Lee Mirae swept into the room like she owned it, her omega scent deliberately sweet and cloying. At 162 centimeters, she was petite and pretty in the conventional way, with long hair, doe eyes, and the kind of delicate features that made Alphas feel protective. She wore a designer dress that hugged her curves and heels that clicked sharply against the marble. Her smile was bright, but there was something calculating behind it that had always set Yoo's teeth on edge.
"Oppa!" Mirae chirped, her voice pitched to that particular register that most Omegas used when trying to be endearing. "Why do you look so stressed? You'll get wrinkles."
Taewoo's expression smoothed into something polite but distant. "Mirae. I wasn't expecting you."
"I was in the building visiting my father and thought I'd stop by. You know I worry about you." She walked around his desk and perched on the edge of it, a move that was probably meant to be casual and intimate but came off as presumptuous. "You've been working too hard again, haven't you?"
From the sofa, Yoo's face had arranged itself into an expression of thinly veiled disgust. She made no effort to hide it. "Some of us are having a private meeting."
Mirae's smile didn't waver, but her eyes went cold as they flicked to Yoo. "Oh, I'm sure Taewoo oppa doesn't mind. He has never minded my company since we were kids. Right, Oppa?"
"We're actually discussing something important," Yoo said before Taewoo could respond. Her tone was flat, bordering on hostile. "Business things. Very boring. Lots of numbers and legal jargon. Wouldn't want to waste your time."
"I don't mind listening! I'm very interested in Oppa's work."
"I'm sure you are."
The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees as the Alpha and Omega stared at each other. Taewoo, caught in the middle, felt a headache brewing behind his eyes.
"My mother called earlier," he said, hoping to redirect the conversation. "The usual complaints about my marital status."
Mirae's expression softened into something sympathetic. "Oh, poor Auntie Min. He just wants to see you happy and settled, Oppa. It's natural for a mother to worry." She placed a delicate hand on Taewoo's arm, her touch light as a butterfly. "You are getting older, you know. Maybe your mother has a point. You should really settle down. If only to get your mother off your back, you know?"
The silence that followed was arctic.
Yoo's voice, when she spoke, was dangerously pleasant. "I'm sorry, did you just suggest that he should get married to make his mother stop nagging? That's your advice? Get shackled to someone for life because Mommy's being annoying?"
Mirae's smile tightened. "That's not what I said—"
"That's exactly what you said. How does that even make sense? 'Hi, random Omega, want to sign a legally binding contract and tie yourself to me forever because my mother won't shut up about grandchildren?' Very romantic."
"I was just being supportive—"
"Supportive would be telling him that his mother needs to respect his choices and timeline. What you're doing is enabling parental manipulation and reducing marriage to a social obligation rather than a meaningful partnership. But sure, let's call it support."
Mirae's pretty face flushed pink, her scent spiking with irritation.
"Both of you," Taewoo interjected, his voice carrying enough Alpha authority to make both the Alpha and Omegas pause. "As entertaining as this is, I have actual work to do. Mirae, I appreciate you stopping by, but we really are in the middle of something time-sensitive."
Mirae's lower lip jutted out in a pout that might have been adorable if Taewoo was interested, which he very much wasn't. "You're always so busy, Oppa. When will you have time for me?"
"When I'm not dealing with a corporate crisis," he said, his patience wearing thin. "I'll call you."
"You always say that."
"It's a popular phrase today, apparently. I'll walk you out."
"That's not necessary—"
"I insist."
There was steel under the politeness now, enough that even Mirae, for all her obliviousness, recognized the dismissal. She slid off his desk with as much grace as she could muster, her smile brittle.
"Fine. But you should really take better care of yourself, Oppa. All this stress isn't good for you." She shot Yoo a look that could have curdled milk. "Try to surround yourself with more positive energy."
"I'll take that under advisement."
The moment the door closed behind her, Yoo let out a noise that was somewhere between a groan and a growl. "I can't stand her. I physically cannot stand her. She makes my skin crawl."
"She's harmless."
"She's about as harmless as a viper in heels. And she's absolutely in love with you, in case you haven't noticed."
Taewoo waved a dismissive hand. "Mirae isn't interested in me romantically. We're childhood friends. She's one of the only Omegas in my life who isn't constantly throwing themselves at me or trying to get pregnant with my heir. It's... refreshing."
Yoo stared at him like he'd just declared the earth was flat. "Are you actually that oblivious, or are you just in denial?"
"I'm neither. I know Mirae well enough to know she sees me as an older brother figure. She said so herself when we were teenagers."
"Yeah, when you were teenagers. People's feelings change, Taewoo-hyung. Especially when one of those people is a desperate Omega and the other is an insanely wealthy, powerful Alpha who also happens to be criminally hot. Pun intended."
Taewoo's jaw tightens at that.
"Your opinion is noted and disregarded. Now, can we please get back to the actual issue at hand? The one that involves ten billion won and a missing accountant?"
Yoo sighed but let it drop, which Taewoo appreciated. She was like a dog with a bone sometimes, but she also knew when to pick her battles.
"Fine. So what's our next move?"
Taewoo pulled up a file on his computer, his expression hardening back into business mode. "We've traced Hyungtae's last known movements. He cleared out his apartment three days before we discovered the theft. Planned this well in advance. But he made one mistake."
"Let me guess. He's an idiot?"
"He listed a guarantor on several of his financial documents. Someone who would be legally and financially responsible if he defaulted on debts or, say, stole a massive amount of money and disappeared."
Yoo leaned forward, interested now. "Who?"
"His spouse. One Park Jihoon."
With a few clicks, Taewoo pulled up a digital file, and an image appeared on his monitor. Yoo whistled low.
The omega in the photo was beautiful. Not handsome, not cute, beautiful. At 172 centimeters, he was on the shorter side, with a slender build and delicate bone structure that spoke of really good genetics. His hair was long, falling in dark waves to his waist, framing a face that could have launched ships. Large, doe-like eyes, a small nose, high cheekbones, and lips that were naturally plump and pink. He was wearing what looked like a sales associate uniform in the photo, his expression professional but tired.
"Well," Yoo said after a moment. "At least it won't be hardship looking at him while you threaten him for money."
Taewoo barely spared the image a second glance. Yes, Park Jihoon was attractive. That was simply an objective fact, like noting that the sky was blue or that water was wet. It had no bearing on the situation at hand.
"According to our investigator, Jihoon works as a sales associate at a high-end boutique in Gangnam. He has a two-year-old son named Haneul. Lives in a modest apartment in Mapo district. No significant savings, no valuable assets. Graduated highest honors from Korea University with a double major in business and public relations." Taewoo barely registered the words as he said them. He wasn't running a background check for hiring; all he cared about was the ₩10 billion.
"Impressive. So why is he working retail?"
"Because he's an Omega, and despite his qualifications, most companies won't promote Omegas past entry-level positions. Standard discrimination, nothing unusual." Taewoo scrolled through more information. "He and Hyungtae were married for four years. Divorced two years ago, shortly after the child was born. Jihoon has full custody. Hyungtae pays child support sporadically at best."
"So this Omega kid has a degree he can't use, a deadbeat ex-husband, a toddler to support, and now his ex has stolen billions and fucked off into the sunset, leaving him holding the bag." Yoo's expression was somewhere between sympathetic and impressed. "That's some remarkably shitty luck."
"Luck doesn't concern me. Money does." Taewoo closed the file with more force than necessary. "We'll pay Park Jihoon a visit tonight. If he knows where Hyungtae is, he'll tell us. If he doesn't, he'll pay the debt himself."
"You're going to shake down a single parent?"
"I'm going to collect what's owed to me. If Hyungtae didn't want his ex-spouse involved, he shouldn't have listed him as a guarantor."
"Fair enough. Though something tells me this is going to be more complicated than you think."
"Why would it be complicated? It's a simple transaction. He gives us information or money. We leave. End of story."
Yoo's smile was sharp and knowing. "If you say so, boss. If you say so."