The store was finally winding down. Hong Ji-ah's soft, beautiful eyes flicked to the clock on the wall. It read 8:15 PM, and a faint crease of worry appeared on her otherwise radiant face .

  "Already 8:15," she thought, a flicker of anxiety brushing against her usual calm. Still, she maintained her bright, cheerful smile as she handed over the receipt to the young, second-generation chaebol standing before her.

  The man's presence was commanding, his tailored suit and air of wealth effortlessly intimidating. He had just purchased nearly half the store's inventory—extravagant dresses, designer shoes, and sparkling jewelry to spoil his omega girlfriend. He didn't even gnce at the price tags. Ji-ah couldn't tell if she was impressed or annoyed. Probably both.

  As the chaebol turned on his polished heels to leave Ji-ah and the other employees lined up and bowed politely, murmuring their thanks. As he exited, the oppressive aura of wealth vanished with him.

  The second he was gone, Ji-ah let out a long sigh of relief, echoed by her coworkers. Ji-ah straightened, her smile softening into something more genuine as she exchanged gnces with her colleagues.

  "Another lunatic," someone muttered, and a few of them ughed quietly. Ji-ah smiled too, shaking her head and brushing back a strand of hair as she started tidying up the counter.

  As Ji-ah moved quickly, her coworkers followed suit, busying themselves with closing tasks. One of the newer employees, an omega with a curious streak, grinned and asked, "Manager-nim, how do you even deal with people like that all the time?"

  Ji-ah paused for a moment, tempted to share her well-practiced strategies, but she didn't have the time. Her chest tightened as her thoughts drifted to the text and photo I-jun had sent her earlier. She couldn't shake the feeling—she needed to get there now.

  "Just practice," Ji-ah murmured absentmindedly, brushing off the question as she hurriedly finished organizing.

  Before she left, she double-checked with her team, her voice steady but rushed, "You guys can handle everything and close the shop, right?"

  "Yes, manager-nim!" they chorused, giving her reassuring nods.

  "But manager-nim, are you going on a date today? You're really in a hurry," asked the usually nosy employee, smiling mischievously.

  "No..." Ji-ah replied in a trance, her voice distant. "More like the opposite," she thought but didn't say aloud. Instead, she just smiled faintly and waved them off, heading out of the store.

  -_____________________________________________________________

  Meanwhile, at an upscale hotel, Song I-jun had arrived an hour early for a dinner meeting with a high-profile client. With the stakes high, her punctuality and professionalism were crucial. As she stepped out of her sleek bck car, she caught a few gnces from passersby. Her sharp suit, composed demeanor. Her aura was unmistakable—an S-css alpha with a natural charisma that left an impression on anyone who saw her.

  Inside, she sat in the lounge with a few colleagues, quietly reviewing notes for the meeting. Idle chatter from her coworkers broke her focus.

  "That man is handsome, and his girlfriend is gorgeous too," one of them said, chuckling.

  She gnced up casually toward the couple her colleague had mentioned. Her heart sank. The man was Jung Jae-chan—Ji-ah's boyfriend.

  But it wasn't Ji-ah by his side.

  Instead, a pin looking omega at least in her eyes, a pin looking omega clung to his side, ughing at something he whispered. Jae-chan had his arm wrapped around her shoulder, occasionally leaning in to kiss her cheek.

  I-jun froze, her mind racing. Was she seeing this right? She stared harder at them, trying to make sense of it. The answer hit her like a truck—they were definitely together. Her jaw tightened as she watched the couple check in at the front desk and head toward the elevators.

  Without thinking, she snapped a quick photo and typed out a message to Ji-ah:'Isn't this Jung Jae-chan?'

  Determined to confirm her suspicions, she approached the reception desk to ask for their room number. The receptionist refused, citing privacy policies. Frustrated but undeterred, she noticed the elevator they took was heading beyond the fourth floor.

  Frustrated, she noticed the elevator numbers climbing past the fourth floor. She wasn't going to let this slide. She bolted toward the emergency stairs, her alpha instincts kicking in. As she's an alpha, morever an S css alpha, her physical abilities are almost unhuman

  It didn't take long for her to reach the sixth floor, her heart pounding—not from exertion, but from the burning anger in her chest. She spotted Jae-chan grinning as he led the omega into a room, his hand casually lingering on her back.

  I-jun's blood boiled. She clenched her fists, her entire body tense as she stormed toward the door. But before she could knock, two security guards appeared out of nowhere.

  "Ma'am, please don't create any problem." one of them said, grabbing her arm.

  She turned, gring at them, her pheromones slipping out just enough to make them hesitate.

  "Please don't cause a scene, ma'am. You're disturbing the guests," another of them said firmly.

  People in the hallway gnced her way, whispering about the furious and incredibly attractive alpha who seemed ready to explode.

  But then Ji-ah's face fshed in her mind. I-jun forced herself to take a deep breath. She couldn't ruin this—for Ji-ah's sake.

  I'll cooperate," she muttered, allowing herself to be escorted downstairs.

  Her senior, a composed male alpha in his mid-thirties, with bck framed gsses, stepped in. "Take control of yourself, I-jun! The clients are coming soon!" he snapped.

  She lowered her head, swallowing her frustration. If not for her colleagues expining the situation, she might have been thrown out entirely. The hotel manager arrived, demanding an expnation, but after a tense exchange, she was allowed to remain. At least it seemed so.

  As she sat down, she sent Ji-ah the hotel's location with another message:

  "You need to come here."

  ___________________________________________________________

  Ji-ah arrived at the hotel in a rush, her heart pounding as she checked the location on her phone. She entered the grand lobby, scanning the room. Her eyes darting around as she searched for I-Jun. It didn't take long to spot her—standing stiffly near the far side of the room, her usual composed demeanor repced with visible tension.

  Taking deep breaths, Ji-Ah made her way over. Her steps slowed, and as she got closer, her breathing grew shaky. Her eyes began to water, though she tried to hold back the tears. When she finally reached I-Jun, she whispered, her voice trembling but eerily calm, "Where are they?"

  I-Jun was surprised by the unusual calmness in Ji-Ah's tone. After a moment, she nodded and replied softly, "Come with me..."

  Without another word, Ji-Ah followed I-Jun. I-Jun slowed her pace slightly, ensuring Ji-Ah could keep up. As they approached the elevators, Ji-Ah's hands clenched into fists at her sides.

  The receptionist gnced at them and looked ready to alert security again, but a subtle shake of the head from someone higher up stopped her.

  When the elevator doors slid open, I-jun led Ji-ah inside and pressed the button for the 6th floor. The silence between them was heavy, broken only by the soft hum of the elevator. Ji-ah's hands clenched her bag strap tightly, her knuckles white.

  At the 6th floor, they stepped out, and I-jun guided Ji-ah to a room halfway down the hall. Stopped in front of a room.

  At the door to the room, I-Jun turned to Ji-Ah, her tone quieter but firm. "They're here," she said, studying Ji-Ah's face.

  Ji-Ah's expression was unreadable as she stood frozen for a moment. I-Jun stepped closer, ready to catch her if she needed support.

  Ji-Ah took a deep breath, then slowly raised her hand and knocked on the door. No response.

  Her tears began to fall silently, dripping onto the plush carpet. She knocked again, this time a little harder. Still nothing.

  When a third knock also went unanswered, I-Jun's patience snapped. She stepped forward and banged her fist against the door, each loud BANG echoing down the hallway.

  Startled, Ji-Ah flinched, her breath hitching.

  Inside the room, Jung Jae-Chan and the omega jumped at the sudden noise, their quiet, intimate moment interrupted. Jae-Chan frowned, clearly annoyed, as he hurriedly got out of bed. He threw on a robe and stormed to the door, muttering under his breath.

  Yanking the door open, he barked, "Who is it?! Can't you see the 'Do Not Disturb' sign—"

  But his words died in his throat the moment he saw who was standing there. His eyes widened as the color drained from his face.

  Ji-Ah stood in front of him, tears streaming silently down her cheeks. I-Jun loomed behind her, her sharp, unrelenting gaze fixed on him like a bde.

  Finally, Jae-Chan managed to stammer, "What... what are you doing here?"

  ........................................................................................................................

  TO BE CONTINUED...