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When you’re born into a wealthy family, your future is more or less decided for you.

Most often, you’re expected to either take over one of the subsidiaries and live independently or quietly become the successor to maintain the family legacy.

There are only a few choices, and they’re all forced upon you.

Han Doha was no exception.

As the sole legitimate heir of Daewon Group, his path was set.

Yet, because of the unreasonable demands of the Omega who gave birth to him, he ended up stuck with a fake sibling he never wanted.

It went without saying that his smooth, straightforward life quickly turned into a thorny path.

“Don’t come near me until my son gets married to someone decent and has a child of his own. I won’t raise my child to be selfish like you. There’s a limit to how much someone can manipulate another person’s life!”

If not for those words, Doha might have lived a reasonably smooth and comfortable life.

His mother, who inherited most of his father’s wealth yet pretended she had no responsibility, could be described as eccentric at best—or outright insane at worst.

Even as a young child, Doha couldn’t help but realize it.

Ahn Yoongi, who took her only son—an unknowing child who hadn’t even learned to read yet—on a whirlwind trip around the world, was undeniably a little unhinged.

The real problem, however, was Han Tae-won’s stubbornness.

While his heart was soft, he refused to admit when he was wrong. It stemmed from the twisted desires of an Alpha.

In the process, the only victim, Doha, had to develop an unprecedented patience that was never in his fate and learn to cook, a skill that he would have never needed in his lifetime.

Although now, looking back, it might seem like a good trait that could earn him some points with Seonyul, at that time, Doha could only think, ‘What the hell is this nonsense?’ every moment.

Caught between a mad Omega and a twisted Alpha, he had to plan for an independent life that he hadn’t expected.

This, too, was delayed a bit because of his mother’s insistence that he absolutely had to graduate from college, but it didn’t turn out so bad.

By the time he graduated late, he had aged a bit, but the business he started with the title of “young CEO” was doing fairly well.

Of course, every day was filled with overtime, and he had become more familiar with the company than his own home, but he consoled himself by thinking that living alone was better than being caught between his insane parents.

It was around that time.

“Is this all we need to do? Still, wouldn’t it be better to divide the area and distribute it…?”

It was just a simple inspection.

In the early days of the business, inspections were nothing more than casual strolls, done without a secretary like everyone else.

They were so infrequent that, due to other commitments, they happened once a month or, at most, once every two weeks.

Then, just at that moment, a pleasant, melodious voice stopped him in his tracks.

Someone carrying thick binders full of documents caught his eye.

He recognized the person instantly.

It was the man from the internship interview—the one with clear, bright eyes who spoke confidently about what he wanted to do.

His strikingly neat features and the sharp suit he wore complemented his tall, upright figure so well that there had been whispers among the interviewers.

Of course, the fact that one man looked neat or not didn’t concern Doha at all.

For him, the most important factor in hiring staff wasn’t their appearance, but whether they did their job well or not.

If he hired someone just because they looked a little attractive, Reed Construction would have to change its industry from a construction company to a host club.

So, even though that neatly dressed man stood out in his memory, it didn’t mean he would become someone important to Doha.

There were plenty of other good candidates at Reed Construction, many of whom had been carefully scouted or meticulously selected.

The change in his thinking came after a site inspection, on a day when he went up to the rooftop for a cup of coffee to clear his mind. It was an unusually cold winter.

There was no one else on the rooftop, and since Doha wanted to avoid people, it was the only quiet place he could relax.

As he leaned against the rooftop railing, rubbing his frozen cheeks, he heard a small grumble, carried by the wind.

“Does that bald bastard not realize how obvious his wig is?”

The voice was barely audible, but since there was no one else on the rooftop, it was unusually clear.

Doha stood still, holding his coffee cup, and looked around to find where the voice had come from.

“Why do you act like you know everything lately? You keep bothering people about drinking after work. If you have money for that, you should just give it as pocket money instead.”

As the words continued, Doha had to circle the rooftop to find the source.

Still, he couldn’t find anyone, not even a shadow.

“Can’t even make coffee and have to ask other employees to do it, then try to flirt with them. Isn’t that embarrassing?”

A cute, high-pitched sound could occasionally be heard.

It was the sound from a popular mobile game these days.

Doha, still holding a cold paper cup, walked around the rooftop twice more before he could figure out where the voice was coming from.

It was coming from a small, square protrusion above the rooftop door. It was a spot no one paid attention to, a place where no one would think someone could actually climb up.

Bong, touch! Bong, bong-bong, straight! Bong-bong, touch!

The cute mechanical sounds were interrupted by a faint muttering, creating a subtle dissonance.

Doha leaned against the door next to the rooftop, sipping the cold coffee and silently waiting.

When he looked up, the smell of cigarette smoke passed through the strong wind.

Cigarettes, his boss’s curses, and the game.

It was lunchtime, but only a little over 10 minutes had passed, and there was no way to finish a meal in that short time.

The only option left was to admit that he’d been slacking off before lunch.

He wasn’t old enough to be called a “boomer,” but seeing an employee like that was a bit much.

It made him feel like the situation was just a little too perfect, especially considering the trouble he’d already been in after starting a company at such a young age.

“Ugh… why is lunch always so short? I haven’t even eaten, and this is just a snack with my money.”

Ah, so it wasn’t slacking off.

That aside, though, if you didn’t like it, why not just eat lunch?

It was the first time he’d ever heard an employee complain about lunch break.

As he muttered to himself, he heard the sound of rustling, and he instinctively tensed up.

What would he say if he ran into him?

He was lost in thought just as he wondered.

Suddenly, the sound of the rooftop door handle turning was heard.

The person who had been complaining earlier while standing at the top was now coming down the ladder connected to the inner wall.

His frantic attempt to hide against the nearby wall, even though he hadn’t committed any crime, was entirely different from Doha’s usual behavior.

Screech, the sound of the poorly oiled door echoed, but the door itself closed quietly.

After the sound of footsteps slowly faded away, Doha cautiously peered out.

A man from the company stood at the edge of the rooftop railing, his black hair fluttering in the wind.

He was wearing only a thin shirt in the cold winter, holding a cigarette.

Despite leaning slightly against the railing, his back was straight, and the way his legs were stretched out and his body as a whole seemed so perfectly balanced that it was clear even from behind.

The ends of his ears and the tips of his fingers holding the cigarette were notably red.

His pale neck and hands contrasted sharply with the redness.

He looked like someone who fit the dry, wintry air perfectly.

He sucked on the cigarette, his cheeks hollowing out, and soon the cigarette tip dropped from his mouth.

‘Hoo.’

As he exhaled lightly, the white smoke swirled and fluttered in the harsh wind before disappearing.

Standing there, he took two or three more drags and muttered, “Shit. Yeah, I still have to hang in there. Gotta make money. Let’s go steal someone else’s money. They pay me just for breathing and reading a few words, so this is good enough.”

The word “money,” spat out with a gnashing tone, stuck in Doha’s ears.

He was about to take another sip of his coffee while watching the man, but stopped himself. Somehow, his mouth felt bitter.

Not long after, the employee in question, having finished his cigarette, took a portable ashtray out of his pants pocket.

He carefully tapped the cigarette into the ashtray, making sure there were no lingering embers around.

With a deep sigh, he turned and left the rooftop.

This time, there was no sound of the door moving.

Doha came down from the rooftop long after the employee had left his seat.

“Is he an omega…?”

Since they didn’t discriminate based on genetic traits when hiring, it was possible.

As he descended the stairs, he thought back to the intern he had seen in the Marketing Team 2 a few days ago.

The straight shoulder line, the waist, the pale skin that contrasted with his dark hair.

There was no scent, though.

Upon further reflection, there wasn’t that typical omega vibe that annoyed people either.

So, he quickly concluded that he must be a beta.

With a face like that, he probably had quite a few women falling for him. It was that handsome.

Doha tossed the cup he had been holding into a nearby trash can and recalled the details of the intern.

Nothing particularly remarkable about his education.

The only thing that stood out was the absence of his parents.

Wait, there was one more thing.

Besides his appearance, the reason he’d caused some talk among the interviewers.

He had listed his life plans without a pause, despite not even attending a notable university.

His various part-time jobs also stood out.

He’d worked in department stores, supermarkets, and construction sites—nothing like the usual, boring volunteer work or support roles typically listed on resumes.

No, there was one more reason.

It wasn’t just his appearance, but also the fact that he had no university degree, yet he listed his life plans without taking a breath.

His various part-time job experiences also played a part.

He’d worked everywhere—department stores, supermarkets, construction sites—and there wasn’t a single mention of the typical, old-fashioned details like supporter roles that usually appear on resumes.

His history was unusual, and the rest of the interview process went unusually smoothly, which is why he was selected.

Even though they only needed someone to fill the position as a token gesture, they thought he wouldn’t last long.

After all, Reed Construction already had more than enough talented individuals that they had carefully scouted and hired.

How could a mere high school graduate intern make much of an impact?

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