Chapter 76
Se-jin was extremely cautious. He didn’t do anything reckless that might get him caught by Congressman Kim’s side while approaching Tae-geon. Instead, he was secretly assessing Tae-geon’s value from afar.
Upon investigation, it seemed that successor training had already begun behind the scenes. Despite the inherent flaw of being an illegitimate child, it meant that the board and elders had recognized his qualities and capabilities to bring them more wealth and power.
There were no rumors about the official wife of the Tae-ryeong Group’s head. If Tae-geon was the only bloodline of Tae-ryeong, he was essentially the sole legitimate heir, regardless of being a legitimate or illegitimate child.
Given this situation, even the suspicious Se-jin couldn’t help but believe Tae-geon’s words. His claim about not being able to set his father and Congressman Kim against each other also sounded quite reasonable, as Se-jin had directly uncovered the fact that Tae-ryeong was the source of Congressman Kim’s funds.
However, his instincts kept signaling danger. There was a persistent foul smell coming from somewhere.
Despite all doubts being cleared, for some reason, the primal suspicion about whether he was truly the dominant alpha’s imprinting partner just wouldn’t subside. It was an alarm ringing from intuition rather than reason.
If only he hadn’t smelled the dominant alpha’s pheromones vibrating throughout that slow-witted omega’s body, he wouldn’t have harbored such doubts.
It didn’t make sense how Tae-geon could speak so emotionlessly about disposing of that omega after showering them with pheromones overflowing with lust.
On the day of the alpha’s rut, attaching a tracking device to Tae-geon’s car parked at the hotel was truly an impulsive action.
…And yet…
Se-jin stared intently at the screen. A red dot was blinking near the coast. He carefully checked the map and satellite images, but it was just an empty field with nothing around, no houses or temples. There were no facilities within a radius of several kilometers around the red dot.
Tae-geon had been frequenting this place almost daily. It gave Se-jin an uneasy feeling. He had a strong intuition that something not on the map existed there. Tae-geon usually visited the place in the early morning hours when there were no people around, as if trying not to be seen by anyone.
Fearing he might run into Tae-geon, Se-jin drove there in broad daylight.
A dilapidated, almost collapsing haunted house appeared. The surroundings were messy, as if it was an unfinished construction site, perhaps deliberately made to look that way.
He knew of a similar place. Ape Bleu was operating secretly underground with exactly this kind of exterior to deceive people’s eyes. Even the windows that should have been there were similarly patched up with cement. Se-jin knocked on it with his fist, but it was solidly blocked.
It didn’t seem like a place where people could live at all. Even the entrance door he barely found looked like it hadn’t been touched by human hands for a long time.
That made it even more suspicious. The fact that someone was frequenting such a place daily.
Se-jin had no intention of asking Tae-geon about the identity of this place. Rather, it was advantageous in many ways to proceed with his plans without anyone knowing.
He wasn’t sure if that annoying omega was inside or not, but since they were already reported missing and even suspected of suicide, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Besides, hadn’t Tae-geon said with his own mouth that he had killed them? He couldn’t be held responsible for whatever happened.
When an imprinted partner dies, the imprinting breaks.
He just needed to check during Tae-geon’s rut. Whether he was really the imprinting partner.
It didn’t matter if he wasn’t. He would definitely get his hands on Tae-geon.
A fierce possessiveness heated Se-jin’s entire body.
*
A week before his rut, Tae-geon received a message from the omega.
[Everything’s ready. Let’s meet.]
Coincidentally, the date the omega suggested matched Tae-geon’s expected rut date. Tae-geon had also been preparing plans in sync with the omega’s heat cycle.
Tae-geon chose the location. It was a hotel affiliated with the Tae-ryeong Group. He planned to dispose of the omega there.
[Okay. See you there.]
After confirming Se-jin’s reply, Tae-geon turned off his phone.
He would make sure that no one would mourn this omega’s death. Not even their family.
*
Tae-geon, who had returned home during the day for once, carefully started organizing the groceries he had bought into the refrigerator, trying not to wake the sleeping Hyeon-woo.
Just like last time, he had to stock up on food for Hyeon-woo to eat during the week he would be away, including his rut period.
With little time left until the appointed time, his movements were hurried. Just as Tae-geon finished organizing and was writing a memo:
“You’re not coming back again?”
Startled by Hyeon-woo’s voice coming from behind, Tae-geon turned around to see that Hyeon-woo had woken up and was sitting up in bed, watching him. He seemed to have observed Tae-geon stuffing the refrigerator.
“When are you coming back?”
“…In a week.”
“I want to eat tteokkkochi. The one you bought for me last time.”
Tae-geon, who would normally have immediately grabbed his coat and car keys and left the house, just stared at Hyeon-woo with an indescribable expression. Hyeon-woo’s inexplicable behavior felt like he was trying to hold onto Tae-geon, who was about to leave, and a strange sensation spread through a corner of Tae-geon’s heart.
Seeing Tae-geon standing motionless, Hyeon-woo’s voice began to sound urgent.
“I want a hot dog too. The one with sausage inside that they sold in front of the school.”
“…When I come back.”
“I want it now.”
“Next time.”
“Now.”
“…I’ll buy it for you when I come back.”
“……”
“The hot dog, tteokkkochi, and everything else you said you wanted.”
“…Ha.”
Hyeon-woo’s lips twisted as he let out a cold laugh.
“Hypocrite.”
Hyeon-woo felt angry at Tae-geon’s hypocrisy, talking as if he would bring down the stars and moon while keeping him locked up unable to go anywhere.
“I don’t need any of that, just let me out!”
“……”
“I said let me out!!”
Despite Hyeon-woo’s fierce cry, Tae-geon ignored it as usual and started writing memos again with the pen in his hand.
Hyeon-woo’s eyes soon sank into gloom, having been repeatedly dismissed like this every time he asked to be let out.
Soon, yellow sticky notes were plastered all over the appliances, including the refrigerator, just like before. After finishing the cleanup, Tae-geon turned to look at the now quiet Hyeon-woo and felt a chill run down his spine.
Hyeon-woo’s gaze, blankly staring at the sticky notes Tae-geon had written, somehow seemed to be looking at something unreachable beyond them.
Without realizing it, Tae-geon hurriedly approached and grabbed Hyeon-woo’s shoulder as he sat on the bed. When Hyeon-woo winced in pain from the strong grip, Tae-geon came to his senses and loosened his hold.
Hyeon-woo, with dull eyes, muttered in a gloomy voice.
“…Mom and Dad.”
“……”
“Do they all think I’m dead?”
“……”
“If you don’t come back, will I die trapped here like this?”
“Ha, what nonsense are you talking about.”
Tae-geon snorted at the absurd words and frowned. This tiny head was again spewing useless thoughts. Tae-geon looked directly into Hyeon-woo’s eyes and said in a clear tone.
“Don’t think unnecessary thoughts. I’ll always come back.”
Ring- Ring-.
The cellphone in his pocket rang as if urging Tae-geon.
“Eat well, I’ll be back soon.”
“……”
“Don’t think about other things, just wait quietly.”
Tae-geon got up, put on his coat, looked back at Hyeon-woo, and frowned. Somehow today, he didn’t like the sight of Hyeon-woo left alone on the bed.
After stopping his hurried steps and standing still for a while, looking at Hyeon-woo, Tae-geon finally turned and left the house at the sound of another vibration.
Listening to the sound of the car’s exhaust fading away, Hyeon-woo lay down on the bed and pulled the blanket over his head.
He was left alone again.
Emptiness flooded in like a tide through the terrible silence. Even though he hated being in the same space with Tae-geon more than death, he felt suffocated by the growing weight of isolation, to the point where he thought it might be better to be with Tae-geon than to be left alone.
Don’t go.
Stay with me.
Don’t leave me alone.
Please.
He almost clung to Tae-geon as he was turning to leave. Hyeon-woo clutched the bed sheet.
Is this how a castaway feels, abandoned on a deserted island, waiting only for death without hope of rescue? He felt like he would drown in the isolation and sense of disconnection that washed over him every time he was left alone in the quiet stillness.
Just as he was slowly suffocating, surrendering to the loneliness that was swallowing him like a vast swamp.
“……?!”
A strange sensation felt near his navel awakened his whole body that had been sinking. Like a small water droplet falling on a calm water surface and spreading huge ripples across the entire lake, that small and faint sensation was causing an indescribably enormous resonance.
As if to prove to the startled Hyeon-woo, who had half-risen, that it wasn’t an illusion, that strange sensation tapped around his navel once more. It was a soft and faint movement like the fluttering of wings.
“…Ah!”
An inexplicable thrill ran through his entire body. He hurriedly pulled out a book he had secretly hidden under the bed before Tae-geon took away all his possessions.
[16 weeks]
You can feel the baby’s movements.
It’s a signal announcing “I’m here” to make its presence known.
Hyeon-woo’s eyes welled up as he carefully read each line. He had clearly felt this movement, which was said to be noticeable only at 16 weeks, now at just 14 weeks.
A tender feeling spread through his chest at the tiny life’s desperate attempt to signal that he wasn’t alone.
