* * *
It was a stroke of luck that Miho couldn’t forge a death certificate for him, allowing Lee Woohee’s identity to remain intact.
Woohee would stand at the wedding hall not as his younger brother, Yeo Woohee, but as himself—Lee Woohee, his fiancée.
Since Yeo Jinwoo valued academics, he had no intention of making Yeo Woohee quit school.
One day, Woohee would have to take on the role of the OL Group’s matriarch and navigate high society.
If he didn’t even graduate from a proper school, his Omega would be looked down upon by the elite in politics and business.
As long as Yeo Jinwoo was by his side, he could shield Woohee from any direct insults, but he couldn’t stop the whispers behind his back.
And he refused to let others think little of him.
That’s why he’d at least allow Woohee a taste of freedom through college life.
“Move! Woohee! Yeo Woohee!”
A loud commotion erupted outside the hospital room.
It was Kang Dohee’s voice.
Yeo Woohee tried to climb out of bed to open the door.
“Stay down. I’ll handle it.”
Yeo Jinwoo rose from his chair and slid open the door.
Kang Dohee and Na Taejoon were restrained by bodyguards.
Jinwoo looked at them with pure contempt and scolded them.
“What do you think you’re doing, causing a ruckus in a patient’s room when he needs absolute rest?”
“I’m sorry, but I had to see Woohee. Please, let me see him.”
At school, Woohee’s withdrawal had been filed under the pretense of acute leukemia.
It was no surprise that Kang Dohee and Na Taejoon had rushed over like panicked dogs with their tails on fire.
Keeping them away would only make them more suspicious.
Besides, Yeo Woohee’s identity would soon disappear under the guise of a mysterious illness.
There was no harm in letting them see him one last time.
“Woohee is sick, so don’t bring up anything unnecessary. Just look at him quietly and leave.”
Kang Dohee clenched his teeth at the sight of the murderer who had set fire to the psychiatric hospital.
That monster’s face was infuriatingly perfect.
As the heir to a conglomerate, he was an Alpha with impeccable charisma.
His sharp jawline and high nose looked as if they had been carved by a sculptor’s chisel.
“Thank you. Thank you so much.”
Na Taejoon bowed his head to Yeo Jinwoo in gratitude.
The bodyguards released them.
Na Taejoon entered first and immediately broke into tears.
“Damn it! Why the hell are you sick? H-heuhh. Do you even know how worried I was?”
Yeo Woohee gave him an apologetic look and pulled a tissue from the bedside table.
Na Taejoon wiped his tear-streaked face roughly.
“Sorry. You must’ve been really worried. But I’m okay.”
“The hell you are, idiot. You dumbass.”
Na Taejoon buried his face in the bed and shook with sobs.
Even though Yeo Woohee was the sick one, his pale face softened with concern as he stroked Taejoon’s back to comfort him.
Kang Dohee entered the room with heavy steps.
“You’re here, Dohee? Sorry, I couldn’t join the chatroom yesterday. You must’ve waited a long time.”
“It’s fine. How are you feeling? Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Having you guys visit like this is making me embarrassed. It’s really not a big deal.”
Kang Dohee’s heart twisted at the sight of Yeo Woohee’s bright smile, forced just to keep them from worrying.
He walked up and took Woohee’s hand.
He hadn’t been able to protect him.
And yet, once again, Woohee was protecting him—lying to keep him from worrying, gazing at him with warm eyes.
“What’s with you guys? I’ll be out of here soon. It’s just a cold. Stop overreacting—it’s making me uncomfortable.”
Kang Dohee pretended not to notice the truth and nodded.
“Oh, Dohee, did my school withdrawal go through?”
It felt like swallowing a giant stone. But Kang Dohee forced himself to answer.
“Yeah.”
“I see.”
Yeo Woohee lifted his head from his thoughts and smiled brightly.
“Don’t worry. I’m going abroad to study.”
“Shit… Shit…! Fuck, I hate this.”
Na Taejoon sobbed harder.
He knew Woohee’s words were a gentle lie, covering up a much harsher reality.
Kang Dohee didn’t say anything either, only letting his silent tears fall.
“What the hell is wrong with you two? Is today some kind of special occasion—huh… huh?”
Blood suddenly gushed from Yeo Woohee’s nose.
Yeo Jinwoo quickly grabbed a tissue and pressed it against his nose.
“Get out. Don’t come bothering my sick brother again.”
Na Taejoon, still sobbing, shouted at Woohee’s retreating figure as he headed toward the bathroom.
“Woohee, thank you for everything! I really hope you get better.”
Kang Dohee opened his mouth as if to speak, but the bathroom door shut before he could say anything.
The sound of running water filled the silence.
“The bleeding won’t stop. I’ll call a doctor. Stay here.”
Yeo Jinwoo stepped out and pressed the nurse call button.
Turning back to the two visitors still in the room, his voice turned harsh.
“What? You’re still here? Get lost.”
With no other choice, Kang Dohee and Na Taejoon left the room.
From the hallway, they saw a doctor in a white coat rushing toward them.
Inside the room, Jinwoo’s furious voice rang out.
“What the hell took you so long? Were you planning to let my brother die?”
Avoiding the bodyguards’ sharp glares, they hurried to the elevator.
Outside, they sat on a bench in a garden lavishly decorated with roses.
Na Taejoon, his eyes swollen, let out another tear.
Kang Dohee could only stare at the sky in disbelief.
“He’ll get better. Medical technology is so advanced these days. And his family is loaded. He’ll get the best treatment. He has to get better.”
“Do you think so? He really will, right?”
Na Taejoon asked hesitantly. Kang Dohee masked his own anxiety and answered with forced certainty.
“Yeah.”
Yeo Woohee pinched his nose with a tissue, tilting his head down so the blood wouldn’t flow into his throat.
Meanwhile, Yeo Jinwoo grabbed the doctor by the collar, demanding he do something.
By then, the bleeding had stopped.
Woohee quietly removed the tissue.
It had only happened because he’d gotten too excited earlier when Jinwoo had grabbed him.
He felt bad for worrying the doctor.
“Hyung, I’m fine now.”
“Woohee, let me see. Are you dizzy? Look at how pale you are. I’ll have them give you an IV. Lie down. Damn it, you’ve been sickly since you were a kid—do you know how much stress you give me?”
The doctor’s lips pressed into a thin line, as if holding back his thoughts.
He had treated Woohee’s injuries before, marks left by abuse.
Yeo Jinwoo’s words must have sounded absurd to him.
Woohee lay back on the hospital bed.
Yeo Jinwoo climbed in beside him, pulled him into his arms, and rested his head on his arm.
“My little Woohee is so fragile. How are you ever going to carry my baby?”
His words were sickeningly nonchalant despite the presence of others.
Woohee glanced at the doctor, but Jinwoo turned his head back.
“What? Are you interested in that bastard?”
“No, it’s not that…”
“It’s fine. He can’t do anything—I have dirt on him.”
Fourteen years ago, this doctor had issued Woohee’s fake death certificate.
Now, he was silent again, promised the hospital director’s position in exchange for looking the other way.
Twice now, he had turned a blind eye to Yeo Jinwoo’s crimes—power wielded like the hand of God.
So, even as he looked at Woohee, he knew he had no right to pity him.
* * *
