As the Alpha whispered about murder and the woman swallowed hard, Lee Young-jin heard footsteps coming up the stairs. He turned around to see a group of handsome and slim men and women approaching. All of them were extraordinary beings. At the same time, on the opposite side of the second floor, in the corner of a corridor hidden behind curtains and walls, someone appeared carrying two elegant champagne glasses and an ice bucket filled with expensive champagne on a tray. The waiter, who had just engaged in a brief Spanish conversation with President Yang, began to mutter something inaudible and then pulled something out of his pocket. It was a small folded piece of paper. Unfolding and reading the paper, the waiter turned it upside down over the just-opened champagne bottle, letting a colorless, transparent powder fall inside. The waiter wiped the bottle’s mouth with his sleeve, and the powder disappeared without a trace into the bottom of the bottle. Then, he tilted the bottle and poured the expensive alcohol, transparently swirling, into the elegant glasses.
Lee Young-jin turned his head anxiously.
The conversation behind the wall and curtains was still ongoing.
He didn’t know the details, but secretly putting something in the alcohol bottle was certainly not a good sign. It had to be stopped. But how?
Lee Young-jin hesitated, then emptied the glass he held in his hand in one go. He hoped that a drink would help ease his tension even a little. He carefully placed the empty glass in a corner of the floor and stood up.
Courage.
In other words, intoxication.
Lee Young-jin approached the waiter. The waiter noticed him and blinked rapidly. He awkwardly reached out and took the tray from the waiter’s hand.
“Ah, I take.”
He clenched his head desperately.
He could fluently speak nine different languages, but English… Anyway, weren’t all those nine languages based on English?
“This, alcohol…”
“What?”
What came back was an ironically fluent Korean. Lee Young-jin widened his eyes. The waiter scanned Lee Young-jin up and down, and the corner of his mouth twitched upward.
“If you just wanted to try one…”
“Oh, no, I…”
The waiter didn’t bother to listen to the rest of his words.
“Alright, never mind. Here, take it.”
He pushed the tray toward Lee Young-jin. It was heavier than it looked. Lee Young-jin’s arm wobbled.
“You should hold it with one hand!” the waiter grumbled quietly. Lee Young-jin managed to hold the tray with one hand.
“Prostitutes…” The sound of someone cursing was heard. He blushed with embarrassment. But he couldn’t mess things up here. Down the stairs, real, slim, and beautiful ‘Omegas’ were coming up. Whether they shouldn’t reach Seo Seung-hyun or if he shouldn’t let Seo Seung-hyun drink the concoction was unclear. The purpose was vague, but one thing was certain. He couldn’t afford to delay time.
Lee Young-jin staggered with the tray in hand.
Just ten short steps.
A torrent of thoughts raced through his mind.
Should he tip the tray over? Should he break the glasses? Should he scream that the drink was tainted?
But before he could decide on any of that, his foot led him into the discreet space expertly concealed between the wall and the curtains. It was much more spacious than what he had glimpsed from the outside. Modern-designed couches and low tables were perfectly arranged in a covert setting.
Seo Seung-hyun sat right in the center.
Their eyes met.
Or perhaps it was just Lee Young-jin’s imagination.
The Alpha’s face remained perfectly composed, not a hint of expression.
“This is my gift.”
President Yang smiled at Seo Seung-hyun. Seo Seung-hyun returned the smile.
“Just a Cuban cigar would have sufficed.”
“Don’t say that. It’s a small gesture for the man who’s going to take care of three for me.”
“Haha. Well then…”
Seo Seung-hyun gracefully rose from his seat.
His body was lithe and agile, yet his physique was robust. His movements were as fluid as a giant sea creature, and his presence was as intense as his size.
Lee Young-jin’s gaze was fixated on him, but their eyes never met. Seo Seung-hyun’s hands approached the tray held by Lee Young-jin. Lee Young-jin stared through him, but there was no eye contact. Seo Seung-hyun casually picked up two glasses with both hands.
“Ah…”
Lee Young-jin’s hand shook. The tray shook accordingly. He stretched out his free hand and grabbed the end of Seo Seung-hyun’s sleeve. Seo Seung-hyun looked down at him. There’s a drug in the alcohol… Lee Young-jin tried to say that. But Seo Seung-hyun was faster than him. He softly touched his lips while grinning.
‘Shh.’
Lee Young-jin’s hands lost strength.
Seo Seung-hyun turned around holding the glass. President Yang, who received the glass from him, looked up with a bright smile in her eyes. The corners of Seo Seung-hyun’s mouth curved gently and a gentle smile appeared.
“For the next Congressman.”
Two glasses collided in the air with a light sound.
Seo Seung-hyun casually put the glass to his lips and drank it straight. His adam’s apple clearly moving. After emptying the glass in one go, Seo Seung-hyun stuck out his wet tongue and licked his sensual lips.
“Chardonnay Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier. It’s a great blend.”
Under the soft crystal lighting, his thin eyes glittered like metal as they stared meaningfully at President Yang.
“It would have been a perfect taste if it weren’t for the Methylphenidate.”
A crack appeared in President Yang’s picture-perfect face.
Methylphenidate. This stimulant, when processed in a specific way, triggered a powerful awakening effect along with pheromone hypersensitivity symptoms in Alphas. It was the safest and most widely used stimulant for Alphas.
Seo Seung-hyun placed one hand on the table and leaned in close to President Yang, who remained composed on the other side.
“Don’t worry. I understand. Asking to kidnap the head of the Su Bang family was a bit much.”
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