* * *

“Executive Director, can you tell me why you were so angry that day? What exactly did you intend to do to your brother?”

“Doctor, have I ever shown you Woohee’s face?”

Jinwoo smoothly sidestepped the question, redirecting the conversation.

Dr. Yoon played along, feigning interest in what Jinwoo had said.

“No, but if he resembles you, I imagine he must be very handsome.”

“Exactly. Let me show you. Bring me my phone, would you?”

Jinwoo Yeo would always act guarded or get angry whenever someone tried to learn more about Yeo Woohee.

But now, Jinwoo himself was offering to show Yeo Woohee’s face, which felt strange.

Though it was against hospital policy to give patients their phones, the situation called for understanding Jinwoo’s intent, so Dr. Yoon decided to go along with it.

“Come on. You have no idea how pretty and lovable our Woohee is. Once you see him for yourself, you’ll believe me.”

Jinwoo urged lightly. Dr. Yoon, resting a hand on his desk, stood from his chair.

“Wait here. I’ll get it.”

He left the consultation room and walked to the storage area where personal belongings of patients were kept.

Opening Jinwoo’s locker, he retrieved a phone sealed in a ziplock bag and returned to the office.

Handing it over, he watched as Jinwoo turned it on, unlocked it with his fingerprint, and navigated to the gallery, selecting a photo.

“Wow!”

The exclamation slipped from Dr. Yoon’s lips before he could stop himself.

It was only a brief moment, but the sight was enough to make him think that someone as beautiful as Yeo Woohee could indeed drive Jinwoo to obsession.

That was Jinwoo’s intention all along: to make the psychiatrist rationalize his so-called madness.

“What do you think, Doctor? Isn’t our Woohee stunning?”

“Truly beautiful. Well, I suppose it makes sense. Your mother was quite the beauty.”

“Oh, come on, Doctor. You know he’s illegitimate.”

“…”

As Jinwoo swiped through the photos, he explained, “Apparently, my father went into rut and got together with one of the housemaids. But honestly, I think it’s just an excuse. Look at Woohee’s face—do you think any Alpha could resist an Omega like this?”

Being an Alpha himself, Dr. Yoon couldn’t help but nod unconsciously.

If someone like Yeo Woohee had been near him, he’d have done everything to claim him.

That was just the Alpha instinct.

Dr. Yoon couldn’t take his eyes off the phone.

The boy in the photo, with cheeks blushed like a ripe peach, looked irresistibly lovely.

“How old is he in this photo? Thirteen?”

Judging by the average physique of a dominant Alpha, that seemed about right.

“No, he’s twenty.”

“But I thought you said he’s a dominant Alpha?”

“Exactly, Doctor. That’s why I told you to trust me, not my father.”

Jinwoo showed him the timestamp of the photo.

For a dominant Alpha, it was impossible to look this young at twenty, yet the date on the picture was undeniably recent.

Dr. Yoon, who had been working tirelessly to “cure” Jinwoo of his fixation on another Alpha, was thrown into turmoil.

Yeo Woohee was nothing like he had imagined.

No matter how he looked at it, he seemed unmistakably like an Omega.

As Dr. Yoon stared in shock, his belief system shattered, Jinwoo locked eyes with him.

His gaze was clear and unwavering, devoid of any falsehood.

“Doctor, you’ve been deceived by my father. My brother, Yeo Woohee, is an Omega. The reason my father keeps sending me to this psychiatric hospital is because I keep stopping him from assaulting Woohee. That night, too, my father was trying to rape Woohee, and I stopped him. That’s why I’m here.”

“Don’t spout nonsense. Chairman Yeo is a bonded Alpha.”

Dr. Yoon didn’t yield easily.

“That’s just what he says. Did you ever see the bonding with your own eyes? How could a bonded Alpha assault another Omega and father a child?”

Jinwoo’s voice dropped, smooth and insidious, like a devil whispering to a confused soul.

Dr. Yoon stepped back, trying not to get swept up in Jinwoo’s manipulation.

“That’s enough for today. Make sure you attend the music therapy session this afternoon.”

“Yes, Doctor. Thank you for your hard work.”

Even if Jinwoo sang cheerful songs and listened to calming classical music, it wouldn’t make him give up on Yeo Woohee.

The psychiatrist and Chairman Yeo were both foolish to think otherwise.

Thanks to the doctor’s hurried exit, Jinwoo managed to slip the phone into his patient gown’s pocket.

Back in his private room, he sat on the bed and made a voice call to his beloved Yeo Woohee.

A regular call would reveal that he was in Korea, so he used an internet-based service.

“Hyung!”

“Hello, Woohee.”

“Hyung, what’s going on? You never use your phone when you’re in the U.S.”

“I wanted to check in because you’ve been doing so well. You’ve been saying you’ll behave from now on.”

“…Yes.”

Though his letters had been confident, his voice over the phone lacked energy.

Jinwoo grew impatient, eager to return to Korea and confirm Yeo Woohee’s Omega status by claiming him.

Licking his dry lips, he spoke.

“I’ll be back in Korea soon. Be ready.”

“But, hyung. I’ve been good. I’m going to school properly now. Don’t scold me.”

Yeo Woohee sounded desperate, even breathless, like an excited Omega.

Jinwoo felt himself growing hard just hearing him.

While he enjoyed how innocent Woohee was, oblivious to the fact that he had nearly been assaulted, Jinwoo also decided it was time to teach him a few things.

For the future.

“Woohee, are you trying to act cute again? Do you think it’s okay to transfer schools without telling anyone?”

“No, it was wrong. I know it was wrong.”

Even admitting his mistake, Woohee’s tone was endearing, like he was born to win over an Alpha’s love.

“Good. Then you deserve to be punished. Since I’m not in Korea to discipline you, I’ll give you a mission. Ask Butler Kang for a riding machine and practice riding it for an hour every day. I’ll check on video calls.”

“Riding? How is that a punishment?”

“Because you’ll do it naked. If you skip a day, I’ll spank you until your bottom swells when I return.”

“Eek! No way!”

Woohee gasped in fear, clearly intimidated by the penalty.

He was utterly helpless when faced with punishment, making him all the easier to tame.

“If you don’t want that, then do as you’re told. Got it?”

Sniffling, Woohee answered reluctantly.

“Yes, hyung.”

Satisfied, Jinwoo ended the call.

“Ah, I can’t wait to go home and claim my Woohee.”

---

Yeo Woohee stepped out of the room after finishing his call with Yeo Jinwoo to carry out the mission assigned by the Master.

He went to Butler Kang to request the necessary items and knocked softly on his door.

“Yes, come in.”

Butler Kang, was in the middle of drafting a proposal for how to redecorate the mansion for the S/S season.

‘For our young master Woohee’s room, we’ll install pink curtains, and for the vice president’s room, white curtains…’

He mentally organized his to-do list.

At the same time, he flipped through catalogs sent by various brands, deciding on bright-colored tableware for the owner family’s use.

“Um… Mr. Butler…”

Butler Kang, catching a whiff of a fragrant scent, immediately looked up.

Yeo Woohee stood hesitantly at the threshold, unable to step over it.

Closing the materials he had been reviewing, Butler Kang greeted the second young master with a kind smile.

“What brings you here, young master?”

“Well… Mr. Butler… it’s, um…”

Yeo Woohee fidgeted with his fingers, bowing his head deeply.

Butler Kang didn’t press him, waiting patiently for the timid young man to speak.

“Well… um, Hyung asked me to request a riding exercise machine from the butler.”

Yeo Jinwoo, confined in a psychiatric hospital, had contacted Yeo Woohee?

But how?

Butler Kang was startled but replied calmly, “Ah, I see. Understood.”

He picked up the phone from the desk and issued an order to have a riding exercise machine delivered to the second young master’s room.

He couldn’t fathom Yeo Jinwoo’s intentions.

Was this another scheme to punish his younger brother?

Butler Kang remembered the “shorts incident” from a year ago and shut his eyes tightly, trying to erase the memory of that dreadful day.

Yeo Woohee bit his lip nervously before bowing his head in a polite farewell.

“I’ll take my leave now. Thank you for your help.”

Without a shred of confidence, Yeo Woohee quietly closed the door behind him.

Butler Kang waited until the sound of his footsteps faded before dialing Chairman Yeo.

“Chairman, the executive director has used a phone to contact the second young master.”

• What? How could he have even obtained a phone?

“You’ll need to check with the hospital staff.”

• Understood, Butler Kang. I’ll look into it.

After hanging up, Butler Kang stroked his chin thoughtfully.

Why on earth had Yeo Jinwoo instructed his brother to request a riding exercise machine?

The question remained unanswered, even as the equipment found its way to Yeo Woohee’s room.

* * *