DOTH Volume 3 Chapter 10.1

Director Yeon checked the message from Kim Chulwoo. The omega curled up in his arms stirred slightly at the movement and peeked at the screen along with him. When Director Yeon casually cupped Jung Heeyeon’s chin and kissed him, the sweet taste of ice cream still lingered on his lips. The man briefly pulled away and let out a soft chuckle before returning his gaze to the phone.

[Sir. They say he arrived in Incheon early this morning.]

It wasn’t something that needed to be hidden, nor was there any reason to do so. Leaving Jung Heeyeon to look at the phone freely, Director Yeon buried his nose into the pale nape of his neck. The scent of gardenia, deeper now after sex, prickled the alpha’s sensitive nose. It was a sweetness that couldn’t be compared to any ice cream.

“Heeyeon. Do you want to come with me?”

Jung Heeyeon flinched slightly and turned his gaze toward Director Yeon. The man’s lips brushed against the nape of his neck as he spoke, making his skin tingle.

“Yes. I want to come.”

Since he’d started following Director Yeon around, the only places Jung Heeyeon had really been to were near the company and Busan. He pictured where Incheon was and gave an obedient answer. Wherever they went, as long as Director Yeon was with him, he would enjoy it.

“You might have trouble walking, though.”

Director Yeon gave Jung Heeyeon’s small butt a gentle pat and lightly bit the slender nape of his neck. The body curled up in his arms jolted with a shallow twitch. There wouldn’t be much walking involved, but Director Yeon didn’t want to push the omega’s body when he was likely still worn out from sex. He also didn’t want to parade Jung Heeyeon’s dazed, flushed face in front of other alphas right after they’d been intimate. He trusted the people in Jiwoo, but trust and possessiveness were two entirely different things.

“But I like being with you, Director… But if you don’t want me to go, I’ll understand… It’s business, after all.”

“Why would I not want you to come?”

The real issue was that Director Yeon didn’t want to leave Jung Heeyeon behind either. He wasn’t worried about the omega’s safety, but there was still a stark difference between seeing someone with your own eyes and not being able to see them at all. He could finally understand why alphas would do whatever it took to imprint on their omegas. As Director Yeon brushed a finger over the fresh bite mark he’d just left, the word ‘imprint’ rolled across his tongue.

Maybe he should just imprint Jung Heeyeon.

But then he recalled that imprinting while one’s pheromones were unstable could be dangerous. Imprinting was essentially the act of binding pheromones. Though Jung Heeyeon had a dominant trait, like Director Yeon, his poorly regulated pheromones hadn’t yet stabilized. Trying to entwine such unstable pheromones with those of a different trait was bound to cause strain.

Alphas and omehas, once treated like animals by betas, were in truth not much different from animals at all. The process of imprinting was little better than animal mating. It was completely different in nature from something like a pheromone shower, which was just a show of dominance through scent. Imprinting was violent, and primitive.

Imprinting him was still too soon.

“Director, if you would like me to come, then I’d like to go with you.”

“Yeah. Let’s go together.”

Director Yeon pulled Jung Heeyeon closer and easily sent a reply to Kim Chulwoo with one hand.

[The baby is coming too, so be prepared.]

–

Jung Heeyeon gazed out the window at the passing sea. Though it wasn’t a scene he was seeing for the first time, his eyes could never steer away from it. Maybe it was simply the beauty of it, but perhaps it was also because he had first met Director Yeon by the sea.

Sunlight glittered like sparks on the waves, dazzling to look at. Despite the likely chill in the air, it felt just like the height of summer. So this was Incheon Port, Jung Heeyeon thought. It naturally reminded him of their trip to Busan and how they had watched the sea together on the way back.

“Director, do you have business to do in Incheon?”

“Remember that container we saw in Busan?”

“Yes.”

Jung Heeyeon nodded. Though he hadn’t gone inside due to memories of being in the hutch, he knew what kind of goods were inside the huge hulk of rusted metal.

“It was transported here early this morning. However, this thing stands out more here than it did in Busan.”

At the slow reply, Jung Heeyeon parted his lips slightly. He had already suspected that the weapons in that container were being traded illegally. No one had ever told him that directly, but it hadn’t been hard to figure out.

The night Jung Heeyeon had first met Director Yeon was cloaked in darkness, with only the moonlight to rely on. If the cargo hadn’t been smuggled, there would’ve been no reason to check the containers at such an hour. He didn’t know all the details, but Nam Soohyun had once mentioned that she would find and retrieve the goods.

Jung Heeyeon fidgeted with his fingers. The man sitting beside him had never hidden anything from him. The longer he spent in Director Yeon’s office, the more information he picked up. And with those bits and pieces came a clear picture in his mind. Piecing everything together, Jung Heeyeon could make a decent guess at what was going on.

“If it stands out, wouldn’t that be troublesome for you, Director?”

“Heeyeon. Are you worried?”

“Yes.”

Director Yeon chuckled softly and poked a finger into Jung Heeyeon’s soft cheek. His baby fat still gave him a youthful look. Plenty of people worried for Director Yeon’s safety, but no one else worried in quite the same way Jung Heeyeon did. Most feared he’d be shot in the back someday, not that he’d get into trouble for illegal dealings. But Director Yeon had many connections, and those connections meant he knew how to skillfully balance persuasion and threats.

“Don’t worry. I told you, it’s just bait.”

Bait. The word rolled around in Jung Heeyeon’s mouth, tasting faintly of something secretive. He’d heard it back in Busan too. If it was bait, then it had to be bait for Chairman Jung—Jung Heeyeon’s grandfather.

“Director, if I ask you about something… will you tell me?”

“If our Heeyeon is curious, sure.”

Director Yeon answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, brushing aside the careful question without a second thought. He had no intention of hiding anything from Jung Heeyeon. While he sometimes treated Jung Heeyeon like a baby because of their age gap, Jung Heeyeon was still an adult. His lover was the victim, thus he had a right to know. Director Yeon wanted to give him everything he wanted. He didn’t want Jung Heeyeon to see anything ugly, so if he could help it, he didn’t want to show the omega things related to Chairman Jung. However, if Jung Heeyeon asked, he would tell him everything.

“Then please tell me when we get home. I want to know.”

“Alright. I’ll tell you once we’re home.”

Director Yeon stared at Jung Heeyeon, already picturing what was to come. It was probably best to explain before the baby became startled.

Right then, the car rolled to a smooth stop. Outside the window, he saw the alphas from Jiwoo who had arrived ahead of them.

“I’ll be right back. Just wait here a minute.”

Director Yeon reached for the door, but paused when Jung Heeyeon tugged on the hem of his suit jacket.

“Director, can I come in too?”

“I don’t mind if you want to… but you hate containers, don’t you?”

Director Yeon raised an eyebrow at the unexpected request. He hadn’t expected Jung Heeyeon to say he wanted to go into a container, especially after having been locked up in one and transported all the way to Busan. It made perfect sense that he’d want to avoid them. Maybe it was also tied to the memories of abuse he’d suffered in the hutch.

It was for the same reason Director Yeon hated harbors. The smell of rusted metal and the rows of square steel boxes always brought back images of the hutch.

Then again, even without having such personal history, who in their right mind would like going into a container?

“I’m alright because you’re with me, Director.”

Jung Heeyeon said, gripping the hem of the man’s suit jacket a little tighter. Back in Busan, he had chosen to buy puffed rice snacks instead of stepping into the container, but today, he wanted to go in. Because Director Yeon was by his side. His trust in the man hadn’t changed since then, but now that they were lovers, there was a subtle confidence in himself. More than anything, he wanted to see what was inside the container with his own eyes. He had a vague sense that these were the bait meant to draw out Chairman Jung.

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