I need to get out of here as quickly as possible. If I make a wrong move and get excited, I'll end up clinging to Douglass, driven purely by instinct without any emotion.Mitch abandoned his bag completely and rushed toward the entrance."Let go, you crazy bastard!"Or rather, he tried to rush.But Douglass grabbed his shoulder in an instant and wouldn't let go. As their separated bodies came into contact, the pheromones penetrated deeper into his body.It was hard to breathe due to the alpha pheromones pouring out. The ridiculously overwhelming amount of pheromones being released was clearly meant to excite him. The familiar sensation starting from his lower back was stimulating his sensuality."Stop it. What's wrong with you, Douglass Brady?""Mitch Forbes, you're the one who needs to calm down.""Let go and then we'll talk! Let go!"Somehow finding strength, Mitch pushed Douglass away and escaped from his embrace.From wildly flailing his arms and legs, Mitch caught a glimpse of Do
In the end, after lingering with Laurence in the park, they parted ways at dawn. After putting the staggering Laurence in a taxi, saying it was time to go home, Mitch moved to a bar and drank until the sun was completely up. Some alphas approached him flirtatiously, but when he showed no reaction at all, they stopped bothering him.Strangely, no matter how much he drank, he didn't feel drunk.With his mind becoming increasingly clear, Mitch left the bar and had breakfast at a nearby restaurant.As soon as it turned 9 AM, he called a real estate agent, saying he wanted to put his officetel up for sale. Having decided to break up, he felt he should systematically clean up everything related to Douglass.After a brief call with the real estate agent, Mitch, having nowhere else to go, headed to the officetel he had just put up for sale.It was where Mitch had lived alone before moving in together, but since Douglass had purchased it and transferred ownership to Mitch, even this place was
Mitch woke up to the sound of his alarm. Checking the time, it was 2 PM. Having slept only three hours since arriving in the morning, he was still tired.But he needed to get up. He had to go to the café in the afternoon.He'd probably face Douglass again when he went to work, but he couldn't just not do his job. At least he wasn't in charge of opening today.While washing his face, Mitch mentally checked what needed to be done at the café. It was the day the ordered coffee beans and disposables were coming in, so he needed to organize them first and dispose of expired ingredients.After finishing urgent tasks, he planned to contact the building manager. To dispose of the café.It might be difficult to close the café immediately, but he couldn't continue seeing Douglass every day in the same building."I need to sort this out."Mitch muttered to himself as he got dressed.Having finished his preparations quickly, he put on his shoes. Thinking he needed to call a taxi since he didn't h
"Even if there's no pain right now, you might experience muscle soreness later. I'll prescribe some medication, and it would be good to apply warm compresses whenever you have time.""Will he be able to perform daily activities without issues?""It would be best to refrain from excessive outdoor activities for the time being. If you experience pain or swelling, come to the hospital immediately.""Understood. Thank you, Doctor.""No need for thanks. When the Director calls, I naturally have to come."The two of them finished the examination after a lengthy conversation, with Mitch sitting between them like a doll.Like the skilled physician he was, the doctor didn't ask for details about how he got hurt or why he hadn't come to the hospital despite not being in severe pain.He simply examined Mitch as instructed by Douglass, prescribed medication, and left.Douglass, who had trapped someone in an officetel, preventing them from moving, yet could calmly discuss aftereffects and pain wit
"...So that's why?"Mitch opened his eyes as if he had realized something. Alphas had longer rut cycles than omegas. And depending on the person and situation, alphas with partners could become more possessive.Some alphas developed pathologically strong possessiveness. There were even treatments available to reduce aggression related to this condition.Could this be why Douglass had gone to such extremes?Even so, imprisoning someone like today was going too far. During previous ruts, he had been persistent about sex or reluctant to leave the bed, but that was within an expected range for anyone.However, even if there had been no unusual behavior before, this was a special situation. An unwanted, sudden breakup was a completely different matter. It was enough to stimulate an alpha's possessiveness that intensified during the rut period.Looking at it that way, Douglass's abnormal behavior since yesterday became somewhat understandable. But..."He's acting like this even before his r
***The third day of restricted outings. When Mitch tried to call the police again, this time the men guarding the door confiscated his phone."Give me back my phone.""We cannot return it at this time.""I said give it back!""..."There was no response. Although he banged on the closed door and shouted, he could no longer open the door freely, and his means of contacting anyone had disappeared.Mitch was thus easily isolated in the officetel.At this point, the seriousness of the situation hit home. He could no longer maintain the complacent attitude that he could leave with a bit of luck. It seemed Douglass truly intended to keep him here until his heat cycle ended.After hours of confrontation at the front door, an exhausted Mitch gave up trying to open it and returned to the living room. On his wrist was a faint wound where he had been scratched by the doorknob during a physical struggle with one of the men. Mitch absentmindedly rubbed the spot.After having his phone taken away,
Douglass personally carried Mitch on his back, put him in the car, and headed to the hospital. Since there was nothing wrong with his ankle, it was a bit embarrassing to pretend it hurt and be carried by him.Douglass kept asking detailed questions about the symptoms while driving, making it difficult for Mitch to fabricate answers. Except for when his ankle was actually injured in the past, he had rarely experienced serious pain, so he couldn't describe the pain in detail.Wondering if Douglass had noticed his lie and was interrogating him more persistently, Mitch observed his expression. He was gripping the steering wheel with an anxious face, focusing on what Mitch was saying. Fortunately, he seemed to believe him unconditionally.Upon arriving at the emergency room, they were instructed to wait for a while. With Douglass's help, Mitch sat on a chair, and Douglass sat next to him."Don't skip rehabilitation from now on. Make sure to go.""I got it.""And if there are days I can't g
Mitch opened his eyes at the presence he felt beside him. Douglass, who had woken up first, was taking out clothes."...Going to work?" Mitch asked in a voice still husky from sleep. Douglass turned his gaze to the bed where he was lying and nodded."Have to. Ugh, I don't want to go.""...""How's your ankle? Still hurts?"Only then did Mitch look at his ankle. Douglass must have replaced it during the night, as the hot compress wrapped over the protective brace was still warm."A little.""Someone will come this afternoon to take you to the hospital. For physical therapy.""What about you?""I have work, so I can't go with you."Mitch looked up at Douglass with eyes still heavy with sleep. He was holding a necktie. For some reason, Douglass always had a serious expression when tying his tie. Sometimes he even looked solemn.Despite Mitch's inner turmoil these past few days, Douglass was the same as usual. He acted as if nothing was wrong, even after confiscating his phone and confini
"Real Place, yes, I've seen videos from that account. I told them the owner would be here soon. I think they're taking photos of drinks at the entrance seats now..."As he said, soon the food influencer approached and asked if she could take videos of the store. She wanted to capture overall photos, the kitchen interior, and the scenery beyond the large glass window that was Neo-Bell's signature feature.After a brief chat, Mitch served a few complimentary drinks and desserts. He had learned from experience that tables with plenty of food and beverages photographed well.Occasionally there were people who demanded money for promotional purposes after taking photos and videos, but today's influencer simply took her pictures and videos quietly before leaving.Mitch gazed at the view outside the window that the influencer had most meticulously captured. Beautiful green leaves from a large tree covered the window. Sunlight streaming through hundreds of gaps between the leaves created a st
Mitch nodded slightly in response."Have you been here with me before?""Yes."After the employee left the room, Douglass drank some water with a displeased expression. He clearly didn't remember."How often?""...Occasionally.""Hmm."When the food arrived, they ate quietly. While eating, Mitch tried to anticipate what Douglass would demand in exchange for paying off his debt.However, there were many unfamiliar aspects to this Douglass who couldn't remember him, making it difficult to predict.I hope he doesn't ask for something too unreasonable. What if he wants something I can't give?"What else should I do? You said I have to do whatever you tell me."Mitch spoke after finishing his meal and emptying the drink he had ordered. He deliberately waited until after the meal to bring this up, fearing he might choke if he mentioned it earlier.Douglass, who had finished eating first and was waiting, glanced at Mitch's empty bowl."You said it yourself. That you'd had all the fun you wer
Douglass was certain that his past self hadn't become emotionally entangled with Mitch. Though he might have been physically attracted to his face and somewhat infatuated with his body, if he had truly cared for Mitch, he wouldn't have left him looking so thin. He would look better with some more weight on him. Healthier and more robust.At any rate, feeding him to put on weight wasn't difficult. He just needed to pay a bit more attention to it."Anyway. Douglass Brady, you need to step outside for a moment now."Marlon returned to his desk, flipping through Mitch's chart. Douglass, who had been preparing to leave, hesitated."Why?""I need to have a private consultation with the patient.""Do you two have some secret that I don't know about?""It's standard practice to consult with patients one-on-one. You're not Mitch's guardian anyway.""I came here as his guardian.""Unless you're his spouse, you can't legally be his guardian. So hurry up and leave."Douglass grumbled but left the
Contrary to his expectations, Mitch shook his head."Don't come here anymore after this.""..."This wasn't the response Douglass had anticipated. He folded his arms and leaned toward where Mitch was standing."I don't want to.""Then you might run into those guys again. You'll be in danger too. You saw what happened, you know.""And you're not in danger?""This is my problem, so I have no choice. Besides, I told you yesterday. It's over between us anyway...""1 million pesos, right?"Douglass cut off Mitch's words."I'll pay it for you. Those guys looked like loan sharks.""...""If this continues, isn't it really dangerous? For you and your family too."Douglass grabbed Mitch's wrist to prevent him from turning away. The grip was neither too tight nor too loose. His manner was somewhat cautious, but his expression failed to hide how much he was enjoying the situation."Why suddenly?"Douglass had previously said he had no intention of paying the premium. Mitch was curious about what
Simultaneously, the sound of someone turning the emergency staircase doorknob came from the floor below. Probably someone who had finished parking in the underground garage and was trying to come up the stairs. But there was only a rattling sound; the door wouldn't open.Douglass Brady had already instructed his secretary to lock all emergency exit doors on every floor. So that no one except himself and these men could use them."Huh, so this guy really was a rich young master after all."Having confirmed that the money had indeed been transferred to the account, the Beta let out a surprised laugh. It was understandable—in this line of work, he had never received money so easily and quickly before. Usually, it took anywhere from six months to several years."But it seems like a bit more money came in than expected. Is this a tip?" the Alpha asked after checking the numbers in the text message."Ah, that." Douglass casually dropped his shortened cigarette on the floor and extinguished
"What's with this clean-cut guy?"The alpha loan shark turned towards Douglass. Their tones were clearly confrontational.Mitch signaled with his eyes for Douglass to leave. These weren't people he needed to get involved with. Besides, even though Douglass was larger than them, it would be dangerous to face two people at once. Especially since he'd recently been in an accident—what if Douglass got hurt..."I asked first, but I'm still waiting for an answer."Douglass raised one eyebrow as if puzzled."Look at this. The way this young punk talks is all wrong. Ah, are you Forbes's boyfriend?"The beta standing next to the alpha clapped his hands and laughed at his comment."Ahh, that must be it! Why else would he be hanging around here at this hour.""Mr. Douglass Brady. Please leave."Mitch warned Douglass, but he didn't budge an inch, as if he couldn't hear Mitch's voice."Mitch Forbes must be quite skilled at seducing alphas.""He does look the slutty type."The loan sharks exchanged
"You're staying late today instead of running away in the middle."Douglass suddenly appeared from somewhere while Mitch was closing up. Mitch glanced back while cleaning, having turned off the lights and put the chairs on the tables."Yes."The lackluster response came out because he had no energy to retort. One of the part-timers scheduled for the afternoon shift couldn't come due to personal reasons, so Mitch had to stay from opening until closing.As a result, every muscle in his body was screaming in pain. He had planned to do delivery work after finishing his shift, but that was now out of the question. He should probably go straight back to his officetel to rest."We used to live together, right?"Douglass abruptly brought up their past relationship while standing in front of the busy Mitch. Mitch decided to ignore him completely and focused on washing dishes."But there were only my things in the apartment we shared."When Mitch didn't respond, Douglass went as far as entering
"The café isn't open yet.""So what?" Douglass shot Mitch a dangerous look that seemed to say, "What are you going to do about it?""Please come back when we open.""You're running a business practically rent-free thanks to me, and you've got a lot to say."Douglass Brady had always been selfish, but this version of him who didn't remember Mitch spoke so irritatingly that Mitch wanted to slap him across the mouth.But since what he said wasn't wrong, Mitch had no comeback."What would you like to order, customer?" Mitch quickly changed his approach, turning on the POS system to take Douglass's order."Iced Americano."Douglass tossed his card onto the counter as soon as he answered."The machine isn't fully heated up yet. Would it be okay if I served you an iced hand-drip coffee instead?""Do whatever you want."Mitch calmly picked up Douglass's card and processed the payment.Watching the process, Douglass clicked his tongue."You're not even acting cute. Did I really date you?"Mitc
Originally, he had planned to stay at the café until closing at 8 PM, but he left early because he had received a call from a company where he had recently submitted his resume for a delivery driver position. He decided to leave the closing to the afternoon part-timers.After the interview and completing the company's mandatory training before officially starting work, it was already late at night.On his way home, he checked his phone and found several messages had accumulated.[Mitch. This is Sammy Stuart^^ I'd like to meet once more to discuss the dessert supply. When are you available?][Boss.... my sibling has been hospitalized urgently, could you possibly change my afternoon schedule?ㅠㅜ][Hello, customer Mitch Forbes. How satisfied were you with the loan product consultation you received?]Come to think of it, he needed to decide on the new dessert menu quickly. Overwhelmed by reality, he hadn't had time to focus on that.He managed to reply only to work-related messages before