Seo Eun Woo froze for a moment, then bit his lip. Hesitantly, he leaned in and softly took the man's hand into his mouth, pressing his lips against the base of his thumb...
The metallic tang of blood bloomed in his mouth. Perhaps because the burning sensation at the back of his neck had finally eased, Seo Eun Woo's peach-blossom eyes narrowed, and he let out an unconscious, kitten-like whimper.
The moment Seo Eun Woo leaned in and took his hand, Cassian's entire body went rigid.
He had actually only intended for the pheromones in his blood to evaporate faster; he hadn't expected Seo Eun Woo to... directly put his hand in his mouth.
The sensation of the wound being gently sucked was incredibly strange.
He forced himself to suppress the alien feeling and stared down at Seo Eun Woo with a stoic expression.
"Mm..."
Seo Eun Woo's eyelashes fluttered. Likely because he felt comfortable now, the corners of his eyes were tinged with a faint crimson, and his thick lashes were damp. When he looked up, his watery eyes shimmered beautifully.
A few strands of hair slid down the side of his face, tickling him. He tucked them behind his ear and looked up, giving a shy smile. "I've inconvenienced you."
His lips were perfectly shaped, neither too thin nor too thick. Now stained with blood, they appeared a deep red—a sight that drew one's eyes in.
It made one want to kiss them to see if they were truly that soft and sweet.
His cold, elegant aura was now laced with an enticing seduction.
Cassian looked down at his own palm and suddenly spoke, "Cassian."
Seo Eun Woo was dazed for a second and tilted his head, looking somewhat innocently adorable. "What?"
"My name."
Seo Eun Woo let out an "Oh." "Mr. Cassian, thank you."
For some reason, although Cassian had heard his own name countless times, hearing it from him felt strangely foreign and surreal.
It's probably just the anomaly of being forced into a confined space with a stranger, Cassian thought. I'll be fine once we leave this elevator.
Silence fell between them again.
About ten minutes later, a commotion came from outside, and a minute after that, the elevator doors were forced open.
The property manager looked incredibly apologetic, rubbing his hands as he looked at the two trapped residents.
He recognized one of them—he had attended a birthday banquet once with his well-connected cousin and had seen him there—
It was actually the CEO of the Universe Group, Cassian!
Startled, he hurried forward with a fawning expression. "CEO, I am so sorry! This was a failure on our part..."
Cassian gave a perfunctory nod, preparing to leave.
The man wanted to leave an impression, hoping to exchange a few words with Cassian so he could brag about it later at dinner parties.
His eyes landed on the Omega coming out from behind, and they lit up. Such a beautiful, cold type—so this was what the CEO liked.
He had heard that Cassian was engaged. Was this the fiancé?
He walked over to Seo Eun Woo with a beaming smile and practically snatched the thermal flask from him. "Oh, let me, let me! How could an Omega like you carry such heavy things?"
"Leave this to us Betas."
He took the flask and started chatting up Seo Eun Woo. "And how may I address you?"
Seo Eun Woo bit his lip, looking troubled. "My last name is Seo."
The man showered him with compliments as he led them to the other set of elevators. "You are truly beautiful. You and Mr. Cassian are a perfect match."
Seo Eun Woo's eyes widened in surprise. "No, I—"
Before he could finish, Cassian interrupted. "Eun Woo, let's go."
Normally, Cassian felt nothing toward these fawning types—he met them every day—but today, for some reason, he felt a wave of inexplicable annoyance.
Seo Eun Woo hummed in response, took back his flask, and followed closely behind.
Inside the elevator, Cassian pressed the buttons for floors 25 and 26.
In his peripheral vision, he saw Seo Eun Woo standing quietly beside him. The youth's slender, pale neck stirred a sense of possessiveness and a dark urge to ruin. The gland on his nape was exposed, slightly swollen.
He looked soft, easy to bully.
Ding— The elevator reached the 25th floor, but Seo Eun Woo didn't step out.
Cassian looked down at him. "?"
Seo Eun Woo looked up and smiled. "Mr. Cassian, thank you. Could I... get your contact information?"
Cassian frowned.
Seo Eun Woo had already pulled out his phone, showing an IG QR code. "You can scan me."
Cassian was somewhat old-fashioned and conservative; he rarely used Instagram to chat, mostly using email or phone calls for work. He didn't use IG or WhatsApp much.
He originally wanted to refuse, but the nervous look in Seo Eun Woo's eyes made him reach for his phone as if possessed.
Vrrrm—
"Added."
Seo Eun Woo waved. "Goodbye, Mr. Cassian."
Cassian nodded and instinctively looked at the IG profile on his screen. Seo Eun Woo's profile picture was a cat—an orange one, very fat.
He frowned, wondering if the cat belonged to Seo Eun Woo; it looked quite unhealthy, like a fat cat raised by a grandmother. Furthermore, there were almost no photos of himself on his feed.
Soon, a message arrived from the other side.
It was an image of an orange cat waving, with the word "Hello" written on it.
Cassian stared at it for a few seconds. When the elevator reached the 26th floor, he stepped out and opened his door.
He had moved here recently because it was close to work—it hadn't even been a week. Being so busy, he usually spent the night in the office lounge, so this was his first time back.
The apartment was dark and carried a chill. He pinched his nose and turned on the light.
The first thing he saw was a messy pile of shoes—likely Baek Min's.
Baek Min had recently started an internship at the Gu Group and had moved in here at the suggestion of Cassian's mother. However, since they weren't married yet, they stayed in separate rooms.
Cassian walked calmly toward the master bedroom. Upon opening the door, he smelled a hint of dust.
He frowned at the unmade bed and cluttered desk. Checking the time, he realized it was too late to call for a cleaning service.
He opened the closet, grabbed a spare blanket, and decided to rough it on the living room sofa for the night.
Perhaps due to the Rut clashing with the elevator incident, the heaviness in his head was worsening. He needed to rest.
He pulled the blanket over himself and closed his eyes. After an unknown amount of time, he heard the doorbell.
At this hour? Is it Baek Min?
He sat up, frowning, put on his slippers, and went to open the door.
To his surprise, it was Seo Eun Woo.
Seo Eun Woo had changed into soft, comfortable loungewear, and his hair was tied loosely behind his head. He had likely just showered, as he carried a fresh, watery scent.
"Mr. Cassian."
Cassian's brow deepened. For an Omega to come knocking late at night, it was hard not to overthink things.
Seo Eun Woo gestured to the items in his hand—a towel and a syringe. "Sir, this is Alpha suppressant."
"Your state was a bit poor today; you really must take the suppressant," he bit his lip. "Is there anyone at home to look after you?"
Cassian replied, "No need."
So, no one then?
Seo Eun Woo took a step forward. "Then, I'm coming in."
His eyes were curved and beautiful, a sight that made one's heart soften. Cassian wanted to refuse, but the ache in his gland surged back.
For some inexplicable reason, he didn't stop him.
Seo Eun Woo noticed there were no guest slippers. "Do you have shoe covers? Or... even plastic bags will do."
Cassian glanced at him. "Don't bother. Just come in."
Seo Eun Woo gave a helpless "Mm" and spoke softly, "Then, excuse the intrusion."
System 555 cheered, "Host! Cassian's favorability has reached 40!"
A pleasant smile played on Seo Eun Woo's lips. It seemed this big CEO Cassian wasn't so hard to chase after all.