Even though something terrible had happened, daily life had to go on. He had to go to work, so he figured he should at least try to get some sleep. But lying in bed, he couldn’t calm down enough to drift off.
What kind of face was he supposed to show Alexander? He didn’t even know where to begin explaining.
He figured it’d be better to at least close his eyes, so he did, but his mind was so loud with thoughts that he couldn’t rest. It was a night that dragged on endlessly. At some point while lying in bed, morning came. Even as a trait-bearer, an all-nighter took its toll on him.
Dragging his heavy body out of bed, Yeon Yiseo headed to the office. He knew he needed to tell Alexander what had happened, but there hadn’t been a chance to see him yet—and even if they crossed paths, he didn’t think he’d be able to get the words out.
But this wasn’t something he could say over text or a phone call. It had to be in person.
He couldn’t even tell how half the day had passed. The only good news was that he hadn’t made any mistakes during his morning tasks. He had no appetite, so he skipped lunch and stayed alone in the office. Not long after everyone had stepped out, the phone on Janet’s desk rang.
The caller was Tamir Ali Muhammad’s personal secretary.
Yeon Yiseo hadn’t known there was a scheduled meeting with Tamir. Then again, he was a new hire—it made sense that such details wouldn’t be passed down to him. For Scott Industries, there was no need to discriminate when it came to contract partners. The purpose of the call was to request a change in the meeting time—from the original 4:00 p.m. to 4:30. He jotted down a note and placed it on Janet’s desk.
Alexander stepped out briefly in the afternoon. From what Janet had said, it seemed like it wasn’t on the schedule, and she was clearly stressed trying to reorganize everything.
Fortunately for Yeon Yiseo, that meant he didn’t run into Alexander during work hours. He wasn’t confident he could keep his expression in check. But he couldn’t keep avoiding him forever. He had to tell him the truth—and soon. This wasn’t some minor issue; it was serious. He had to come clean before the day ended.
Still, he couldn’t figure out how to start the message. He fiddled with his phone, staring at the screen, thinking things over again and again, before finally typing something out.
[Would you have a moment after work?]
It didn’t take long for Alexander to reply.
[Perfect timing, actually.]
Was Alexander planning to see him after work, too? Normally, Yeon Yiseo would’ve been thrilled by such a small coincidence. But in this situation, he couldn’t bring himself to feel that way.
Just imagining telling Alexander about the bracelet made his chest heavy and his mouth go dry. But there was no avoiding it.
They decided to meet at Alexander’s condo. Yeon Yiseo knew this was just a short delay, a tiny reprieve. Still, like an ostrich hiding its head in the bushes, he felt a fleeting sense of relief.
As he made his way to Alexander’s place after work, Yeon Yiseo ran through what he needed to say. What kind of expression should he wear in front of him? Would he be able to smile naturally?
But once he stepped into the condo elevator, it felt like his thoughts had slowed to a crawl, like rusted gears grinding in his brain. No matter how hard he tried not to think about it, the image of Alexander’s face when he learned the truth kept surfacing.
The only thing Yeon Yiseo could do now was offer a sincere apology—and get the bracelet back from Jeremy.
Ding. A cheerful chime signaled that he’d reached the floor. The elevator doors opened smoothly.
Through the narrow gap in the doors, Yeon Yiseo saw Alexander—and in that moment, everything he’d prepared in his head vanished.
“Welcome. Was it hard getting here?”
Alexander greeted him with the same warm, steady presence as always. The moment Yeon Yiseo saw him, his mind went blank. He could feel his carefully built resolve crumbling. But he couldn’t afford to let himself weaken.
Strictly speaking, this was an issue between him and Jeremy. The only feeling he owed Alexander was regret—regret for not properly safeguarding the bracelet he had gifted him. Everything else… that was Yeon Yiseo’s burden to carry.
“…N-no, it was fine.”
He swallowed the heat rising in his throat and answered. Lowering his head as he stepped out of the elevator, he wiped beneath his nose with a hand, pretending to adjust his expression.
“Sorry for coming by so late.”
“I’m the one who asked you to come. This way.”
Alexander’s lips curved into a gentle arc. He gestured with his chin, and Yeon Yiseo followed instinctively. That’s when he realized they were heading toward the dining table.
On the table were a fresh pizza box and a bottle of soda—it looked like a recent delivery.
“I figured you probably hadn’t eaten. I just got back myself, so this is all I had time to grab.”
Alexander opened the box, revealing a pepperoni pizza.
He didn’t even like cheese—so what had he been thinking, buying a pizza he wouldn’t normally eat? Just knowing he’d thought about him that way made Yeon Yiseo’s heart ache.
“No, this is more than enough. …It looks good.”
He wasn’t hungry at all, but still, he said it.
Alexander pulled out a plate and served him a slice, placing it gently in front of him. But Yeon Yiseo barely managed to swallow a bite. His mouth felt dry and rough, like he was chewing sand. He couldn’t taste a thing.
As he forced himself to nibble on the pizza, a soft fizzing sound from the soda can reached his ears.
“Not to your taste? You’ve barely touched it.”
Alexander held out a freshly opened can of cola. Yeon Yiseo simply replied that it was fine.
He was grateful—truly—but it only made him feel more guilty. Alexander had clearly noticed something was off. How could he not? Yeon Yiseo could feel his gaze, gentle yet searching.
“Seems like this isn’t the kind of night where you can eat properly.”
Alexander’s quiet voice cut through the silence. Yeon Yiseo lifted his eyes from the table and met his gaze.
“Is there a reason you can’t eat? Is that why you wanted to see me?”
Yeon Yiseo nodded.
“There’s something I need to tell you.”
Did that sound too heavy? He’d finally started speaking, but now the words wouldn’t come.
He’d lost something expensive. Just because someone’s a billionaire doesn’t mean they throw money around. In fact, it’s because they know the value of things that they spend wisely.
That’s why he was afraid of Alexander’s reaction.
And if he was going to explain why it got stolen—who took it—he’d have to bring up Jeremy. He’d have to talk about their relationship, and why Jeremy would do something like that.
Could he really show Alexander the parts of himself he most wanted to keep hidden?
Until now, he’d only shown Alexander the parts of himself he could accept—the ones everyone else saw. But would Alexander still accept him after this? He wasn’t so sure.
But do lovers really have to show everything?
Isn’t it okay to hide the parts you don’t want to reveal? Lovers are still individuals. They’re not teachers, not saints, not parents.
Expecting someone to love every single part of you—it’s unrealistic. Even Yeon Yiseo couldn’t do that for himself. So was it fair to ask it of someone else?
“…I heard you’ve got a meeting scheduled with Mr. Muhammad.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Alexander raised one eyebrow slightly in response.
“I picked up the call during lunch, so that’s how I found out.”
He added the unnecessary detail and immediately regretted it, feeling like an idiot.
“I see. So… was that what you needed to tell me? That’s a bit underwhelming.”
“Heh…”
Yeon Yiseo let out a dry laugh at Alexander’s joking tone—but it quickly faded.
What was he doing? This wasn’t what he’d come here to say.
This wasn’t the kind of trivial update he’d come to deliver.
He bit down on his lip.
“I lost the bracelet you gave me. To be exact… it was stolen.”
He forced the words out and closely watched Alexander’s expression, searching for even the smallest reaction.
“I’m listening.”
Alexander’s voice was soft, encouraging him to go on.
