The hall was filled with many faces I didn’t recognize and didn’t want to remember.

Before the signing began, there were a lot of big businessmen trying to get a word with one of the Alphas, but they were snubbed.

Serves them right.

And then the signing officially began. Oh, did I tell you there were quite a lot of digital decorations? I see Seo-Jun was doing a lot of work on the side. When did he even have time to do all this when he was pestering me in the mansion?

And then there were the silk decorations that I believe were handled by Jin-Yeok. He didn’t show it but I could tell he was proud of how it came out. Digital and material are definitely mixed in this setting.

I sat between Seo-Jun and Jin-Yeok while Ki-hoon and Min-Cheol went up to the podium. This was more about them than the rest of us, but they wouldn’t stop glancing this way—at me—when they should be focused on the merger in front of them. Ahem.

It made the reporters inside look over in my direction more times than necessary.

In any case, it was going smoothly and I had my eyes on the line of guards that I recall was a dangerous line.

One of those guards was a traitor.

I kept my eyes fixed on them when Seo-Jun nudged me.

"What are you doing?" He whispered. "You’re looking in the wrong direction."

"Ah," I turned to him and whispered back, "I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel something suspicious is going on there," I said, and he decided to look too.

Jin-Yeok noticed we were looking elsewhere completely and joined in.

"What are we looking at?" He whispered.

"You see those guards over there?" I said and he nodded. "Well, I feel one of them’s going to try something funny."

"How funny." He asked but I shook my head.

Since I had no way of knowing if it would happen, and apparently no way of stopping it without creating a scene, I thought maybe it would be better to have one of them ’escort’ the suspicious guard outside.

Then, as we watched, I caught the glint of the knife.

The other two saw it as well.

"Bastard!" Seo-Jun hissed and wanted to charge in but I quickly stopped him.

"We can’t create a scene, okay?" I said. "If we can do this as quietly as possible, then—" I hadn’t even finished talking when Jin-Yeok rose to his feet.

My heart dropped, thinking how he was definitely going to make a scene, but to my surprise, he walked there quietly and placed a hand on the guard’s shoulder.

"You," he called. "I need your help for now so come with me."

The guard was confused, but Jin-Yeok did not give him time to process what was going on. He walked the guard out and I assume that’s the end of my worries. I slumped back, feeling relieved that I avoided that crisis.

It was so simple. And to think I’d been stressing over it for months.

"How’d you know?" Seo-Jun asked and I came up with a quick lie.

"On our way in, I saw a guard talking to a suspicious-looking man, and I felt something bad might happen."

"So, instead of telling anyone, you just decided to watch?" He asked and I smiled.

"Well, I wasn’t a hundred percent sure it was a bad thing, or what was going to happen, so I couldn’t just stir up the issue," I said and sat back, my nerves easing. "At least it’s all settled, right?"

He looked at me, lost for words, and sighed.

"Well, you have a valid reason." He said and I beamed. "Did you see who it was?" He asked, looking at me with a serious expression and I shook my head.

"No." I said. "I didn’t see who it was."

I made it up anywhere, but having to tell Seo-Jun I didn’t know felt weird. I already knew who it was, or in fact, who it might be, but I couldn’t just put it out there either.

After all, a lot of the plot had changed.

I looked towards Min-Cheol and Ki-hoon who were already signing the papers. And as they drew their signatures in gold strokes, the hall erupted in applause and camera flashes.

The signing was a success.

I thought that was the end of it and that we could go home now, since the original led straight to a pinci and chaos, but nope, there was a gala plan I did not see coming.

Ah, I really want to just lie in bed and sleep.

I was standing near the champagne fountain, trying to look composed, watching a sea of people crowd all four Alphas. I was going to ask Jin-Yeok what he did with the guard but I guess I could wait a bit.

While the four Alphas were getting drained with socializing, I had the privilege of having ten guards surround me and shield me from any ’nuisance’, so I drank my champagne peacefully.

After the question the reporter threw at me, it was clear that there was someone targeting me, and my Alphas knew it. So, they had the guards protect me, just in case whoever was targeting me had other plans.

Then, as I was looking around the golden hall of luxury, I saw a face I don’t think I will ever forget.

Lee Hang-Dae. Ki-hoon’s cousin.

He was leaning against a pillar, watching me with that same oily, condescending smirk that he used to haunt and taunt Ki-hoon for years.

This was the man who had poisoned the well between us long ago, whispering lies and maneuvering to take Ki-hoon’s place while my Ki-hoon was struggling with his own demons.

He never won, and that was why he kept trying... But it all failed.

I felt a surge of protectiveness. If it weren’t for this man, Ki-hoon wouldn’t have spent those years in a cold, lonely shell. He wouldn’t have beaten himself up, hating me, looking for how he was going to torture me until I had made up for the years he used hating me and missing me.

I began to suspect that he had something to do with the question the reporter had asked me. He was the only one here who knew of my past and didn’t wish me well.

"Jo-Pil-ssi," Hang-Dae said, pushing off the pillar and walking toward me. "You look... expensive. I suppose you managed to climb to the top, even when you were in the gutters until a few months back."

I frowned.

The guards stopped him, not letting him come closer.

"What do you want?" I replied, my voice cool. I kept my eyes on him, my internal alarm bells screaming. I didn’t trust him for a second to let him near me.

"What do you think?" He tilted his glass toward me. "Ki-hoon is quite busy with the board members. It’s a shame, really. He wanted to give you something—a private gift, away from the prying eyes of the press."

"Stop lying through your teeth, asshole." I hissed, clenching my flute.

He thought he could lie like he did last time and I’d foolishly believe him? He was pathetic, and even more so now that he was desperate.

I looked over at Ki-hoon, who was surrounded by a wall of suits. Then back at Hang-Dae.

"If Ki-hoon knows that you’re trying to start something right now, what do you think he’ll do?" I asked and he stiffened. "I’m not naive, Hang-Dae. And I’m definitely not going to fall for your tricks."

I sipped my champagne and he hissed.

"You little slut, you better come with me now or I’ll expose you to everyone in this room." He said and I paused.

I dropped the flute and looked at him.

Expose me? And how exactly was he going to expose me? Was he going to tell the whole world that I used to be a slave? Or was he going to tell the whole world how he sabotaged my relationship with Ki-hoon years back?

I folded my arms and licked my lips.

"I’m not afraid of you," I said and walked closer. Standing between him and the invisible wall erected in the space between the bodies of the guards. "And I’m definitely not going to let you walk over me. You hear? So go on and expose me. Do it!" 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Hang-Dae was at his last straw. He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white, glaring at me with bloodshot eyes and then he began to release his Pheromones.

A threatening and nauseating scent that caused me to choke.

It felt like my insides were turning in disgust. I wanted to throw up and he noticed this. But that wasn’t all. His nauseating Pheromones felt like a trigger to my own Pheromones. I don’t know what happened in that moment but I think I began to release Pheromones.

And not just any Pheromones, heat Pheromones.

It spread far and fast, and even though I could not sense my own Pheromones, I could tell by how everyone around began to look this way their reactions suggesting I was ’inviting’ them.

Even the guards gave me space, cautious of the situation.

"You..." Hang-Dae blinked and then his lips curled maniacally. "You slutty Omega. You’re in heat, aren’t you?"

I glared at him. This bastard.

That disgusting pheromone of his had snapped the last bit of restraint holding me together and my heat finally came, in full bloom.

Of all times, why did it have to come in this situation?