Episode 3

Saije was in his room, locked away. He had ignored all the calls to come down for breakfast and even lunch. He was more than determined to stay within those four walls by all means necessary. He had no intention of pleasing anyone and was only thinking about what more he could do to irritate that lowly Alpha, as he referred to him.

He crossed his arms and paced the room, considering his next course of action. The window was no longer an option since they had installed bars. He was beyond furious; he was literally imprisoned and, for the five days he'd been there, he hadn't received a single call from his parents.

He clenched his fists and felt like banging his head against the wall—he was hungry, thirsty, and bored.

He approached the door to open it slowly and looked down the hallway, finding it empty. He believed he had a clear path. He took a few steps, uncertain of which way led to the kitchen, considering the mansion's vast size. He didn't know the exact number of rooms, but it was large enough to sleep about five entire families or even more.

As he descended the stairs, he grew even angrier at the sight of some paintings that were more than beautiful. He wanted to knock them down, but they were too high up and out of his reach.

Once on the ground floor, he looked around and began to notice how eerily empty the place was. He stood hesitantly for a few seconds because, like on previous days, the servants who were responsible for him would already be behind him, repeating the same old phrases:

"Your husband is working."

"Your husband said to behave yourself."

"Your husband said you must eat to stay healthy."

"Your husband said not to try to escape, or you will regret it."

"Your husband said you can go out, but not alone."

He was more than tired of hearing these things every time he made a move, but now those unbearable women, as he considered them, were nowhere to be seen. He swallowed hard, and upon hearing a noise, he walked toward the source. An enormous and long table came into view, which could easily seat twenty people, yet it was solely occupied by Jaehan.

Jaehan was leisurely sipping coffee while reading the newspaper. He liked to keep abreast of city happenings, but wasn't fond of television, so a newspaper was always a must. He slowly turned a page, his eyes scanning over the words until he glanced up and Saije flinched. Jaehan said nothing, simply observing him for a few seconds before returning to his reading as if no one of significance were present. He took another sip of coffee and glanced at his wristwatch, which he never failed to wear. He hated being late for meetings, appointments, and work-related affairs, so a watch was a necessity.

The Omega regarded him, serious and with his black hair. Jaehan wore a dark blue suit and appeared large even when seated, but that didn't stop Saije from feeling intimidated. So, taking a deep breath, he asked:

"Where's your filthy entourage?"

Jaehan finished reading a paragraph, which made small mention of a secret marriage—naturally, it was his own.

Then, he carefully folded the newspaper and set it on the floor.

"I dismissed them," he replied after finishing his coffee.

Saije stared at him, indignant, thinking he was being made fun of.

"What?"

"I see you're quite demanding. So, to have things your way, there'll be no one else but you," Jaehan said as he stood up.

"Are you out of your mind?"

"The other day, you mentioned dust in certain places. You now have all day to clean every corner of this house."

"What?! I'm not your employee, you fool! he blurted out furiously, wishing he had something to hurl at his face."

"You also mentioned the food was disgusting and that you'd only eat top-quality fare. So, the kitchen is all yours. Of course, that's only if you know how to use it, Jaehan mocked, barely restraining a smile."

He could see that Saije was smaller but the magnitude of rage in his body was overwhelming. He saw him with his face red and almost steaming from his ears. Clearly, if Saije had a weapon, he would have shot him until all the bullets were gone. His pink hair seemed to blaze with fiery red.

"Do you think I can't cook? I can do whatever I want! I'm not useless like you, you sick bastard!"

He watched as Saije stormed past him. He wanted to jump on his back and choke him for a moment, but he knew his chances of winning were slim. Looking around, he spotted a vase with freshly cut roses on the table.

"I'll be back around seven. Be a good spouse and have dinner ready."

"I will, but it'll be laced with poison! Saije yelled, hurling the vase at him."

Jaehan had already closed the door, so it only impacted against it. Standing still for seconds, he listened as Saije raged and cursed in several languages, clearly throwing a tantrum. He began to walk away upon hearing Saije trying the locked door, shouting even louder.

There were men always guarding the area, and they were astounded by the expletives Saije was shouting—swear words they hadn't even heard of. They exchanged glances and felt a bit of pity for their boss, having to endure someone like that.

"He doesn't have it easy, boss, one commented as he walked beside him."

"I'm not interested in having it easy. It's just for a contract. Once it's complete, I never want to see him again."

"It's a good thing you're somewhat patient."

"Yes, I suppose patience is my greatest virtue."

The drive to work was slow. He reviewed some emails en route and noticed that news of his marriage was quickly spreading. They had married in secret with only family present, but, as usual, the media found out and reported everything, just to have something to talk about for more work and money.

Upon arriving at his company, he saw his family name emblazoned above: TECNEC BRENNAN LIMITED.

Their brand, BRENNAN, specialized in various things and was a top seller, whether in phones or computers. They were expanding their territories, and their investments were thriving. Jaehan was the CEO of the main company, but his two brothers were starting to manage others, along with other family members: uncle, mother, and father.

"Congratulations on your wedding!"

"Congratulations, CEO Jaehan."

"I'm happy for your marriage!"

"I hope you have a wonderful marital life!"

He listened to the congratulations in silence and merely nodded in thanks but couldn't help thinking that a wonderful marital life was very unlikely when the person he married was probably preparing him poisoned food and even considering burning the house down without caring if he died in the process.

"Thank you all. This was supposed to be kept secret, but it seems everyone knows now, he pondered, contemplating how to manage the media and the upcoming challenges."

"Secret? You're one of the most famous CEOs lately, plus you're a dominant Alpha with an impeccable reputation. It's normal for everyone to be attentive to your life."

He said nothing more and entered his office to start reviewing some documents.

"May I? his secretary, an Omega who had worked with him for over three years, always striving to do her best to earn something from the Alpha, asked as she entered with papers. Now, with the news of his recent and secret marriage, she was not at all pleased."

"Magdalena, glad you're here. Take these papers to Rouse, tell her there are errors. I've marked them for her to correct as soon as possible."

She nodded, taking the papers and handing him some items.

"I'm very sorry, boss. Rouse has been here a month, but she's still adjusting. She's a bit slow."

"Don't worry, we all make mistakes when we're new somewhere. Just tell her to ask me if she has any questions, and we can avoid these errors."

"Certainly. Anything else you need?"

"Nothing, you may leave."

He typed a few things on his computer but stopped upon realizing three hours had passed. He figured that was enough time for Saije to calm down and dialed the house phone number.

The wall-mounted phone rang and rang, but Saije made no attempt to pick it up. He was still furious and didn't care about anything anymore.

"That damn Alpha. But if he thinks he can beat me, he's sorely mistaken. I'll make this disgusting place shine, he vowed."

He had everything he needed to start cleaning and tied a handkerchief around his hair to keep it out of his eyes. He began to clean everything in sight. He might be capricious, vain, and unbearable, but he was not useless. He knew how to do many things without any problem and was quite fast. So, when he finished cleaning the entire house, he still had three hours until Jaehan returned.

He felt more than proud because everything smelled good, and he could almost see his pretty reflection on the floor.

Then, he went to the kitchen to see what was there and started cooking all he knew nonstop. Covered in flour and with several burned fingers, he never ceased. He set the table elegantly, as if it were fit for royalty, not just for its arrangement, but because it held all types of food.

"Let's see who lost, he whispered, sitting on the couch and falling asleep sprawled out in less than ten minutes."

When the key turned in the lock, Saije was still fast asleep, deep-rooted in slumber to the point where not even an earthquake could rouse him.

Jaehan opened the door to a gleaming interior. He scanned every spot, noting that even the smallest nook was shining. The sweet aroma confused him, and he couldn't identify its source. Taking steps inward, he half expected Saije to spring on him from behind, armed with a knife. But all was eerily quiet, save for gentle snores.

He looked in that direction to see Saije asleep on the couch, handkerchief still in hair, a trail of drool at the corner of his mouth, and flour everywhere.

Observing him for seconds, he saw Saije appeared innocent and defenseless asleep, quite opposite to when he was awake. Jaehan swallowed hard and turned away to face the food on the table. Not knowing whether Saije actually cooked all this or not, he couldn't deny it all looked delectable. He approached and spotted a note.

GOOD LUCK CHOOSING THE FOOD THAT'S NOT TAMPERED, YOU FOOL.

SINCERELY: YOUR LOVELY SPOUSE.

He sighed and deliberated what to try. He saw waffles and assumed no one would dare spoil delicious waffles. He took a piece with a fork, tasted it, and at first felt nothing, but after a few chews, the spiciness hit him to the core.

Saije remained asleep like a tiny angel while Jaehan frantically rinsed his mouth with water, the heat scorching his insides.

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