It had definitely come back negative before, so when exactly did the pregnancy happen?...It must have been during his heat cycle. That's the only timeframe that made sense.Even for male omegas with low fertility, the probability of conception increases during heat cycles. Among the fragments of memories from that day, Mitch couldn't recall using any condoms. Plus, with Douglass's rut coinciding, if he had become pregnant, that was certainly when it happened.As the reality of what he'd been hoping wasn't true approached, it felt like the ground was crumbling beneath his feet.But reality didn't even give Mitch time to be shocked.[Boss, where are you? Customers are flooding in, and we need you here]
Mitch's body stiffened with tension."Huh? Other than that... nothing special happened.""Really?""Yeah."Unable to meet Douglass's eyes, he lowered his gaze."Mitch Forbes.""Yes?""Look up."At Douglass's words, Mitch raised his head. His eyes met dark pupils that seemed to pierce right through him.He stared at Mitch silently for a while, then gave a twisted smile."Why are you so frozen? Like someone who has something to hide."As he spoke coldly, Mi
It was too close. He had tried to find other places, but this area was a business district, so there weren't many OB-GYN clinics.The building housing the clinic was a small four-story structure. If someone who knew Mitch's face happened to see him entering this place, they might find it strange. But currently, there was no other option.He should go after the morning rush ended. He couldn't be away from work for too long.Mitch diligently opened Neo-Bell first. When the café became less busy, he left it in the part-timer's care and headed to the clinic.Upon arriving at the waiting room, there were more people seated than he had expected."Excuse me, how long will I have to wait?"
However, Mitch was prepared to hear even harsher words. He already knew Douglass wouldn't be happy about this."It might be hard to believe... but that doesn't change the facts."His voice trembled so much at the end that his pronunciation became slurred. Douglass kept his mouth shut for a while, as if chewing over Mitch's words."Have you. Been to the hospital?""...No.""Shit, are you messing with me?""I've only used a pregnancy test so far. I was planning to go to the hospital tomorrow."Douglass turned on the interior light. The yellow light spread out, illuminating both of them.Only
"But as I mentioned, male omegas face increasing risk of miscarriage as they enter the middle stage of pregnancy. For now, it would be best to avoid strenuous exercise or sexual intercourse. Of course, normal daily activities are fine.""I understand."Relieved by the favorable diagnosis, Mitch nodded firmly."Do you have any other questions?"The doctor glanced at Douglass, who had been standing quietly with his arms crossed the entire time. Mitch's gaze naturally shifted toward him as well."No," Douglass answered indifferently.The doctor cleared his throat awkwardly at the curt response. Mitch's face reddened."And you?" the doctor asked, turning to Mitch.Feeling his face burn with embarrassment, Mitch shook his head."I don't have any questions either.""I'd recommend additional blood tests, glucose tests, and hormone tests. Would you like to proceed with those?""Ah, yes.""Please wait here a moment while we prepare."The doctor deliberately smiled at Mitch before leaving the e
Taking out his phone, he saw it was an unknown number. He felt foolish for momentarily hoping it might be Douglass.Amidst his troubled thoughts, Mitch didn't want to deal with spam calls, so he put his phone back in his pocket."Oh right, what did you decide about the desserts? We had that meeting before and almost finalized the menu, didn't we?" the part-timer asked curiously during a lull in business."Some complications came up, so I think I'll have to cancel the supplier arrangement.""What? So suddenly? Why?""It turned out to be more complicated than I expected. It's difficult to explain.""That's a shame. After all the time we spent on it.""I know. It's not easy to add even one menu item when you don't know much about desserts."The part-timer hesitated for a moment before speaking."But I do think Neo-Bell needs more dessert options.""Hmm. Maybe I should try baking myself.""Huh? You, boss? That sounds pretty intense..."Mitch agreed. Coffee was a beverage he regularly enjo
"I wish you would end things with Douglass now."Douglass's mother cut straight to the point before Mitch even had a chance to touch the teacup in front of him.Mitch's hand froze mid-air, shocked. He hadn't expected her to know about his relationship with Douglass Brady."How... How long have you known?""Is that important?"She was exactly as Mitch remembered herâcalm and elegant. Her gestures and voice matched perfectly with the sophisticated classical music playing in the background."..."Mitch swallowed dryly, not knowing what to say. He had prided himself on successfully keeping their relationship secret all this time. Perhaps dating the youngest son of a famous corporate chairman was impossible to hide after all."Given the years you've spent together, you'll need some time to sort things out."She maintained her composure despite facing Mitch Forbes, someone far beneath her preciously raised son. Every movementâlifting her teacup, sipping her tea, fixing her hairâexuded dignit
Douglass Brady and Mitch Forbes, who seemed to have nothing in common, first met in middle school.Due to his father's alcoholism and gambling that left no money for living expenses, Mitch's mother began working as a caregiver early on. Thanks to her youth and competence, after a few years, many people requested her specifically as their caregiver.Through coincidental opportunities, she cared for people from wealthy families, which led to more work through referrals. Douglass was one of the children she cared for.Douglass had manifested as an alpha earlier than average, and unfortunately, his pheromones were so strong compared to his peers that they needed to be regulated with medication. This caused him frequent illness.Pheromone imbalances during adolescence, if not treated at the right time, could become a lifelong condition. The doctor advised minimizing pheromone contact with others until his condition stabilized. Following this recommendation, Douglass was isolated at his fam
Taking out his phone, he saw it was an unknown number. He felt foolish for momentarily hoping it might be Douglass.Amidst his troubled thoughts, Mitch didn't want to deal with spam calls, so he put his phone back in his pocket."Oh right, what did you decide about the desserts? We had that meeting before and almost finalized the menu, didn't we?" the part-timer asked curiously during a lull in business."Some complications came up, so I think I'll have to cancel the supplier arrangement.""What? So suddenly? Why?""It turned out to be more complicated than I expected. It's difficult to explain.""That's a shame. After all the time we spent on it.""I know. It's not easy to add even one menu item when you don't know much about desserts."The part-timer hesitated for a moment before speaking."But I do think Neo-Bell needs more dessert options.""Hmm. Maybe I should try baking myself.""Huh? You, boss? That sounds pretty intense..."Mitch agreed. Coffee was a beverage he regularly enjo
"But as I mentioned, male omegas face increasing risk of miscarriage as they enter the middle stage of pregnancy. For now, it would be best to avoid strenuous exercise or sexual intercourse. Of course, normal daily activities are fine.""I understand."Relieved by the favorable diagnosis, Mitch nodded firmly."Do you have any other questions?"The doctor glanced at Douglass, who had been standing quietly with his arms crossed the entire time. Mitch's gaze naturally shifted toward him as well."No," Douglass answered indifferently.The doctor cleared his throat awkwardly at the curt response. Mitch's face reddened."And you?" the doctor asked, turning to Mitch.Feeling his face burn with embarrassment, Mitch shook his head."I don't have any questions either.""I'd recommend additional blood tests, glucose tests, and hormone tests. Would you like to proceed with those?""Ah, yes.""Please wait here a moment while we prepare."The doctor deliberately smiled at Mitch before leaving the e
However, Mitch was prepared to hear even harsher words. He already knew Douglass wouldn't be happy about this."It might be hard to believe... but that doesn't change the facts."His voice trembled so much at the end that his pronunciation became slurred. Douglass kept his mouth shut for a while, as if chewing over Mitch's words."Have you. Been to the hospital?""...No.""Shit, are you messing with me?""I've only used a pregnancy test so far. I was planning to go to the hospital tomorrow."Douglass turned on the interior light. The yellow light spread out, illuminating both of them.Only
It was too close. He had tried to find other places, but this area was a business district, so there weren't many OB-GYN clinics.The building housing the clinic was a small four-story structure. If someone who knew Mitch's face happened to see him entering this place, they might find it strange. But currently, there was no other option.He should go after the morning rush ended. He couldn't be away from work for too long.Mitch diligently opened Neo-Bell first. When the café became less busy, he left it in the part-timer's care and headed to the clinic.Upon arriving at the waiting room, there were more people seated than he had expected."Excuse me, how long will I have to wait?"
Mitch's body stiffened with tension."Huh? Other than that... nothing special happened.""Really?""Yeah."Unable to meet Douglass's eyes, he lowered his gaze."Mitch Forbes.""Yes?""Look up."At Douglass's words, Mitch raised his head. His eyes met dark pupils that seemed to pierce right through him.He stared at Mitch silently for a while, then gave a twisted smile."Why are you so frozen? Like someone who has something to hide."As he spoke coldly, Mi
It had definitely come back negative before, so when exactly did the pregnancy happen?...It must have been during his heat cycle. That's the only timeframe that made sense.Even for male omegas with low fertility, the probability of conception increases during heat cycles. Among the fragments of memories from that day, Mitch couldn't recall using any condoms. Plus, with Douglass's rut coinciding, if he had become pregnant, that was certainly when it happened.As the reality of what he'd been hoping wasn't true approached, it felt like the ground was crumbling beneath his feet.But reality didn't even give Mitch time to be shocked.[Boss, where are you? Customers are flooding in, and we need you here]
"Mitch?""Let's talk somewhere else first.""Yes, anywhere is fine with me."Sammy smiled as if satisfied just by the fact that Mitch hadn't rejected him. Mitch, on the other hand, felt a chill run down his spine from tension.He briefly thought about politely turning Sammy away with the cafÃĐ as an excuse, but there was no guarantee that Sammy, who had come all this way, would leave quietly. It would also seem strange to refuse outright in front of the part-time worker.Besides, he was curious why Sammy kept requesting meetings along with the frequent contact. While he was still grateful for the advice given when he didn't know much about desserts, he didn't consider himself close enough to Sammy to need regular meetings.After hesitating briefly, Mitch went up to the building's rooftop with Sammy. Perhaps because it was morning, there were hardly any people around yet."Mr. Sammy Stuart. How did you end up coming all the way here?""You haven't been answering my calls since yesterday
Lately, Mitch found himself eating heavily in the evenings since he frequently missed lunch due to being busy with the cafÃĐ work.For some unknown reason, Mitch's appetite had increased to a bewildering degree. While Douglass had encouraged him to gain weight, so eating freely should have been fine, the problem was that eating so much made him terribly sleepy afterward.Recently, they had dinner together whenever Douglass wasn't busy, but the number of times they had sex could be counted on one hand. This was because Mitch would fall asleep almost immediately after eating, as if under hypnosis.He'd fall asleep in the car, in the bathtub, while waiting for Douglass to finish showering. This had already happened numerous times.Although Douglass hadn't complained, Mitch felt anxious that he might misunderstand and think Mitch was pretending to sleep to avoid intimacy.When Mitch fell asleep, Douglass deliberately avoided initiating anything. This naturally led to the night passing unev
In any case, Mitch, who had just settled into a chair in the back room to rest, stood up abruptly like a soldier receiving orders. As he went to the kitchen and filled a disposable cup with ice while pulling an espresso shot, his part-timer looked at him questioningly."Boss, did an order come in?"She seemed confused that Mitch was making a drink when there were no customers."It's for me. I'll be back in a moment.""Ah, okay!"[See you on the 27th floor]After sending a reply to Douglass, Mitch grabbed a muffin and a cookie from what they sold in the store and put them in his pocket. Then he took the iced Americano and got into the elevator.When Mitch got off at the 26th floor and climbed one flight of stairs, Douglass was already there waiting.He was sitting on the stairs leading up to the 28th floor, greeting Mitch with an expression that asked why he was so late."Your replies are getting slower and slower.""I was really busy today.""Then I guess you haven't eaten again.""I