RACA 40

“Yes, yes. We all have to adjust like that at first.”

It seemed unlikely that clearing up their misunderstanding would be easy.

“Well, fine. If that’s what you want, I’ll go along with it. Then I suppose our contract will have to be put on hold for now.”

“What contract?”

Pyo Jaebeom’s sudden remark made Eunsol tilt his head in confusion. Was there another agreement still binding them? But the smile playing on his handsome face felt unsettling.

“The contract where you get paid to work.”

“Ah!”

Why was that coming up now? Pyo Jaebeom explained with a hint of mockery, perhaps reading that meaning in Eunsol’s eyes.

“If the existing contract is terminated, naturally that means the other contract is settled too.”

“That’s ridiculous! This is a completely different matter!”

“How is it different? You work as part of the conditions for living with me, right?”

“No. The conditions were that I clean and cook for you.”

Jaebeom tilted his head. The way he rolled his eyes made it seem like he was recalling that matter. Moments later, the corners of his mouth curled up again in an infuriatingly sly smile.

‘What the hell? Why is he acting like that? It’s unsettling.’

His smile deepened, feeling ominous. Before Eunsol could ask why, Pyo Jaebeom spoke first.

“So. You’re supposed to clean and cook, right? But lately, all you do is eat and play, isn’t it? Wait, no. You did cook, right?”

“No, that’s because I’m taking care of myself!”

It’s not like I wanted to. It’s because of that baby you’re so worried about! Why do you have to put it that way?!

Eunsol’s face twisted in frustration as he tried to retort, but Chairman Jang interrupted again.

“Huh, Jaebeom, that kid. I thought he’d mature a bit after becoming having an omega and a child, but he’s still got a long way to go. Right, Secretary Kim?”

The moment Eunsol heard those words, he felt a déjà vu.

“Hold on a moment.”

Eunsol stretched his hand to grab their attention. Chairman Jang and Secretary Kim turned back with questioning looks, and judging by the gaze on his cheek, Jaebeom seemed curious too.

Eunsol scanned them briefly, lost in thought. No matter how much he pondered it, this seemed to be exactly what he had anticipated.

“If I’m mistaken, please tell me so.”

“Alright, what is it?”

Chairman Jang asked promptly, his eyes sparkling with amusement. He found Eunsol quite appealing. For starters, he was an adorable beauty, and the subtle pheromones he exuded seemed perfectly suited to him, leaving him thoroughly satisfied.

It was a rather old-fashioned assessment, typical of him, that an Omega should, above all, emit pheromones that complemented him.

Moreover, the more he spoke, the more his honest and confident demeanor seemed to mesh perfectly with his own, leaving him thoroughly pleased.

Therefore, he was more than willing to actively respond to whatever Eunsol had to say.

“You didn’t actually tell the CEO to have a baby so that he would become more mature, did you?”

Chairman Jang laughed at his bold question.

“Well, technically, yes.”

“And what about all that talk about taking over the bank?”

“That was just to provoke Jaebeom.”

Eunsol felt a familiar tightening at the back of his neck at his nonchalant reply. He clenched his fists and turned his head toward Pyo Jaebeom.

“If Chairman Jang said that, did you know about it too, CEO?”

He asked accusingly, only to catch him wearing an enigmatic expression. It seemed Pyo Jaebeom hadn’t understood Chairman Jang’s intentions either.

“That thunder-bald bastard needs someone to protect him to settle down. Since ancient times, Alphas only find their place after marriage!”

To think I was swayed by someone with such outdated thinking! Eunsol roared in fury.

“The Chairman should take responsibility for my life! It’s because of his words that I’m in this mess!”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

Why does he look so cheerful?

“The CEO posting that job ad seeking an Omega, and that bastard claiming to be my father seeing it and signing a contract, it’s all because of your ridiculous idea! So take responsibility!”

“Ah. So that’s what you meant.”

Chairman Jang looked at Eunsol with genuine admiration as he confronted him so boldly. It stirred fresh emotions within him, reminding him of his late spouse, whom he could never see again.

“Didn’t I say I’d help? What do you want? Tell me.”

Eunsol was the one thrown off balance by his willingness to do anything immediately. He looked at Pyo Jaebeom, wondering why Chairman Jang was acting this way.

He, however, stood with his arms crossed, deep in thought.

‘Ah, so I’m not the only one who’s been dancing to Chairman Jang’s tune.’

Judging by Pyo Jaebeom’s expression earlier, he hadn’t known either. Now that he did, he must feel just as bad.

But come on. I’m the only one whose traits suddenly changed and ended up pregnant?!

“After I give birth, you better compensate me properly. Give me a house, a car, and take full financial responsibility so I can live comfortably.”

“Of course we’ll take care of that. You’re the precious Omega who’ll stay by Pyo Jaebeom’s side.”

“No, that’s…”

He tried to make it clear to Chairman Jang, who was still deluded, that their relationship was bound by contract and that the contract would end once he gave birth.

“Lee Eunsol.”

But a voice calling his name reached him first. Eunsol flinched and turned his head.

Pyo Jaebeom, who had been deep in thought moments ago, was now staring at him with piercing intensity. His gaze was so fierce that Eunsol felt frozen in place, as if he was facing a predator. No wonder he could never let his guard down around him. He always had a way of making people tense up.

“No matter what, the contract can’t be revoked. So you’d better not get any funny ideas.”

But the words that actually came out were entirely predictable.

‘What?’

Jaebeom felt his stomach churn. Even when he’d been arguing with Lee Eunsol over the contract a moment ago, he hadn’t felt particularly upset.

But the moment Chairman Jang casually inserted himself, his mood shifted completely. The contract between Lee Eunsol and himself was none of a third party’s business. It was their issue from start to finish, requiring no one else’s judgment or interference.

Even if Chairman Jang had initiated the whole thing, posting the job ad and choosing Lee Eunsol were entirely his own decisions.

That much remained an unalterable fact.

“I have no intention of doing that. What else can I do now that things have come to this?”

Lee Eunsol pushed out his barely noticeable belly. It was probably no bigger than a seed right now. Seeing him act all prim and proper when he didn’t even know the baby’s gender or traits yet was so adorable that Jaebeom unconsciously clamped down on the corners of his mouth to keep himself from smiling.

“That’s exactly what I mean. You said it yourself earlier. You said you’d sue to cancel the contract.”

“That was because it wasn’t my decision at all!”

“Ah, so you meant we should rewrite the contract? You should’ve said so earlier then.”

Knowing full well that wasn’t it, Jaebeom shamelessly twisted his words to suit himself. Lee Eunsol bit his lip in irritation.

His fiercely glaring eyes and tightly clenched fists held no real threat. No wonder Beom Jongjong followed him so obediently.

‘He must think of him as his friend.’

Every time he came home, the two were always together like a set, and it was so adorable. Unconsciously, Pyo Jaebeom found himself thinking Lee Eunsol was cute twice over, and he let out a long sigh.

He knew that his smile must look incredibly irritating to Eunsol, but he couldn’t help it.

“Ugh! I know you don’t mean it, but…!”

Because he got to watch him react like that. Pyo Jaebeom chuckled until he caught Chairman Jang watching them with a pleased expression. His face turned serious.

Chairman Jang’s true intentions had always been hard to read, but he never imagined this whole affair was planned for such a reason.

‘He actually set the condition of having a child just to make me ‘grow up.’

If his intent had been to pit his own son against Jaebeom in competition, that might have been somewhat understandable. He’d always been a master at infuriating people.

“Alright. Let’s go. We’ll go back and rewrite it.”

But that didn’t mean he’d simply let himself be pushed around. Especially not when it came to matters involving Lee Eunsol.

Jaebeom brushed himself off and rose first, shooting Eunsol a look urging him to follow. But Eunsol, whom he’d expected to leave immediately, glanced at Chairman Jang hesitantly.

“What? Not coming?”

His brow furrowed at his slow, reluctant rise after his second prompt.

‘He should be worried about me, not watching Chairman Jang’s expressions!’

After all, he was the one he’d keep seeing from now on. That was precisely why he’d tried to keep him out. It was obvious Chairman Jang would show up like today and stir up trouble.