AOA 40

Even if having an affair was physically impossible, sabotaging Jeong Suchan’s business was entirely within reach. One way to do that was by going after the scandal-ridden private life of Jeong Guhyeon.

Jeong Suchan knew that perfectly well. He blamed his eldest son for messing up again, then cursed his younger son for failing to appease Baek Mugyeong.

“I hope we won’t have any more unpleasantness between us.”

After issuing his final warning, Baek Mugyeong didn’t even touch the tea Jeong Suchan had offered and rose from his seat.

For the past week, Baek Mugyeong had been getting home around midnight. But today, thanks to finishing work on time and meeting Jeong Suchan, he arrived home before 7 p.m.

“See you tomorrow.”

After bidding the driver goodbye, Baek Mugyeong opened the front gate with his key. It was a habit from coming home late at night.

Crossing the garden through the biting winter wind, he glanced at the brightly lit house and let out a bitter smile.

Coming home after work always left him feeling strangely displaced.

Before the regression, the last thing he remembered was leaving the house to meet Baek Yeongseop and getting into a car accident. It was only a split second, but he had been fully aware he was dying. And yet now, two years had turned back, and here he was, returning to this same house, alive and well, it felt like a daydream.

The newlywed home had been arranged by his grandfather. He could have asked for a different house, but Baek Mugyeong hadn’t. He wanted proof that the pre-regression events weren’t just a dream, and that he was actively changing the future.

Giving the paper bag he was holding to Jeong Minchae in person was part of that effort.

Once again, Baek Mugyeong quietly opened the front door and stepped inside. Just as he was taking off his shoes and stepping onto the automatic inner door sensor, his eyes met Jeong Minchae’s, who was standing midway up the stairs.

This was only the second time he had seen Minchae right upon coming home. The first time had been after their honeymoon, when Minchae had reeked of another alpha’s scent.

That English tutor of Minchae’s had been a disgusting bastard. He had toyed with a newly manifested omega, one fresh off his honeymoon, no less.

Unlike that time, there was no scent coming off Jeong Minchae now. Perhaps due to being a dominant omega, even though he hadn’t been manifested long, he had already learned how to control his pheromones well.

Minchae gave a slight nod and disappeared up the stairs. Since they weren’t on friendly terms, Baek Mugyeong didn’t think much of it.

“Oh my, you’re home, Executive Director.”

“Yes.”

Kim Juhyun welcomed him with exaggerated enthusiasm. Baek Mugyeong hesitated for a moment, wondering what to do with the paper bag in his hand.

Kim Juhyun, planted in the house by Baek Jaehan, had caused numerous problems in the previous timeline, particularly by pilfering a good number of Jeong Minchae’s wedding gifts. Back then, Baek Mugyeong had turned a blind eye out of ignorance, but not this time. He had already made preparations.

To provoke her greed as before, it would’ve been smart to entrust the gift to her. But he didn’t want to.

Especially not after receiving the handkerchief.

That afternoon, upon discovering the paper bag hanging on the study door handle, Baek Mugyeong had been confused at first. Only after reading the card did he piece together what had happened.

The gift was a handkerchief, the same design as the one he had handed Minchae during their flight to Cebu, when Minchae had suffered a nosebleed.

The persistence of tracking down that exact handkerchief and giving it back as a gift made him let out a wry smile.

Baek Mugyeong had no expectations for Jeong Minchae. But he wasn’t heartless enough to carelessly discard a gift that someone had thoughtfully prepared.

For the same reason, he had decided to personally deliver the gift from the overseas buyer. He headed upstairs and knocked on Minchae’s door without much hesitation.

“I’m not in the best mood right now. But thank you for the gift.”

Whatever had happened earlier that day, Minchae didn’t seem pleased to receive the gift. In fact, he looked like he expected something more, like he was silently pressuring Baek Mugyeong to offer thanks for the handkerchief as well.

It was a misunderstanding, of course, but Baek Mugyeong didn’t know that.

“I also… received your gift. Thank you.”

It took effort to say those words. Minchae looked surprised, as though he never expected a thank-you, and Baek Mugyeong added a warning.

“This will be the last gift I accept. From now on, I’ll return everything. So don’t waste your effort.”

He could have returned the handkerchief, too. He could have scolded him for doing something so pointless.

But that would’ve been spiteful. More importantly, the one thing Baek Mugyeong despised most was lashing out without properly explaining oneself.

“Ah. Okay.”

Still bewildered, Minchae nodded with a slightly frightened expression. The assertive energy he had shown earlier was gone.

Once again, Baek Mugyeong reminded himself that Jeong Minchae was still quite young. Brave without a plan, easily discouraged, and quick to recover, that was what it meant to be twenty-two.

He then mentioned his meeting with Jeong Suchan.

“If anything like that night ever happens again, I’ll contact you, Executive Director.”

At the mention of Jeong Guhyeon’s name, Minchae’s expression hardened. He nodded with clear resolve.

Baek Mugyeong recalled Minchae’s message from Saturday about meeting Choi Jaeha for lunch after seeing Jeong Suchan. He felt tempted to tell him not to bother reporting every little thing. He’d only said to contact him if there was a problem, he didn’t care who Minchae met or what he did.

But saying that out loud felt unnecessarily petty.

So instead, Baek Mugyeong simply bowed his head and left the room. As he walked down the hall, he paused at a certain spot.

The memory of having sex like animals in the hallway didn’t belong to Minchae alone. Baek Mugyeong remembered it too. Every time he passed through here, a pang of guilt and shame shot through his chest.

The problem was, the pleasure from that night kept flashing back as well. Sometimes, it felt like he was being surrounded again by Minchae’s pheromones, even though he wasn’t there.

That sweet, melting scent.

Caught in the memory, Baek Mugyeong subconsciously swallowed dryly, then stopped in his tracks. No exaggeration, he really felt like he was going crazy.

“Ha.”

Letting out a quiet sigh, he hurried past the spot.

***

It was only natural that marriage would change one’s lifestyle. One of the most immediate changes was having to attend family gatherings as a couple.

Baek Mugyeong’s grandfather, Baek Jinseok, Chairman of the Daesong Group, was old-fashioned. Though he didn’t care for Christmas, he made sure to observe every traditional holiday.

At the start of the new year, guests would stream into Baek Jinseok’s grand estate, mostly executives from various Daesong affiliates coming to pay their respects. The next evening, his children and their spouses would visit.

This year, newlywed Baek Mugyeong was added to the mix, which meant I had to visit the estate with him.

It had been over a month since the wedding. The elder Baeks each made a polite comment, asking if I was doing well.

But their interest didn’t last long. Being part of a marriage of convenience, I had no real value to them. The true star of these gatherings was always the Daesong Group’s Chairman.

That worked in my favor. I had the chance to quietly observe Baek Jinseok’s children gathered in one place.

Baek Jaehan, Baek Sujin, Baek Daehan.

Before the regression, I had kept my guard up so much due to the unwanted arranged marriage that I hadn’t really learned anything about them. Even when I heard rumors, the effects of medication slowed my thinking, and I often couldn’t make sense of what I heard.

But now, the power dynamics between them were obvious. Baek Jaehan, the eldest and presumed heir, was arrogant. Baek Sujin, ambitious, clearly wanted more. And Baek Daehan behaved like he didn’t even exist.

As always, the most talkative one was Baek Jinseok’s only daughter, Baek Sujin.

“I think we should send Unhyeon abroad for about a year. Sure, he’s at Seoul National University, but he still needs international exposure, don’t you think, Father?”

Baek Sujin, the third child and only daughter of the Baek family, spoke heartily from her seat to Baek Jinseok’s left. She was a rare female alpha and managed Daesong Group’s retail division, including hotels and department stores.

Her greatest pride was her intelligent children. Her eldest, Baek Unhyeon, was the only grandchild of Baek Jinseok to get into Seoul National University, and he had done it as the top student in his department.

Although Baek Mugyeong had somewhat dimmed that accomplishment by returning with a Stanford degree, Baek Unhyeon still compared favorably to the scandal-prone Baek Yeongseop.

Baek Sujin had plenty to boast about. Since taking over the retail division, Daesong’s retail arm had only grown. People often said she was the most capable of Baek Jinseok’s children.

Objectively, she was impressive. It was no small feat for a woman to achieve such success as an executive in Korea.

And as impressive as her capabilities were, her ambition was even greater.

When her old-fashioned father excluded her from succession by saying daughters were no longer part of the family after marriage, she divorced her husband and changed all her children’s last names to Baek. It was a bold statement: her children were Jinseok’s bloodline too.