* * *

But what would they say if they found out he wasn’t really their brother?

Would they resent him?

Be furious that he’d lied to them all this time?

And how were his younger siblings at the orphanage managing?

Without him there, they’d be short on even the 300,000 won he used to earn each month for their food expenses…

But now that he had run away, he couldn’t rely on anyone else.

‘Maybe I should look for a part-time job…’

In his original body, he had the strength and build to take on physically demanding work.

But in this body, he knew he was limited.

Ki Beomhyeon had told him to stop thinking and rest, but Jungin’s mind kept spiraling.

Just then, a crisp and comforting scent wafted into his nose.

Where was that coming from?

Jungin turned slightly and opened his eyes, only to find Ki Beomhyeon looking straight at him.

Since when had he been watching…?

The jumble of anxieties and fears in Jungin’s heart began to ease as he became aware of Ki Beomhyeon’s presence beside him.

As he took a deep breath, the pleasant fragrance seemed to soothe and envelop him, making the sleepless, restless night gradually feel softer, calmer, and deeper.

---

The three faces staring at the empty hospital room were frozen, cold.

“Are you out of your mind? Have you both lost it?”

“We’re sorry. We have no excuse.”

Summoned unexpectedly back to the main house, they had reluctantly left Jungin in the care of a thief, the only one they could vaguely trust.

And now, it was this late, and Jungin still hadn’t returned.

“What were you even doing while that bastard spirited Jungin away?”

“We’re sorry, young master. We left our posts briefly…”

“And why, exactly, did you leave, even if just for a moment? Hmm?”

Jungin hadn’t left his hospital room in days.

Security had grown lax, and in that moment of negligence, both he and Ki Beomhyeon had vanished.

The bodyguards, who had stepped away for a quick smoke during their shift change, clenched their jaws under the unrelenting pressure from Junseo.

Despite being Betas, they were struggling to withstand the potent pheromones of an enraged Alpha.

The prickle of discomfort across their skin had one of them squeezing his eyes shut.

“Enough.”

“Hyung!”

“Yelling won’t bring Jungin back. Think this through.”

With a chilly expression, Jungjin loosened his necktie and rubbed the protruding ridge of his brow, crossing his legs.

“From the hospital CCTV, it’s clear that Jungin left with Ki Beomhyeon. He’s probably still with him.”

The man, who hadn’t paid Jungin any attention before the accident, was now acting entirely differently.

His gaze, his possessive behavior as an Alpha—everything about his attitude had changed.

No matter how much Jungin’s brothers tried to send him signals, Ki Beomhyeon wouldn’t move from Jungin’s side, as if it were his rightful place.

“He must be serious. Even turned off his phone,” grumbled Junwoo, who had been calling Ki Beomhyeon nonstop.

Junseo’s jaw tensed at that, his lips parting.

“That bastard. Calling him a thief wasn’t enough, so he went and actually stole Jungin away?”

Junseo sprang up from the sofa, ready to storm into Ki Beomhyeon’s house and drag him back.

But Junwoo, frowning, grabbed his arm.

“But what if… what if Jungin left willingly?”

“What?”

“What if Jungin ran away because he can’t stand us? Because he finds this house unbearable. What then?”

Junseo, who had been seething with rage, and Jungjin, who had been massaging his temple, both froze.

“What if Jungin’s memories have all come back?”

Junwoo, brushing a hand across his anxious face, opened his mouth slowly, concern weighing his expression.

“What if all those memories of being neglected by us and abused by Mother have returned? And what if that’s why he ran off with Ki Beomhyeon—because he hates us now?”

Even though Jungin was still a minor, he had already been engaged with parental consent to Ki Beomhyeon, a powerful Alpha from the Yeonhwa Group.

If Jungin truly intended to sever ties with their family, the Hyun Group, there would be no way to force him back.

Just then, Jungjin’s phone buzzed with a small vibration, displaying a name on the screen. It was a call from the thief.

[Ki Beomhyeon]

The name made Jungjin’s hand move faster than his thoughts as he answered.

“Where are you?”

His cold voice was accompanied by an unstable cloud of angry Alpha pheromones.

Everyone except Junwoo and Junseo, who shared his blood, winced and braced themselves.

“Where did you take Jungin?” Jungjin’s hand holding the phone trembled.

His voice was hard to read—furious, yet somehow anxious.

On the other end, Ki Beomhyeon finally spoke.

• He’s at my house.

“I’ll come get him.”

• No. There’s no need. Even if you come, I won’t let Jungin go.

Ki Beomhyeon’s resolute tone cut through the tension.

• Jungin is already hurt from everything that’s happened. And with Madam Jang back in the country, if he goes to Saeun-dong now, he’ll only suffer more.

Jungjin couldn’t argue, knowing Ki Beomhyeon was right.

They still weren’t in a position to fully protect Jungin from their mother.

Grinding his teeth, Jungjin’s voice was strangled.

“…I want to speak with Jungin myself. I want to explain about last time, too.”

• I’ll ask him and get back to you. We’re heading inside, so I’ll hang up now.

Click.

Staring at the darkened phone screen, Jungjin yanked his loosened tie further down, exhaling deeply.

Jungin’s engagement had always been a mere contract for corporate trust.

Ki Beomhyeon had understood that, too, which was why he’d never shown interest before.

But ever since the accident, everything had changed.

With a heavy sigh, he pressed his fingers against his tense brow before looking up to meet the gazes of both Jungwoo and Jungseo, who were staring at him intently.

Finally, he spoke.

“Jungin has decided to stay in Jaan-dong for the time being.”

“What? That’s ridiculous. That bastard thief Ki Beomhyeon has finally…!”

Jaan-dong. That was where Ki Beomhyeon’s house, and by extension, the main estate of the Yeonhwa Group, was located.

Jungseo, who knew this all too well, jumped from his seat as if ready to storm out.

“Sit down, Jungseo.”

Jungjin turned toward his younger brother, his voice steady as he fixed him with a firm look.

“Hyung! Still, he’s our younger brother. We should be the ones to bring him home!”

“And if Mother does something again? What will you do then?”

“That’s…”

Jungseo’s words caught in his throat, and he bit his lower lip hard enough to draw blood.

His clenched fists trembled, and his expression twisted with frustration.

“It’s not that I don’t want to bring him back, either. Now sit.”

“Ha… But what if… What if Jungin says he never wants to come back again? What will you do then?”

Jungseo looked at his older brothers with worried eyes.

He was afraid Jungin, whom he’d only recently begun to bond with after years of neglect, would leave and never return.

“We’ll bring him back.”

“But how…?”

“Jungseo.”

The Alpha pheromones seeped from Jungseo’s tense body.

Sensing the change, Jungwoo softly called his name.

“So, Hyung… are you really considering a political marriage?”

“We’ll see.”

Jungjin pressed his fingers harder against his brow, then tapped his fingers against the armrest, his lips barely moving.

“If necessary, I will.”

“Hyung…”

“If we want to bring Jungin back, we’re going to be very busy. You’d better be prepared.”

His head clearing as his reason returned, Jungjin nodded to his two younger brothers before standing up.

* * *