TCBW C93

Chapter 93

‘It seems the staff who were waiting outside the dining hall heard what Madam said to you, sir. I tried to be vigilant, but… I apologize.’

Stumble. Upon receiving that report earlier from the chief of attendants, Haeeon nearly tripped mid-step. Had it been news that Suhoe was pregnant, he might not have been this shocked.

Of course, he had long since noticed the subtle current flowing between the two.

No—anyone with a modicum of perception would already have known how Suhoe felt about Dowoon.

But that timid Suhoe confessing first? And doing so in a dining hall where people could overhear? That was beyond imagination.

Though it seemed the parties involved were unaware that everyone already knew.

“Haah.”

Haeeon let out a string of sighs.

Among servants, where rumors spread quickly, a love story between a celebrated figure of the financial world and a destitute, orphaned Aegbaji would be more than enough to cause an uproar.

“I’ll excuse myself first.”

As the chief attendant was about to take his leave, Haeeon caught his arm, as if one more question lingered.

“Um… but did the CEO respond?”

“Pardon? Ah—no. He didn’t say anything. Madam didn’t press the matter either.”

“Haah. I see. You may go.”

Well, that outcome had been obvious. Regardless of Suhoe’s feelings, the end of this relationship was predetermined.

And Dowoon, of all people, was more than capable of pretending not to notice Suhoe’s heart. He was a man who had always chosen his objectives over Suhoe.

Thus reassured, Haeeon set about sealing lips to prevent the uncontrollable spread of rumors.

…At least, that was what he had believed. He was certain of it.

“Move the departure to dawn.”

That single remark from Dowoon—who was meant to leave immediately—shattered all of Haeeon’s certainty.

In the end, unable to restrain himself, he decided to cross the line.

He would ask.

“C–CEO. This may be presumptuous, but may I ask one thing?”

Dowoon answered without lifting his eyes from the documents.

“If you know it’s presumptuous, then it would be best not to ask.”

“……”

“Go on.”

“…I wish to ask whether, even after the contract ends, you intend to remain with Madam.”

Only then did Dowoon look at Haeeon.

“Did Chairman Lee put you up to this? Or is it simply your own curiosity?”

“M–my personal curiosity.”

“When the contract ends, I intend only to pay the agreed compensation.”

At those words, the air cooled noticeably.

Haeeon lowered his gaze.

“If that answers your question, leave.”

He bowed deeply and turned away. But just before he crossed the threshold, Dowoon’s low, solid voice struck his back.

“Secretary Choi.”

Startled, Haeeon halted.

“Yes, sir.”

“This is your last warning.”

As Dowoon turned his head, the air changed. A suffocating pressure swept over the nape of Haeeon’s neck.

It wasn’t language, but presence—more certain than words.

“If you ever feel like asking something so pointless again…”

After a brief pause, Dowoon enunciated each word with deliberate force.

“Prepare yourself to vacate your position.”

“…I will bear that in mind.”

Once Haeeon had left, Dowoon flung his glasses aside.

The question about Suhoe irritated him.

That ever-pleasant man stiffening and prying into something so trivial—it sat poorly with him.

Speaking of affection toward an Omega who would become a stranger once the contract ended was distasteful.

It even felt like a waste of time.

Yet strangely, the irritation that robbed him of composure did not fade even after leaving the estate.

Business trips were routine; ordinarily, he would have been fully absorbed in preparing overseas schedules.

Instead, nothing but vexing irritation filled his mind.

No—more precisely, irritation intertwined with Suhoe’s face, unceasingly.

He could not discern the cause. Or perhaps, having heard unnecessary things from both Haeeon and Suhoe, he was simply more affected than usual.

If so, it was absurd.

To have his thoughts tangled this badly over a mere childish confession, over a question about what he intended to do with that child.

In truth, he had heard such words countless times before.

Women with pretty faces who lived with “I love you” on their lips had always surrounded Dowoon. Yet never once had he placed his emotions atop such frivolous affection.

He had granted them neither love nor the title of lover.

And yet Suhoe—he was male, and an Omega at that.

Dowoon could not understand himself, dwelling so persistently on someone he had initially avoided simply for being a man.

Nor could he understand why that plaintive confession lingered so stubbornly in his mind.

The way Suhoe pressed his lips tight while failing to hide the yearning in his eyes; the gentle, helpless expression he wore when he heard of Dowoon’s business trip—none of it would leave him.

As time passed, matters only worsened.

The pale face came to mind, along with the peach-blossom scent of his pheromones. No—merely thinking of it made his lower body react.

A sharp ache pierced his heart, while the nerves in his left arm tingled relentlessly up to his shoulder blade, becoming an everyday occurrence.

On the afternoon of the seventh day since his departure, Dowoon answered the phone reflexively, without even checking the number on the screen.

Contrary to his faint expectations, the voice that came through the speaker was Haeeon’s—calling, as always, on business.

—Ah, CEO. May I come to your room to brief you on tomorrow’s schedule?

“Mm.”

The voice that replied was cynically subdued, its disappointment unmistakable.

Feigning ignorance of that tone, Haeeon ended the call and headed to Dowoon’s room, arms laden with documents for the next day’s overseas transaction with a credit card company.

“These are the documents on the product you instructed us to investigate.”

He placed them on the table and began the briefing as usual. Yet his superior’s expression was oddly vacant.

Even during the final briefing before an actual deal—at such a crucial moment—Dowoon’s gaze was fixed not on the papers, but on his phone. Haeeon paused, smiling awkwardly.

“…Sir. You seem tired. Shall I come back later?”

“No. Continue.”

Though he held the documents Haeeon handed him, his eyes kept drifting unconsciously to the phone.

But the call he awaited did not come.

As soon as the late-night briefing ended, they headed straight to the airport. To accommodate the altered schedule, they had to fly several more hours.

Once aboard, Dowoon shut off his phone as if to cast away the unnecessary thoughts that plagued him the day before, focusing solely on work.

After more than five hours of meetings, the deal concluded in a favorable atmosphere that satisfied all parties.

Though the final decision required internal deliberation on the client’s side, Dowoon was certain of success—his business instincts had never failed him at moments like this.

Later, escorted out by the client’s executives, Dowoon drew overt curiosity from them. A rare Eastern extreme-dominant Alpha who ran his company directly without professional managers, he was a figure of intrigue.

He answered their questions with measured ease as they proceeded to a restaurant arranged by the client.

Seated in the place of honor, he conversed with the client’s staff—when suddenly, a faint vibration came from the inner pocket of his suit. It was so slight he nearly ignored it, unable even to tell whether it was a call or a message.

But in that instant, a visceral, instinctive sensation seized his nerves—a powerful premonition that he had to check.

And astonishingly, his intuition proved correct.

On the screen was a missed call, clearly marked as coming from the estate where Suhoe was staying.

“Excuse me.”

Dowoon offered a brief apology and rose from his seat without hesitation.

The sudden departure of such a central figure caused murmurs of confusion among the executives present.

“CEO…?”

At that moment, Haeeon smoothly intercepted their questions.

“Ah, please continue your meal. The CEO has received an urgent call he’s been awaiting for some time.”

His practiced composure quickly calmed the room, and the others resumed their seats with awkward smiles.

Meanwhile, Dowoon stepped into the corridor and immediately dialed the estate.

It could have waited until after dinner, but for some reason, he found himself unable to control his body.

Soon, a familiar voice came through the receiver.

—Hello…?

A voice he had not heard in nearly a week. It sounded somewhat muffled, but Dowoon feigned indifference and asked in an even tone.

“…What happened at dawn?”

—Huh? Ah, Dowoon! Is it night over there too?

In contrast, Suhoe’s voice brimmed with unmistakable joy at confirming who it was.

“I’m speaking from your perspective. What is it?”

—Ah, well… I was wondering if it would be all right for me to go out somewhere a bit far tomorrow. I wanted to ask permission…

And as Dowoon listened to that gentle, careful manner of speech, he felt the sharp-edged irritation that had tormented him throughout the trip slowly loosen.

At that moment, Dowoon realized that Suhoe’s voice brought him a measure of unexpected comfort.