Secretary Gwanggong's Survival Diary-Chapter 46

I once thought about this: What would happen if Yoon Taeo disappeared? Would the world that revolves around him collapse and scatter into the cracks of time? Or would I return to my original timeline as if this life here had been a fleeting dream?

The answer is still unclear to me. Will I disappear into dust at the end of Yoon Taeo’s journey, or will I regain my original life?

I could imagine countless hypotheses, but to verify any of them, I would have to gamble my life. And so, I cannot take that risk.

This is why I can’t treat Yoon Taeo’s death as someone else’s problem. He holds my life in his hands. Perhaps his death wouldn’t just be the end of one person, but the end of me and this world.

Because this world’s center is Yoon Taeo.

"Still no contact. The lights in the villa are off. Shouldn’t we enter?"

"No. If we invade the Alpha area during the cycle, it’ll only make the rampage worse."

And I speculate. If ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ Yoon Taeo were to meet a dramatic ending, I might be able to live my life again. I tried to use Han Yejun to bring about an early ending for him, but failed miserably. In that case, the only remaining option is to follow the flow of the story and guide him to the original ending. That’s the only way I can think of to survive.

But right now, that only way is in a precarious situation.

"Wouldn’t it be fine if it’s not an Alpha?"

"Without an Alpha, do you think you can subdue the CEO without hurting him?"

"......"

"Stay on standby. There might not be a big issue yet."

I delivered a hopeful statement, one that even I couldn’t believe, and hung up the phone unilaterally.

Despite rushing to get there, it took nearly an hour. The villa was located in such a remote place.

The surrounding area was eerily quiet. I could hear every step I took as I got out of the car. Maybe it was because we were in the mountains, or because of the situation, but every breath I took felt like the air was chilling me more than usual.

"Team Leader...!"

I joined the secretaries who had been waiting near the villa. The building where Yoon Taeo was staying, far in the distance, was completely dark, with not a single light shining, just as I had heard. The lack of any signs of life only heightened the sense of unease.

"How long has it been?"

"It’s been about two hours since contact was lost, and according to the villa’s sensors, there’s been no movement."

"Sigh... There are no thermal cameras either."

"Yes... the CEO didn’t allow them."

It’s maddening. All trait types are sensitive during their cycles. But compared to other trait types, Yoon Taeo, who is particularly sensitive, only allowed the minimum equipment to monitor him during his rut period—his personal phone and motion sensors.

It’s not hard to understand. If I were in his place, knowing that many people outside are watching my every move during my heat cycle, I’d be on edge too.

"But... I’m starting to wonder if we’re overreacting..."

"What do you mean?"

"Actually, it hasn’t been that long."

It wasn’t a wrong statement. It had only been two hours since we lost contact.

"In a normal situation, yes."

If this were a typical case, where the partner spends the rut period with the Alpha, it might have been different. But right now, this isn’t the same as before. As a dominant Alpha, Yoon Taeo’s cycle may have burst from the start, and there’s no prepared Beta to manage it. If the tranquilizer had worked, we wouldn’t have lost contact. It’s better to assume something has happened inside.

The team members understood my explanation, and their faces hardened.

"...Should we call Security Team 3, Team Leader?"

"They won’t be able to come. They’re dealing with a separate matter."

I’d sent them to catch the runaway Beta in Russia, so there aren’t many people who can come right now. Moreover, sending them in now is like having other lions invade the territory of the lion in heat—it’s a declaration of war.

"Just in case, have the suppression team and medical staff on standby. If the worst happens, we’ll subdue him without injury and let the medical team sedate him."

I said it, but honestly, I wasn’t confident. If it were about using any means to subdue him, maybe. But stopping a raging Alpha without causing injury? That was nonsense. Some of the suppression team might even lose their lives.

Moreover, if something like that happens during his cycle, Yoon Taeo might carry the trauma of that event for the rest of his life and experience nightmares during every rut. Maybe that’s why the team members didn’t respond much.

"He’s not answering, it’s going to voicemail..."

I dialed again just in case, but the long signal just continued until it went to voicemail. I checked the time, looked at the villa he was staying in, and then, as my frustration grew, I looked up at the white star-studded night sky.

"Sigh..."

My breath, full of unanswered agony, spread into the sky. A decision must be made. Should I save Yoon Taeo by any means possible, or leave his fate to chance? If I do save him, how do I subdue him without harm? Is it enough to just protect Yoon Taeo, ignoring the sacrifice of the team members?

"I’ll be making a quick call. Report if anything changes."

I wanted to hide my weakness and incompetence, so I left hastily, fleeing the scene. I went around the forest and entered the back yard of the villa. I stood in the middle of a place where I could see the flowing river and the neatly arranged lawn, beyond which the villa stood. As expected, there was no sign of life from the villa even from this side.

The villa, surrounded by darkness, felt eerie and raised my anxiety. I stared at the place blankly, sighed heavily, and took out my phone.

"Hello?"

"What’s going on?"

I could hear Kang Seokho’s voice, full of irritation. It seemed that I had thrown the Beta he was after onto him.

"Where are you?"

"Where else, on my way to the airport."

"I think you should come to the villa right now."

"Villa? You didn’t go there, did you?"

Through the loud voice of Kang Seokho, I could hear the screeching of tires as he braked.

"I had no choice."

"I told you to go home. I told you not to go there!"

His voice was so loud that I had to quickly turn down the volume. Kang Seokho was upset without any hint of humor.

"It wasn’t that kind of situation. Actually... the CEO’s lost contact."

"What...?"

"It’s already been over two hours. I think the tranquilizers aren’t working."

"Why are you only telling me this now?"

"The team leader is an Alpha, so it wouldn’t help for him to come. If he comes, he’ll just provoke the CEO. What’s the point of contacting him?"

I had hoped that talking to Kang Seokho would calm me down, but it seemed like I had miscalculated. With Yoon Taeo’s situation, I must have touched the trigger of that crazy bastard who doesn’t care about anything. He was already heading this way, furious.

"Get here quickly."

"Didn’t you say it wouldn’t help if I came?"

"I’m not asking you to come and do something. Just manage the security team and the secretaries. There’s no one I can rely on here."

I kept walking while talking on the phone. The sound of the river behind me grew quieter, and the villa slowly got closer.

"Well, if it’s me, there’s no one else who can do it."

Though it was annoying, Kang Seokho’s words weren’t completely wrong. The secretaries didn’t have anyone competent enough to manage everything, and the security team, whose members were constantly risking their lives, was the same.

At least Kang Seokho, who was Yoon Taeo’s closest confidant, was the one I trusted most to manage and lead. Though his methods might be a bit... crude, he might be better at thinking of ways to protect Yoon Taeo without hurting him than I am.

"Alright, I’ll leave it to you. Keep him safe as best as you can."

"Are you worrying about that too? Hold on... but why are you asking me?"

That idiot. He had been talking to himself, acting like he was the only one who knew anything, but now, he seemed to understand what I meant.

"I’m the only one you can trust as team leader."

"You! What are you planning to do! Hey, Baek Sieon!"

"Get here quickly. Honestly... I’m not confident either."

Ignoring Kang Seokho’s voice, I continued speaking. He remained silent, listening to me for a long time. He must have realized. The method I had thought of wasn’t completely absurd.

"For now, let’s keep it a secret from the team."

"Do you even know what’s going to happen...?"

Of course, I knew. Even though the individuals are different, I, too, understand because I’m the same type.

"If you go into that villa alone and something happens... do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand."

The plan I came up with, though ridiculous, was logical. It wouldn’t provoke Yoon Taeo, who had likely lost his sanity, and it was a way to calm him down without using force. It wouldn’t cause any harm or trigger trauma either.

"...Just keep it a secret, team leader."

I was going to check on his condition and calm down the excitement of Yoon Taeo, who wouldn’t remember anything due to his rut cycle.

"As long as the CEO doesn’t know that I went into the villa."

To become the sacrifice for an Alpha in heat.

"Don’t do it! Don’t go in there...! Hey! Baek Team Leader, Baek Sieon...!"

I ended the call before hearing Kang Seokho’s response. There was no basis for it, but I felt that Kang Seokho would listen to my request. He would come up with a plan to get me out of there before Yoon Taeo regained his sanity.

Anyway, this was just me making up for my mistake of not planning for Plan B in case the Beta ran away.

As I spoke on the phone, I finally reached the back gate of the villa.

"Ha..."

I took a deep breath and opened the villa door. Whether it was because of the cold or the anxiety building up inside me, my chest vibrated with each breath. The tension I felt spread to my facial muscles, making my jaw tense. It wasn’t a big deal anyway. I had to make sure Yoon Taeo was safe first.

I stepped inside the villa, the warm air inside contrasted sharply with the chill outside. The heavy silence wrapped around me like a suffocating blanket. The once sharp sound of the river flowing outside became distant, replaced by the tense quiet inside the villa. My breath was shallow as I moved through the darkness, trying to adjust to the dim light in the hallway.

As I walked past the living room, the unsettling stillness continued. I approached Yoon Taeo’s room, where I felt an even greater sense of unease. There was no sign of life, and the lack of any sound or movement heightened my anxiety. Every step I took seemed to echo, amplifying my discomfort.

I reached for the door handle and froze for a moment, hesitant. It was as if I was about to step into something much larger than myself, something beyond my control. I gathered my courage and opened the door slowly.

Just as I stepped inside the room, everything happened too quickly.

"Ugh, mph!"

A hand shot out from the darkness, pressing firmly against my mouth, and another grabbed my collar, yanking me inside with terrifying strength. I barely had time to react as I was thrown against the soft bedding, the weight of a body crushing down on top of me. The air was thick, suffocating, but it wasn’t just the weight—it was the heat radiating off of him.

And then I saw it—those fierce, almost predatory eyes, locking onto me.

It was Yoon Taeo, but not the Yoon Taeo I knew. His gaze was feral, dangerous, filled with an intensity that made my heart race. My mind was flooded with panic, but I couldn’t move, his grip too strong and the pressure too overwhelming.

I opened my mouth to speak, to plead, to say anything, but before I could, his hand tightened over my lips, silencing me. His body, heavy and warm, pressed against mine, and I felt the raw power of his form, so close, so dangerous.

"Yoon Taeo," I tried to say, but the words were muffled by his hand. His eyes flashed, and I realized that my words weren’t going to stop him. This was a different side of him, one that didn’t care about the boundaries, the consequences, or even the life I had left outside this villa.

"Shhh..." He whispered, the sound like a growl, his voice low and trembling with the wild energy coursing through him. "You should have known better than to come here."

My heart pounded in my chest, my pulse racing as I struggled to break free, but it was useless. Yoon Taeo was in control, completely consumed by the cycle, his emotions twisted in a way that I had never seen before.

I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to collect my thoughts, trying to think of a way out, but all I could feel was the burning heat of his presence, his breath mingling with mine.

This was the moment of no return, the moment I had been avoiding, the moment when everything shifted. The question of whether I could save him, whether I could save myself, now seemed distant, almost irrelevant.

And yet, despite the fear, despite the danger, a part of me knew that this was the path I had chosen. A part of me knew that this was the only way to end this, to survive.