DOTH Volume 3 Chapter 10.6

However, everything changed when the omega Nam Soohyun had prepared as a ‘gift’ entered this high crime rate zone. It was then that Kim Chulwoo realized for the first time that Yeon Woobeom was capable of smiling gently. Of course, his superior was a man extremely skilled at controlling his expressions, and pretending to be kind was hardly difficult for him.

Kim Chulwoo also didn’t think much of it at first. He assumed the kindness Director Yeon showed toward Jung Heeyeon was purely business-related. But at some point, Kim Chulwoo caught an unfamiliar kind of warmth on Yeon Woobeom’s face. It was clearly a different kind of affection from their first meeting.

The initial kindness Director Yeon showed to Jung Heeyeon had been purely because of the omega’s usefulness. That he found Jung Heeyeon adorable was likely because he was the kind of person not found in Yeon Woobeom’s usual surroundings—nothing more than that.

But it turned out that wasn’t the case. Kim Chulwoo was a beat late in recognizing the change in Director Yeon, but when he finally did, he didn’t find the unfamiliarity on his superior’s face unpleasant. At least the man no longer looked like someone bored with life and weighed down by apathy.

So no matter how Yeon Woobeom doted on Jung Heeyeon in front of his subordinates, to Kim Chulwoo, it was a relief.

“Our dear reporter put a lot of effort into this, so we can’t just ignore it. Give it to him through Lee Haejin.”

“I’ll have it ready before the end of the day.”

A gift? Jung Heeyeon picked up on the nuance in Kim Chulwoo’s words, the word ‘gift’ didn’t simply mean what it did in the dictionary. Having seen Chairman Jung prepare ‘gifts’ before, it wasn’t hard for him to decipher the hidden meaning. Likely cash, gold bars, or artwork.

Suddenly, Jung Heeyeon’s gaze dropped to his wrist. Considering the watch quietly resting there was worth hundreds of millions of won, the man who gifted him this must indeed be extremely wealthy. Still, a quiet wave of worry welled up inside him. Just as he was about to feel dejected for being unhelpful, an unexpected realization surfaced in his mind.

“Director.”

“Yeah, Heeyeon?”

“Should I help you?”

The out-of-nowhere suggestion made Director Yeon tilt his head. There wasn’t really anything his much younger lover could help with.

“I just remembered that I have a lot of money. I’ve never really used it, but…”

“Money?”

Director Yeon echoed the word Jung Heeyeon had just said. He couldn’t quite grasp why the topic had come up so suddenly. The body in his arms stirred, half-turning as if to face him.

“Yes. Director, I have stocks, and real estate too… They’re all under my name, so if you want them, I can give them to you. I’ve never used them before, so you’d have to help me…”

Director Yeon narrowed one eye at his lover’s sudden confession of wealth. He had never once thought ofJung Heeyeon’s financial situation.

“I always thought it was strange that he only carried cash…”

That old man had fled abroad and moved around with nothing but cash. Since the man has never been after Chairman Jung’s fortune, he hadn’t thought much about it, but now it seemed all those assets had been transferred to Jung Heeyeon’s name before leaving Korea.

Five years ago, Jung Heeyeon had been a minor, and since stock and real estate assets couldn’t be sold off without a guardian, it had been a prudent move on Chairman Jung’s part. Hardly anyone knew the chairman even had a blood relative. If he’d laundered the assets, it would have been easy to hide them.

“Pardon?”

“Nothing. I’m just talking to myself.”

Director Yeon glanced at Kim Chulwoo and gave a short order.

“Check into it.”

“Yes. I’ll do it right away.”

“Make sure everything’s processed so the baby can access it.”

“Yes.”

Kim Chulwoo promptly left the director’s office.

“Heeyeon, it’s not like I’m so broke that I have to sponge off my lover.”

Jung Heeyeon, now fully turned toward Director Yeon, opened his eyes a little wider and parted his lips. It was clear from his expression that he had taken the man’s teasing tone in earnest.

“Oh… It’s not that I was worried you didn’t have money. I just remembered it suddenly. It’s not cash, so I don’t know how to use it. I thought it would be better to give it to you, Director. Besides, I use your card anyway. I’ve probably spent a lot of your money so far…”

A wave of embarrassment belatedly washed over Jung Heeyeon. As an adult, he should be financially independent, but he had been spending Director Yeon’s money without much thought. Living confined within the walls where someone else provided everything had made him so used to being taken care of that he hadn’t even considered it.

As he fidgeted with his fingers in embarrassment, Director Yeon let out a low chuckle and gently intertwined their fingers.

“Heeyeon.”

“Yes?”

“Your lover’s card is your card.”

The sharp scar that traced the line of the man’s eye curved into a smooth arc.

“When you’ve got a rich, older lover, this is exactly how you’re supposed to use him.”

***

The long hallway was rather dim. Due to the soft lighting, walking wasn’t difficult, but it would be hard to make out anyone’s face. As they walked down the corridor, doors appeared at regular intervals, each tightly shut as if to prevent anything from leaking out. It was incredibly suspicious.

As he passed through the silence and secrecy thick in the air, Jung Heeyeon thought of Lee Haejin. He knew that hyung owned more than just the restaurant where they first met, but he hadn’t known about this place.

With every step on the polished marble floor, a cool sound echoed in his ears. The building was located in a bustling district, but maybe the high floor hid all traces of outside noise. There was only silence.

“Want me to hold your hand?”

Director Yeon spoke softly, noting how Jung Heeyeon curiously glanced around the space despite there being little to see. Despite the kind offer, Jung Heeyeon shook his head.

“No, I’m alright.”

“It’s dark. You might trip.”

“Pardon? I’m okay. I won’t trip from something like this.”

Director Yeon lowered his eyelids. His eyes, quick to adjust even in the dark, caught sight of the omega’s ankles. He knew better than anyone just how delicate those ankles were, and instead of dismissing Jung Heeyeon’s response, he chose to pay close attention to it.

The sound of two sets of footsteps tapping against the marble floor echoed a few more times before finally stopping. When they opened the innermost door, a vast space greeted them. Unlike the discreet and secretive hallway, what caught their eyes first was the expansive glass wall. The nightscape of Seoul spread out just beyond, revealing a pitch-black sky veiled in snow.

In contrast to the dim corridor, the interior lighting was quite bright. Sofas arranged in a U-shape were set against the glass wall, with a table placed in the center. Jung Heeyeon had a vague sense that this was a place where tight-lipped conversations and deals took place.

“Let’s check them.”

The owner of the space was on the phone with someone. The man who had been gazing down at the night view turned slowly, as if he’d caught the reflection of their silhouettes in the glass. When Lee Haejin spotted Jung Heeyeon, he raised a hand in greeting, but once he made eye contact with Director Yeon, he gave a brief nod in acknowledgment. At the same time, his phone call ended.

“You’re here, Heeyeon?”

“Yes.”

Lee Haejin made an effort to ignore the alpha pheromones wafting thickly from Jung Heeyeon’s body. The scent layered over his pale skin was almost oppressive. It was hard to tell whether the pheromones had been poured out simply to stabilize the omega’s condition, or if they were an expression of an alpha’s possessiveness. The ironic part was that there was no scent at all coming from the man who must have been the one to release those pheromones in the first place.

“I owe you one.”

Director Yeon approached the table and tapped lightly on an envelope sitting off to the side as he spoke. Lee Haejin gave a small shrug as he responded.

“I wouldn’t call it a debt. Let’s just say we’re cooperating.”

Inside the envelope were the personal details of reporter Kim Jaeho and the reference materials he had used when writing the article. To be exact, the materials had been provided not by Sunha, but by Lee Haejin’s side.

“You saw the embargoed article, right?”

Lee Haejin slid a strawberry latte toward Jung Heeyeon and asked. When discussing business with Director Yeon, they usually drank whiskey, so the drink looked quite out of place among the liquor laid out on the table.

He had prepared it separately, feeling awkward about offering hard liquor to someone who couldn’t even handle beer. But Director Yeon didn’t seem to care much. Well, he was the kind of man who would personally go out and buy junk food if Jung Heeyeon wanted it. Whether it was greasy fast food or strong alcohol, it probably made no difference.

“You did a good job using those provocative keywords.”

“Strictly speaking, it was Sunha’s side that orchestrated the whole thing to make the story provocative.”

“I didn’t expect you to actually buy off a Sunwoo Daily reporter.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Reporter Kim Jaeho, who had aimed at Director Yeon, was actually within Lee Haejin’s network—someone from a major outlet, Sunwoo Daily. Sunwoo Daily was a well-known pro-Seonha media company, and from Sunha Group’s perspective, using it for public opinion warfare was probably the easiest way to corner Director Yeon. It was only natural that the fabricated firearm incident ended up being leaked there.

The one who took the bait was none other than Kim Jaeho. Lee Haejin had secured him through a favorable deal. Since the story was bound to break eventually, it was better to let someone he could control be the one to release it. It was largely due to Kim Jaeho that Lee Haejin was able to easily secure both the embargoed article and the accompanying video intended for publication.

Make me feel happy and supported by leaving a comment!