The storm had passed, but the air in Seoul remained heavy.
Rumors filled every corner of the company. Whispers of the Chairman's scent, of his collapse in the boardroom, of the assistant who stepped in as if he were the one in control. The empire that Kang Jisoo had built now trembled under the weight of speculation.
But inside the penthouse, silence reigned.
Jisoo sat curled in his nest, blankets wrapped around him, eyes hollow from sleepless nights. The mask he had worn so long was gone. And without it, he felt naked, raw, unbearably exposed.
And Minjae was there. Always.
Not as an assistant anymore. Not even as a subordinate. He moved through the space like he belonged to it—like he belonged to Jisoo.
The revelation began not with words, but with presence.
One night, Jisoo stirred awake to find Minjae standing at the window, silhouetted against the city lights. His posture was different—less casual, less human. His presence filled the room in a way that made Jisoo's chest tighten.
"What are you?" Jisoo whispered before he could stop himself.
Minjae turned, his eyes glinting in the dark. "You're finally ready to ask."
The next day, the questions grew louder.
Shareholders demanded answers. Directors whispered threats. The media circled like vultures, demanding the truth behind the rumors.
Jisoo tried to face them, but each attempt ended in collapse—his scent betraying him, his body trembling, his words falling short.
And every time, Minjae stood in front of him. Blocking questions. Silencing whispers. Deflecting every attack with unnerving ease.
Until finally, at a private board meeting, one of the oldest directors snapped.
"Who are you to speak in his place?" the man spat at Minjae. "You're nothing but an assistant."
The room fell silent.
And Minjae smiled.
The air shifted.
It wasn't just dominance—it was something higher, sharper, heavier than anything the board had ever felt. A pressure that pressed against lungs, made hearts race, forced spines to bend.
Directors gasped, some clutching their chests, others gripping the table as if the sheer weight of his presence was suffocating.
Even Jisoo trembled, his body recognizing something his pride couldn't name.
Minjae's voice cut through the silence, calm and sharp as a blade.
"I am not an assistant. I am not an Omega. I am not bound by your hierarchy."
His gaze swept over the room, every pair of eyes lowering under its weight.
"I am above you. Above Alphas. Above Omegas. Above all of it."
Shock rippled through the board.
Jisoo stared, chest heaving. The truth slammed into him like thunder. It explained everything—Minjae's control, his calm, his ability to see through every mask. He was something else. Something greater.
And Jisoo—weak, broken, spiraling—was bound to him irrevocably.
The meeting ended in chaos. Some directors fled. Others bowed, trembling. No one dared speak against Minjae.
Later, back in the penthouse, Jisoo stood frozen, his pride and fear clashing violently.
"You lied," he whispered, voice shaking.
Minjae stepped closer, his presence overwhelming. "No. I never lied. I simply let you believe what you needed to."
Jisoo's fists clenched. "You've been manipulating me from the beginning."
"Yes." Minjae's smirk curved, but his voice softened. "Because I knew you'd never survive if you faced the truth alone."
Jisoo's chest ached. His pride screamed to resist, but his body leaned closer, drawn helplessly into the gravity of Minjae's presence.
Minjae cupped his face, tilting his chin upward.
"Listen to me, Jisoo-ssi." His voice was low, commanding, absolute. "You are not broken. You are not weak. You are mine. And with me, you will never fall again."
Jisoo trembled, tears burning his eyes. "I don't want to belong to anyone."
Minjae leaned closer, lips brushing his ear.
"You already do."
The nest enveloped them both that night.
For the first time, Jisoo didn't fight. He let Minjae hold him, let their scents mingle until the air was thick with possession and inevitability. His pride shattered, but in its place was something new. Something terrifying. Something safe.
And as dawn broke over Seoul, Jisoo realized the truth.
The mask was gone. The empire trembled. The world whispered.
But he was no longer alone.