AOA 76

I opened my eyes wide and looked up at Baek Mugyeong. I’d believed he would come, but even so, this was all too dramatic.

“Are you all right?”

Baek Mugyeong asked as he pulled the cloth from my mouth. I was so shocked I could only nod silently. My head and stomach throbbed from the blows, but considering everything, I was doing okay.

Just then, a man in a black suit appeared holding a pair of scissors. Baek Mugyeong took them and cut the plastic cable ties binding my arms and legs. The moment my arms were free, I finally felt like I could breathe again.

“What happened?”

“He suddenly grabbed my hand… I think he was trying to film me.”

Maybe I was still too shaken, but my answer came out weird. My thoughts were clear, but putting them into words was hard.

“A video…?”

“Yes. That kind of video.”

I couldn’t bring myself to say the exact words because someone else was nearby. Still, Baek Mugyeong seemed to understand, and his expression turned grim.

“They were targeting you.”

“Yes. But how did you get here?”

“We were on a call, weren’t we?”

“Oh…”

I had definitely believed Baek Mugyeong would come for me. But I’d been so shocked and relieved that I’d completely forgotten about that moment.

“Your phone was off.”

He handed me my powered-off phone. I remembered dropping it when I fell. It seemed those bastards had turned it off afterward.

“There was a loud noise, and then the call cut off, so I knew something was wrong. Still… I didn’t expect this.”

His voice trailed off. Even he seemed to realize how serious this was.

The horror hit me all over again–almost being raped, and worse, having it filmed and possibly spread online. Goosebumps ran down my spine and my body trembled.

If Baek Mugyeong hadn’t arrived at exactly the right moment, just like they said, I wouldn’t have been able to show my face in Korea ever again. I would’ve gone mad.

“Th-thank you.”

It was the first thing I managed to say. I’d believed he would come for me, but when the doorbell rang and then everything went silent, fear had overwhelmed me. Now that I knew I was safe, all the tension drained from my body. Without meaning to, tears began to stream down my face.

The hot tears sliding down my cheeks caught me off guard. I hadn’t expected to cry, no matter how scared I’d been. I hastily wiped them away, but Baek Mugyeong held out a handkerchief.

“Here.”

“A-ah, no. It’s fine. I have one too.”

I’d always been impressed that Baek Mugyeong carried a handkerchief. So whenever I had to wear a suit, I made sure to bring one too. I didn’t expect I’d actually have to use it like this.

I reached into the inside pocket of my jacket, but nothing. It seemed I’d taken it out earlier and forgotten to bring it. Flustered, I looked up at him. He offered the handkerchief again.

“I had one… Thank you.”

I started to offer an excuse, but realized it would only make things worse, so I bowed slightly and took the handkerchief. It was the one I’d gifted him. Plain white with a simple striped border, but it was a limited edition, with a special number engraved above the logo.

With a strange feeling, I wiped my face. Luckily, I hadn’t cried hard, so the handkerchief wasn’t too soaked.

“Are you done?”

“Here.”

I handed the tear-stained handkerchief back to Baek Mugyeong. Then I slapped my cheeks with both hands to snap myself out of it. I couldn’t just sit here crying, I had to think about what came next.

Especially, I needed to find out who was behind this. After everything I’d been through, someone had to pay.

“What do we do now? Do we go to the police?”

“No. We’re going to figure out who’s behind this first.”

“Huh…?”

“I’m not handing this over to the police.”

His unexpected answer made my eyes widen. Baek Mugyeong nodded firmly. My still-numb brain slowly began to work again.

Someone had clearly orchestrated this. The perpetrators were young, but practically professionals. They used a wallet as bait to lure me to the 10th floor, then waited in the room next to 1021.

There were several people who might have wanted to hurt me: Baek Jaehan, Im Songyoon, Baek Yeongseop, Kim Heeyoung, Jeong Guhyeon, and Lee Jungwook. If one of those six was behind it, it wasn’t something to leave to the police, it had to be handled internally.

Daesong Group had a special organization that dealt with the chairman’s family’s affairs, like something out of a drama. They handled scandals and incidents of all kinds. If they got involved, there was nothing I could say.

To be honest, I hoped the one behind this was Jeong Guhyeon. That would give me the leverage I needed at this point.

While I was still trying to clear my head, Baek Mugyeong gave some instructions to the waiting bodyguards, then approached me and offered his hand.

“Let’s move for now.”

I didn’t refuse and took his hand, getting to my feet. After all that struggling and fighting, my whole body ached.

I stifled my groans and stood, but Baek Mugyeong didn’t let go of my hand. Wondering why, I looked at him. He was frowning deeply, he didn’t seem pleased.

“Your clothes are a mess.”

“Oh…”

Only then did I realize how disheveled I looked. I’d fought hard against those bastards. My tie was half undone, my shirt untucked, and my jacket wrinkled with open buttons.

“Hold still.”

Baek Mugyeong moved faster than I did. He straightened my clothes and fixed my tie without waiting for permission. Even if I said I could do it, he didn’t listen.

It was such a strange situation, I didn’t know how to react. I felt like a child being fussed over. But I didn’t have the heart to push him away.

“All done.”

“Okay.”

“Let’s go. Can you walk?”

His voice was filled with concern. It felt oddly kind compared to his serious expression. Maybe I really looked pitiful. Still, it was strange. We weren’t supposed to be this close.

“Jeong Minchae?”

I’d been lost in thought again. His voice snapped me out of it.

“Oh, I’m okay.”

I couldn’t afford to just zone out from shock. This was when I needed to be alert and decisive.

I slapped my cheeks again. Baek Mugyeong looked surprised, but I reassured him and began to walk.

*

I thought we were going home, but in the elevator, Baek Mugyeong pressed the button for the 32nd floor. With two hotel security guards in black suits, we arrived at a spacious suite on that floor.

Baek Mugyeong explained that we were getting special treatment since this was the HW Hotel. He said we’d wait here until the Daesong Group security team arrived. He’d already told my biological father that I was home, so I felt relieved.

“Jeong Minchae.”

“Yes?”

I had just sunk into the living room chair with a quiet sigh when I looked up. We were alone in the wide room. He could’ve kept his distance, but Baek Mugyeong stood quite close.

“I smell an Alpha’s pheromones.”

Even though I’d tried to collect myself, my mind was still foggy, and I took a second to register his words. It must’ve been the sleazebag’s pheromones lingering on me.

His scent had been so faint I barely noticed it, but Baek Mugyeong clearly did.

Omegas can distinguish between other Omegas’ pheromones, but they don’t really feel strongly about them. Alphas, on the other hand, hate each other’s pheromones.

“One of the attackers was probably an Alpha. Should I go into the other room?”

Since I couldn’t shower here, I offered the next best option. But Baek Mugyeong suddenly stepped forward and took my hand.

Was he trying to get me to stand?

I wondered if I had to move again, dazed.

“I’m going to release my pheromones. Just lightly.”

“What?”

Before I could respond, Baek Mugyeong’s pheromones filled the suite. The scent of damp wood, flowers, and clean musk spread gently.

It had been over two months since we last had sex. After my first post-manifestation heat, we’d slept together, but I hadn’t encountered his pheromones since then.

I’d had two heats since. I took meds to endure them, but truthfully, I’d once snuck off to the bathroom late at night and masturbated thinking about Baek Mugyeong. Afterward, I’d felt so ashamed I banged my head against the bathroom wall.

It was something I would never admit to Baek Mugyeong. I worked hard to convince myself it never happened.

But now, with his pheromones washing over me, goosebumps ran down my body and that memory surged up.

My face flushed hot. At the same time, tension gripped my lower body.

“God, seriously!”

I shouted and yanked my hand away, jumping to my feet. I rushed over and opened the window in the living room.

Unlike the hospital last time, the pheromone scent didn’t fade easily. A dominant’s pheromones weren’t just a smell, they were a physical sensation. Holding your breath wouldn’t help.

In the end, I fled around the living room toward the door. Only when I opened it did I feel like I could breathe again.

The hotel guards standing by the door looked confused. Their reactions made me self-conscious. Judging by how they backed off, they were probably Alphas too.