Episode 18

While he was having breakfast, he heard Saije coming down the stairs. He watched for a few moments as Saije approached to grab some water.

"Do you not want breakfast?" he asked since they had done this a couple of times before.

Saije clearly heard the question, but after finishing his water, he simply returned the way he had come. The urge to splash the water into his face was strong, but he was more inclined to strangle himself for having been such an idiot by baking a birthday cake when he realized that while he was preparing the cake, Jaehan was happily celebrating his birthday with a woman.

"Hey," Jaehan persisted, but gently.

"Have breakfast with you?"

"Yes."

"No, I'd rather eat alone than sit with you and catch your stupidity," he muttered.

Jaehan looked at him doubtfully, thinking that attitude had been left behind, but then he sighed, realizing it hadn't.

"Suit yourself. It makes no difference to me."

"Then, if it's all the same to you, don't ask such pointless questions. Your idiotic face is already enough without having to listen to your foolish talk," he grumbled as he went back upstairs.

He watched him go and then left for work.

Saije watched him leave and clenched his fists in anger, then went downstairs to find Anna washing some items. She was humming a song cheerfully as she busied herself with the cleaning when she caught sight of the Omega.

"How did it go last night with the cake?" she asked with a smile. "I didn't see any leftovers in the fridge, so I guess it was all eaten."

Saije said nothing. He stood there for a few seconds because she was kind and wasn't to blame, but it made no difference to him.

"Leave," he snapped.

"Excuse me?"

"I want you to go now."

She didn't understand what upset him, but had no choice but to leave. She didn't know what she had done wrong, but for the Omega it was her fault for having mentioned Jaehan's birthday and for planting foolish ideas in his head that he should not have entertained. He shut the door and thought of nothing better than to damage the lock so that Jaehan couldn't enter later.

Staring at the house, he knew that the furniture was expensive. He wanted to destroy everything and throw a massive tantrum for having been made to feel so strange.

He grabbed a knife and began slashing the couches, hoping that by doing so, Jaehan would no longer want him in his house and it would all be over. He didn't care if he was thrown out onto the streets with nowhere to go and if his parents didn't take him in because he'd rather sleep out in the cold than continue to see him. He made fists and didn't stop until the couches were completely ruined and no one could sit on them. He looked around for what more he could do next and saw the high-hanging pictures. Even though he couldn't reach them, it didn't stop him from throwing food against the walls — anything that came to mind.

Ascending the stairs, he paused outside his room. He had only entered once before, to embroider something on his jacket, and hesitated for a few seconds before proceeding.

Looking around, especially at the bed, he imagined that Jaehan had surely been there with the woman who answered his phone.

He approached the bed to throw everything onto the floor and looked for something to anger Jaehan enough for him to despise him earnestly. His eyes landed on a photograph on the nightstand—a girl holding a violin. She looked cute, small, and innocent, but he just threw the small frame against the wall.

When Jaehan got out of his car and walked to the door, he noticed it was closed as it normally was, not giving it much thought since that was how he usually found it.

"Boss," one of his men said, stopping him.

"What's up?"

"Something happened in the village again," the Beta informed him.

"Another Omega disappearance?"

"Yes, but not just one; three at the same time. The report was filed, but as usual, it got buried among all the others."

Jaehan sighed.

"Is Saije inside?"

The man nodded.

"He hasn't left all day, and we've been watching the back of the house, so everything's alright, but I think, to avoid any issues, you might want to find a new place."

Jaehan was aware of the dangers of where he lived. He had men who were good at keeping watch and skilled with weapons, but his home was too close to that village. He had never worried about the proximity because he hadn't had any Omegas that could be in danger or anything like that, but now there was Saije.

The thought that they knew he was always alone was problematic. And it was clear they knew about him because his uncle, though not family, always found everything out. And since Jaehan had confronted all of them to bring the Omega home, he was aware that, at some point, his uncle might target him just as he had done to his little sister. He swallowed hard and ran a hand through his hair.

"We're going to have to establish a much larger surveillance perimeter. I haven't had much time these days, but as soon as I do, I'll look for a different place for Saije to be safe."

"Don't worry, we will increase our vigilance."

"Good. If you need extra help, let me know, and I'll hire more staff."

"For now, we're good. Rex is worth five more men; taking him down is challenging, and we know he's good at fighting in any way. I've seen him smash other Alphas' heads with one hand without even sweating."

Jaehan nodded, knowing it to be true. Rex had long been part of Russian mafias, so his indifference to certain actions was vast.

"Alright, is that everything?"

"Yes, boss, good evening."

He watched his man walk away and turned to unlock the door when he heard footsteps. Turning to the right, he saw Anna approaching, and his brow furrowed, wondering why she was still there.

"Anna, why are you here?"

She hesitated, not sure how to explain what had happened or how Saije had thrown her out.

"Young Jaehan, I apologize, but I didn't have time to get my things to leave."

"Why didn't you have time?"

"Well... It's because young Saije kicked me out of the house and didn't give me a chance to retrieve anything."

"What? What are you talking about? When did this happen?"

"A couple of hours after you left," she answered, feeling nervous.

Jaehan let out a long sigh.

"Okay, don't worry about it. I'll open the door for you to get your stuff, and just disregard it; it's likely just a tantrum. You know how he is."

He inserted the key into the lock when he noticed it wouldn't open, no matter how much he tried. He couldn't see inside the lock, but he could tell something was wrong, and that was why the key wouldn't turn.

He twisted the handle with force for a few seconds, trying to budge the door, but despite his efforts, it wouldn't budge.

"This has to be some kind of bad joke," he whispered, and the woman beside him knew things were going to end badly, very badly.

***This work has been signed with NovelToon, and piracy such as reprinting without permission is strictly prohibited.***

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***