Avery stared at the large digital screen in front of him. The morning sun filtered through the high-rise windows, but the warmth did little to soften the cold knot in his chest. The office was silent, the only sound coming from the slow hum of the air conditioner and the distant ticking of the sleek wall clock. This wasn't Cheng Corporation. This was his his company.
Years ago, when he had first begun to suffocate under the crushing expectations of his father, Avery made a plan. He started a new company in a different city, under a different name. What began as a small logistics and tech service had evolved into one of the most promising enterprises in the country. All in secret. Away from his father's control. And now, it was time.
Time to escape the golden prison his family had locked him in.
But there was a problem.
The moment he revealed himself as the founder and true CEO of the company, the Cheng family would smell rebellion. And his father wouldn't hesitate to destroy it all—just out of spite. Avery needed someone else. A decoy. A public figure who could act as the company's face while he quietly pulled strings behind the curtain. He also needed powerful allies. Investors, influencers, board members who weren't already under his father's thumb.
And most of all… he needed time.
Time to secure everything before the truth unraveled. Time to protect what mattered to him most.
Noël.
Avery leaned forward and pressed the intercom. "Miss Reed. Come in."
Within seconds, the door opened, and Miss Reed walked in, calm and collected as always. She carried a thin black folder.
"You've found someone?" Avery asked.
"I've found options," she said, placing the folder on his desk. "Four high-status Omegas from powerful families. Each one stands to gain something from a public engagement. The question is: which one is easy to control and won't ask for more than what's on paper?"
Avery opened the folder and skimmed through the pages. Names. Lineages. Photos. Background summaries. Assets. Influence potential.
"This feels disgusting," he muttered.
Miss Reed didn't argue. "It is. But you need to stall your father. And if you parade around with a high-profile Omega, he'll be too busy planning your wedding to question the movements of your secret company."
Avery grimaced. "I'm not actually going to marry anyone."
"No one's saying you should. But they won't know that." Miss Reed tilted her head. "This kind of smoke screen doesn't last forever. Six months. A year at most. Long enough to launch and solidify your position. But Avery—"
"I know," he cut her off. "It might hurt Noël."
Miss Reed softened her voice. "Do you plan to tell him?"
Avery leaned back in his chair and closed the folder. "I have to. I'm not going to lie to him. I already nearly hurt him once because of secrets."
"Then you'll need his trust," she said quietly. "Because this plan will look like betrayal on the surface."
Avery's jaw tensed. "I know. But if I don't act now, my father will try to sell noel to the government. And when he does… it won't matter how much we love each other. He will be seen as an object for test experiment and you know that there is still no law that forbids scientists to use 'special cases' for their experiments."
"father will do everything to erase him and at the moment he has the upper hand so I need to turn the table around. "
Miss Reed nodded. "I'll start contacting the most promising candidate."
As she turned to leave, she paused at the door. "You're gambling with everything, you know."
"I always was," Avery said. "I just didn't have anything to lose before Noël."
She left, and Avery sat there, the folder closed in front of him, the weight of it heavier than it should've been.
He had made his decision.
He just prayed Noël would still be waiting for him at the end of it all.
_______
Avery arrived home late. The hum of the automatic gates, the glow of the hallway lights, and the scent of vanilla and peach drifting faintly through the air reminded him of what he was walking into, and what he stood to lose.
Noël was on the sofa, curled up under a light blanket, half-asleep, TV playing faintly in the background. He sat up immediately when he heard the door open.
"You're back," Noël said with a smile that faded slightly when he saw Avery's expression.
Avery didn't waste time.
"We need to talk."
Those four words never meant anything good.
They sat in the kitchen. Avery took a deep breath and explained everything—from the shadow company he built in secret to the marriage distraction plan. Noël listened in silence, hands clenched on his lap.
"So," Noël said finally, voice quiet, "you're going to bring someone else… into our lives. A second partner."
"No," Avery said firmly. "A pretend partner. On paper only. In public only. For my father's eyes only."
"But they'll be here, right? At the house?" Noël looked down at his hands. "People will see. Your father will see. What if one day you… fall for them?"
Avery reached for his hand across the table. "Don't say that."
"You're asking me to pretend like everything is fine. While you—" Noël's voice cracked. "While you act like someone else's Alpha."
"I'm not asking you to pretend. I'm asking you to trust me."
Noël didn't pull his hand away. But he didn't hold it tighter either. His voice was calm, but his scent was off. Subdued. Guarded. "That's the hardest part. Not because I don't love you, but because I do. And I'm scared."
"I know," Avery said quietly. "But this is the only way I can protect you… protect us. If my father give away your information to the government, we will literally have 2 persent chance to still be together and that is the perfect opportunity to—"
"To erase me," Noël finished.
Avery nodded.
There was a long silence before Noël finally whispered, "Then… I'll try."
Avery stood up and gently pulled Noël into a hug. "That's all I need. Just try. I promise, the moment I'm free from him… the whole world will know who I truly belong to."
________
A few days later, Miss Reed finalized the contract. Out of five high-status Omegas, one stood out among the rest.
Jay Li. Half-Chinese, half-American. An heir to a vast real estate fortune based in California. His influence was far enough removed from China's elite circles to remain untouchable by the Cheng family's manipulative claws. Most importantly, he too needed a fake partner to fend off his own family's pressure to marry a powerful Alpha in America.
It was a mutually beneficial lie.
Jay arrived in Shanghai on a crisp Friday morning, stepping out of a black car like he'd walked out of a high-fashion spread. He had sleek, long blonde hair tied in a loose ponytail that reached just past his shoulders. His eyes were a captivating hazel, sharp but flirtatious. His figure was lithe, his waist narrow, with toned legs and graceful movement like a feline Omega bred to be admired. His scent—crisp, sweet apple—was sharp but not overpowering, lingering just enough to tease.
He was the epitome of "perfect": polished, well-spoken, and dangerously aware of his charm.
"I expected something colder," Jay said when he entered Avery's office with a smile, offering his hand. "But you're warmer than the rumors suggest."
Avery didn't shake it.
"We're not here to flirt."
Jay laughed softly, clearly unfazed. "Relax, Mr. Cheng. I don't seduce business partners… unless they ask nicely."
Miss Reed pinched the bridge of her nose. "He's exactly like his file said."
Avery sighed. "Let's just get this over with."
The terms were simple: They would attend a few events together, post curated photos, stage a few dinners. Jay would appear at the house occasionally, only when Avery's father might be watching. Nothing beyond what was necessary.
What Avery didn't expect was how easily Jay slid into the role.
The next day, Jay came to the house for a "casual drop-in," dressed immaculately in a tailored cream suit, greeting Miss Reed with a wink before sauntering into the living room like he belonged there.
Noël watched him from the staircase, frozen.
Avery turned and immediately noticed the subtle shift in Noël's scent—tense and tight like a coiled spring.
Jay noticed too. "Oh," he said with a teasing tone, stepping closer to Noël, "you must be the roommate Avery mentioned."
Avery's eyes narrowed. "Jay."
"What?" Jay asked innocently. "I'm just saying hi."
Noël didn't respond. He gave a soft nod and walked away.
Avery clenched his jaw and followed him upstairs.
He found Noël in their bedroom, facing the window. His voice was soft.
"I told you I'd try… but I don't like this."
"I don't either," Avery said. "I want it over as fast as possible."
Noël turned to him slowly. "Then make sure it's fast."
Avery stepped forward and cupped Noël's face gently. "I will. And in the end, it won't be Jay I'm coming home to. It'll always be you."
Noël didn't answer right away, but he finally nodded. "Just… don't let him near your bed. That's mine."
Avery smirked and pulled him close. "Only ever yours."
But even as they held each other, Avery's mind drifted. The plan was in motion. The contract was signed. But the clock was ticking and the closer they got to exposing the truth, the more dangerous it all became.
And in the shadows of their beautifully crafted lie, a real threat was watching… waiting to strike.