The morning after Christmas, sunlight seeped through the soft beige curtains, casting a golden glow across the room. Avery stirred awake, shifting slightly in bed before reaching for his phone on the nightstand.
Twenty-nine missed calls.
All from his father, and a few from his younger brother. Two from his mother. The only one missing from the list was his sister.
Miss Reed's voice echoed faintly in his memory from her call earlier:
"Your father tried to reach you all day yesterday. I told him you didn't inform me about your plans. I hope I didn't overstep…"
Avery sighed heavily. She always protected him more like an older sibling than a secretary.
Feeling guilty that Miss Reed's holiday had been stained with stress because of him, he scrolled to his sister's contact and hit call.
After a few rings, a hushed voice answered:
"Hello?"
"Sylvie," Avery said softly, using the nickname he'd always used for her. (Her full name was Averina, a name their mother had chosen because it sounded close to her big brother's.)
"Avery! Are you okay?" she whispered frantically. "Where are you? Dad is furious. Yesterday felt like a funeral instead of a Christmas dinner. Everyone was tense."
"I'm fine. I'm out of the country," he answered calmly.
She sighed. "Well, that explains the silence. Honestly, I'm glad you're getting a break. I wish I could escape too."
Avery sat up, his tone more serious now. "You want to get away?"
"Desperately. I can't breathe in that house anymore. It's like I'm drowning in someone else's expectations." Her voice cracked slightly.
He hesitated. "I can't come now. But give me a few days, and I'll find a way to get you out."
"Really, Promise?"
"I promise, Sylvie."
It was kind of hard to believe that her brother promised to rescue her because all three siblings were not as close as typical siblings would be. They talked only when they were around each other or if it is about business. But one thing for sure is that they can kill for each other.
They exchanged a few more quiet words before hanging up. Avery stared at the phone in his hand, then turned slowly to look at the peaceful figure curled up under the blankets. Noël. Sleeping deeply, his arm tucked beneath his cheek.
Avery leaned down and brushed a gentle kiss on his temple before heading to the bathroom and took a long, hot shower. But when he returned, Noël was already up, sitting at the small table with a room-service croissant half-eaten on his plate, his fingers brushing over the photos they'd taken during their trip.
"You okay?" Noël asked sleepily, noticing the tension in Avery's shoulders.
"Yeah. Just some family drama. Nothing you need to worry about."
Noël nodded, sensing Avery didn't want to talk about it. "So… can we stay a little longer?" he asked shyly. "I really love it here."
Avery's heart melted. "Two more days. Just us."
________
The next forty-eight hours felt like borrowed time in paradise. They explored the city, holding hands beneath twinkling holiday lights, sharing laughter and local street snacks in between luxury brunches and quiet beach walks. Noël's joy was contagious, he was like a child experiencing the world for the first time, and Avery couldn't stop staring at him.
But reality was waiting.
When they finally landed back in China, Avery's calm was disrupted the moment their car pulled into the driveway.
His father was there.
Standing at the edge of the entrance in a sharp black coat, flanked by two of his private guards. He looked like a man who'd left his empire just to remind his son who held the reins.
Avery's eyes darkened. "Noël. Stay in the car. Don't move."
Noël blinked in confusion but nodded. The windows were tinted, so no one could see him. Avery subtly signaled the driver to take the car into the garage immediately after he stepped out.
As he approached, his father's expression shifted from calm control to cold displeasure.
"You ignored every call. Every message. Do you understand what you've done?" his father said.
Avery crossed his arms. "Yes. I chose peace over performance."
His father's eyes narrowed. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Since when did his son becomere this rebellious? "You embarrassed this family. People are asking questions."
"I don't care," Avery replied, his voice like steel. "I'm not a pawn. I'm not attending those ridiculous matchmaking luncheons or marrying anyone for your empire."
His father stepped closer. "Who is it? There's someone, isn't there? Who's distracting you? Tell me now, and maybe I'll be lenient."
Avery's jaw tightened. "Even if there was someone, which shouldn't be any of your business, they would be a thousand times more genuine than the manipulative heiresses you want me to parade around with."
There was a dangerous pause.
"I built an empire so you wouldn't have to suffer," his father said coldly. "And now you threaten it because of… feelings?"
"No," Avery said with calm finality. "I'm protecting what you never had the courage to believe in. A real life. Not a curated one."
His father exhaled sharply, his anger bubbling under a fake calm. But Avery turned and walked away.
Inside the garage, Noël was quiet, seated with his fingers curled tightly in his lap. He looked at Avery anxiously.
"Was that your father?"
Avery nodded. "Yeah. Don't worry. I didn't let him see you."
"I wasn't scared for me," Noël whispered. "I was scared for you. He sounded like he was about to kill someone. "
Avery softened. He reached for Noël's face, brushing a strand of hair behind his ear. "Thank you. But I'll be okay as long as you're safe."
Noël leaned forward and hugged him tightly, his cheek pressing against Avery's chest.
"I don't want to be your weakness," he mumbled.
Avery kissed the top of his head. "You're not. You're my strength."
Avery didn't waste time. The moment he heard his father enter the house, he knew this wasn't over. He turned to one of the guards at the gate of the garage and said in a low voice, "Lead him through the gym passage. Straight to the guest wing. Don't let anyone see him."
Noël blinked, caught off guard. "Wait—why are we—?"
"Just go," Avery said, his jaw tight. "It's better if my father doesn't see you."
That made Noël pause. There was something in Avery's voice that was tense, almost desperate. He gave a small nod, heart hammering as the guard gestured for him to follow. The back passage was unfamiliar, colder than the front of the house, but Noël didn't complain. The air was thick with pressure, and even if Avery hadn't explained, he could feel the reason in his gut.
It was in the way Avery's father had looked at the car earlier. As though he was ready to burn something down.
Or someone.
Noël didn't know why Avery hadn't warned him that staying away from the family reunion would stir this much trouble. But it didn't take a genius to figure out that his presence here might make things worse. It wasn't just the fact that Avery had brought someone home; it was who he had brought.
As soon as he slipped into the hallway that led toward the gym and eventually to the rooms upstairs, Noël glanced behind him one last time. Avery was already striding toward the living room where his father was waiting.
Noël exhaled shakily. "Godspeed," he whispered under his breath.
_______
Downstairs, Mr. Cheng stood with a stiff back and a colder expression. His cane tapped softly against the marble floor.
"You've been obedient for years, Avery," he said with quiet menace. "I never had to second guess your choices. Never had to question your direction. And now, suddenly you're... distant. Defiant."
Avery didn't answer.
His father continued, circling slowly. "You skipped the reunion. You disappeared for hours. You're protecting something. Or someone."
Another long silence.
Then Mr. Cheng paused mid-step and inhaled sharply.
His eyes snapped toward his son. "Why do I smell an Omega?"
Avery froze.
His father's voice dropped to a growl. "There is someone else in this house."
Avery forced himself to stay calm. "It's just the air freshener," he said smoothly. "Peach blossom."
Mr. Cheng raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Don't insult my senses, boy. I was trained to track pheromones before you were born."
Upstairs, Noël who had been eavesdropping through the ventilation shaft like a terrified raccoon, nearly choked when he heard that.
"Why is this man's nose like a damn bloodhound?" he whispered in disbelief. "He smelled me from all the way downstairs?"
Panic surged through him. He looked around wildly and then remembered something. The suppressant!
He sprinted toward Avery's room, nearly slipping on the polished floor, and dove into the drawer where he'd once seen a bottle of pheromone suppressant spray.
"Please be full, please be full," he muttered, pulling it out.
Bingo.
Like a soldier going to war, Noël sprayed himself from head to toe, coughing a little at the sharp scent. He didn't stop there. He crept into the hallway and began misting every corner like he was cleansing a crime scene. The carpets, the walls, the air—nothing was safe.
He passed the mirror in the hallway, paused, and stared at himself. Hair tousled, shirt slightly wrinkled, eyes wide with fear.
"At least I look like a sexy burglar," he muttered.
Then, with renewed determination, he tiptoed back down the corridor, spraying under door gaps and vents like a man possessed. "Not today. Not today."
---
Back downstairs, Mr. Cheng sniffed again, then narrowed his eyes.
"…It's fading," he said slowly.
Avery straightened slightly. "Told you. Peach blossom."
His father gave him a long, suspicious look.
Meanwhile, Noël collapsed against the hallway wall, now empty suppressant bottle in hand, and whispered dramatically, "Mission…complete…"
He barely had time to rest before a sharp click echoed from downstairs. The sound of someone's shoes approaching.
"Oh no," Noël said, scrambling to his feet.
Because one thing was clear: if Avery's father ever found him…
There wouldn't be enough suppressant in the world to hide him.