There was no mention of signing, and he just silently read the words written on the paper, so I thought something was wrong. I worried about what would happen if he refused, but as soon as the next day came, Douglass sent an additional contract through his lawyer.The conditions he proposed were as follows:Article 1: "Mitch Forbes" agrees not to have any private meetings with other alphas during the term of this contract (6 months).Article 2: "Mitch Forbes" agrees to spend all heat cycles that occur during the contract period with "Douglass Brady."Article 3: "Mitch Forbes" agrees not to change jobs or open a new store during the contract period, and will only work within the "Laverne Building."Article 4: "Mitch Forbes" agrees to gain at least 5kg in weight during the term of this contract.Mitch had to read the last clause again because it didn't make sense. When he asked Douglass why he included it, he replied that Mitch was too skinny and frail, and there wasn't enough to hold o
Publicly, no one knew about Douglass's accident, so naturally, they wouldn't know that Douglass had lost part of his memory.They also wouldn't know that Mitch Forbes, whom they believed to be his lover, was now just an ex-lover and merely an omega purchased for sexual encounters for a certain period of time.Fortunately, Douglass didn't bring that up. Mitch also refrained from saying anything unnecessary since it was better to appear as if they were in a relationship. It felt less pathetic that way."Is that someone Douglass Brady has been hiding and not showing us?""Really? I'm surprised someone with his personality actually has a lover.""But why did he suddenly bring him here?"Douglass frowned at the crowd of people gathering around."Move aside, you're being annoying."He apparently hadn't expected to receive this much attention. He seemed to have assumed that he and Mitch had previously attended gatherings together and brought him along without any particular intention.But if
Even if I were to check the face of Douglass's fiancée, nothing would change. I didn't have the courage to approach her and speak, nor did I have the right to stop their marriage at this point.No. Even if I made up my mind, could I really stop it? Douglass chose his fiancée over Mitch Forbes even before losing his memories. So from the beginning, I was never in a position to make choices or interfere.I was just curious about who Douglass would end up marrying.Mitch downed the remaining champagne in his glass. Despite the cool liquid flowing down his throat, a flush of heat kept rising from within.Something felt off. Was it because I'm too nervous? Or was I excited by the mention of Douglass's fiancée?When Mitch showed no signs of backing down, Marlon reluctantly looked around. Then he carefully pointed to a woman smiling brightly in the center of the hall.A woman in a form-fitting red mini dress with natural wavy hair. Anyone could see she was brimming with confidence. And she h
The silence that lasted only a few seconds felt unbearably long and heavy to Mitch."W-what should I do?"—Heat cycle?"Yeah. But what if other people notice? I think I bumped into an alpha on my way to the bathroom..."—I'm coming now. Get into a stall."Y-yes. Okay."Hearing Douglass's exceptionally calm voice, Mitch's excitement gradually subsided.—Do you remember which bathroom you're in?"I think it's the one you can see when you exit the hall... I'm not sure exactly."—Alright. Don't come out. Wait for me.But when the call ended, his briefly calmed mind became urgent again. He felt his temperature rising, and the burning thirst he had dismissed as the effects of alcohol now seemed entirely due to his heat cycle, making his mouth go dry.Being in this situation for the first time, he was belatedly overwhelmed with self-blame for acting too carelessly. He had no idea if the woman he had been talking to at the table noticed his condition, or how many others might have detected hi
"Mitch Forbes. Shouldn't you at least drink some water?"After Mitch had passed out during sex and showed no signs of waking up even hours later, Douglass's patience reached its limit.Come to think of it, he couldn't remember eating anything properly since leaving the gathering and coming to the apartment with Mitch. At this rate, dehydration symptoms would likely come first.Douglass looked disapprovingly at Mitch, whose body was sticky with semen, then got up from the bed. He felt Mitch's grip tightening on his arm, but when Douglass turned away abruptly, Mitch's hand fell limply onto the bed.He went to the living room and opened the refrigerator. Having rarely eaten at home while living alone, he hadn't realized how empty it was. There were only beverages, a container of adobo, and a few sauce bottles that looked like they had been purchased long ago.Douglass irritably took out bottled water and closed the refrigerator. When he returned to the bedroom, he saw Mitch lying face do
Sammy gladly accepted Mitch's proposal to supply desserts from his bakery. Mitch was especially grateful to Sammy since he had already been rejected by several other famous bakeries with similar requests."Mitch, have you thought about which desserts you want to focus on?""Yes. Actually, even though we're an espresso bar, our highest sales come from Americanos, and given our location, we get a lot of office workers.""That makes sense.""So I think it would be good to have one dessert that pairs well with espresso, and another that goes well with Americano as our main offerings.""Wouldn't it be better to increase the variety a bit more?""Then inventory and quality control would become difficult... If possible, I'd rather focus on quality over quantity. I've heard so many comments about our desserts being subpar. It's embarrassing, to be honest.""Haha.""I need to make up for it with this opportunity."Mitch wanted to select desserts that would best complement the café's signature
"It's not opening hours yet... And if you came in, you should have said something.""I was going to, but you looked busy."Mitch rolled his eyes, wondering why Douglass was here this morning. Had he returned from his trip already? After the text exchange from the other day, there had been no contact, so Mitch thought he was still in San Francisco.Douglass smiled as he watched Mitch covering his mouth and diligently chewing the remaining food."What?"Mitch asked belatedly after swallowing everything in his mouth."It's unusual to see you eating something.""Ah. I was in the process of selecting new desserts to sell."Mitch suddenly recalled that Douglass quite enjoyed sweet foods. After a moment's hesitation, he looked at Douglass standing across the counter."Are you busy?""Why?""If not, could you spare a moment?"He then opened the door to the kitchen, inviting him in. If he left Douglass standing outside, passersby might find it strange. Although it was early enough that most wer
That expression was so typical of Douglass Brady.That's why Mitch thought he might still be confused. Seeing Douglass like this made it seem like he hadn't changed at all, yet there were moments when he felt like a stranger, both feelings coexisting. It was difficult to know how to treat him.Would this wavering heart find balance with more time? Or would the confusion only end when he completely put aside his feelings for Douglass?"I need to open the café now. You should head upstairs too."Mitch deliberately spoke in a bright tone, trying to push away the awkward atmosphere.Douglass, whom Mitch had expected to say something in response, simply nodded obediently and went to the office.The evening rush had nearly passed, and the café was now quiet. Suddenly finding himself with nothing to do, Mitch checked his phone that he had kept in his apron pocket.[Come up to my office when you're done at the café]There was a text message from Douglass. It would be nice if he gave some hint
"..."It was a bit embarrassing, but since Mitch had already agreed to do whatever Douglass wanted, it wasn't surprising that he would make such a request. It wasn't an unreasonable demand either.If anything, since pregnancy had prevented him from properly fulfilling their contract, Mitch had no right to complain even if Douglass got angry."I think that should be fine... I'll do it."And though somewhat pathetic, Mitch desperately needed Douglass's goodwill right now. As long as there was hope that he might accept the child as his own, Mitch didn't want to go against his wishes."Good. Well, we need to go for a checkup soon anyway, so we can confirm it again then."Pleased with Mitch's answer, Douglass wrapped his hand around Mitch's thin, long nape and rubbed it subtly."Ah. And change your phone number."Just as Mitch thought he might kiss him again, Douglass spoke as if something had suddenly occurred to him. Mitch looked up."Why?""Cut off contact with all those other alphas. I
And the questions about who Mitch Forbes was began to fit together like puzzle pieces."So he was supposed to receive various things from my mother. Simply in exchange for breaking up with me."Then coincidentally, he lost his memories in an accident and there was even a child whose father was unknown. All the promised compensation must have vanished, and it would've been too much to let go.It seems Mitch judged that claiming the child was Douglass Brady's would yield more benefits."So this is what he wants."With a cigarette in his mouth, Douglass's lips curved into a distinct arc.It was so obvious that it was actually fortunate. This was something he could easily provide, except for arranging an alpha.Tossing his now-shortened cigarette out the window, Douglass gestured for his secretary to leave.As he crumpled the documents in his hand, the image of Mitch at the funeral lingered in his mind.His swollen eyes from crying and his frighteningly thin appearance. The shock he felt
"No, I meant you don't need to eat this too. Just eat your regular food.""How can I eat something nice in front of someone who can't even smell? Forget it."Douglass snapped as if he'd heard something absurd. Then he turned his attention to the food set in front of Mitch.A thick soup was served alongside freshly toasted, warm rye bread. There was also an appetizing cold noodle dish in a medium-sized bowl."Please try it," the housekeeper said.Mitch picked up his spoon. At least there was almost no smell, which seemed fine, but he was nervous about how it would taste."..."He already felt pressured, worried that spitting out food that had been specially prepared would be impolite.The potato soup he carefully tasted under the watchful eyes of Douglass and the housekeeper was just the right lukewarm temperature. It had no strong spice flavors and was mild. Though ordinary people might find it bland, it suited Mitch's current palate."How is it, sir?""It's delicious."Mitch smiled a
What was his intention in asking? He probably wanted Mitch to terminate the pregnancy, right?Mitch stared at Douglass with fear in his eyes. Contrary to his expectations of a cold, sharp expression, Douglass's face was surprisingly calm. It might be a crazy thought, but it seemed as if he was waiting for Mitch to say he wanted to keep the baby.After a moment of silence, Mitch carefully nodded."Yes.""Good."Douglass accepted calmly. Unlike before, he wasn't ignoring what Mitch said."And you? Did you get tested?"Mitch asked about the vasectomy test."I will. Soon.""...""Are you still certain I'm the father?"Despite having already argued about this question once, Mitch wasn't flustered. Perhaps because he had experienced even more miserable situations, he felt no particular agitation."I'm certain."Douglass silently stared at Mitch for a moment. His lips opened slowly."Alright. We'll find out with a paternity test later."Mitch swallowed dryly while gauging Douglass's mood. Th
I didn't want to become a stranger to Mitch. Even though I had foolishly offered to pay off his debt because I liked his body, now that I couldn't embrace him, I still didn't want to leave him.Despite knowing that Mitch had tried to deceive me, all I wanted right now was to make him comfortable."Come here."As I entered the funeral hall, Mitch was placing new incense before the old ones burned out. I put the envelope down on the table and called to him."You're here? I'm not really hungry right now.""Just pretend to eat something. You can't keep starving yourself."Mitch didn't argue further and did as I said.My gaze followed Mitch as he approached with somewhat sluggish steps, then shifted to his right foot. That leg seemed to have less strength, causing a subtle imbalance in his gait."What's wrong with your foot?""Just twisted it a bit.""When?""...Why did you buy so much? I won't be able to eat it all anyway."Mitch changed the subject. Though I noticed and was about to poin
"When does the funeral procession start?""Later at 6 PM."As much as he wanted to tell him to lie down and rest, it would be difficult for Mitch to leave his position as chief mourner for long."If you don't eat this, I'm throwing it away."Douglass began clearing the food in front of Mitch. He knew keeping it there would only make Mitch feel worse."No, I'll do it.""Just sit down, I've got this."He seated Mitch in a chair and quickly cleaned up the table. But Mitch seemed quite uncomfortable with Douglass's actions."You must be busy, you can go back now."In the end, without properly sitting to rest even for a minute, Mitch got up and approached him. He threw away some trash that had fallen on the floor and then handed Douglass his jacket that he had taken off. It was practically asking him to leave.You're in this state and you're telling me to go?Though Mitch probably said it out of consideration, Douglass felt fiery anger rise within him. At the same time, he was greatly dist
Mitch briefly stared at his profile before awkwardly approaching. He hadn't expected to come this far, so he wasn't sure how to interact with him. Feelings of gratitude, embarrassment, and the desire to avoid the situation were all tangled together."Where's your mom?""She said she felt stuffy and went out for some fresh air.""I see."Mitch nodded. Douglass surveyed the modest and inadequate funeral hall. The whole facility was disorderly. The memorial portrait of Mitch's father was poor quality, somehow blurry and faint. And in the midst of it all stood Mitch."You should have told me about this."Douglass spoke with a surge of emotion that he didn't bother to hide. Mitch lowered his head."It was chaotic. I had to leave right after I got the call..."Thick fatigue had seeped into Mitch's voice. Hearing this excuse made Douglass's anger rise even more, though he knew this wasn't the time or place."Even so, does it make sense to be absent for more than three days without saying any
How many times had he come here? More than one hundred and fifty visits. Douglass found his past self pathetic. It was also ridiculous that he had accumulated coupons without using them.What a fool he'd been. No wonder someone would take advantage of him and make up absurd lies about being pregnant with his child. Douglass clicked his tongue in disapproval."I'll just pay."Despite saying this, he simply handed over his card. It wasn't like he was trying to squeeze every last penny out of someone. Remembering how the other had scurried around the kitchen so diligently, he didn't particularly want to get free coffee."Yes. I'll prepare it right away."Douglass watched the part-timer head to the kitchen, then leaned forward slightly to peek inside. But Mitch didn't appear until his coffee was ready."One iced Americano."Douglass immediately picked up the coffee from the pickup counter."Excuse me, customer. Is there anything else you need?"The part-timer cautiously addressed Douglass
"Ugh... What about your father? What are we going to do...?" Mother's crying grew louder as she also noticed what was inside the envelope.Mitch touched the faded old banknotes with his hand and stared at his father lying covered with a white cloth.Why did he still keep this?Even while gambling, cutting off contact with family, being chased by loan sharks, and accumulating countless debts—why did he still have this?It was frustrating that he couldn't ask anymore. Mitch put the money back into the tattered envelope.'Look, Mitch. " Mitch" means to help. Your name means to help people.''That's difficult.''I'll teach you every day until you memorize it.'He resented his father. He was angry at him for dying so absurdly in the end.Why was he selfish until his dying moment? It would have been better if he could just feel nothing, only a sense of liberation. He torments people to the very end."What's the procedure for the funeral?"Only after a long while was Mitch able to clear his