Kim Yongsun had her hands clasped on the cedar table as she listened to the project leader present before the group of investors and her confidently, along with a demo of the new IT product that they had developed just for the media industry. They were determined to seize the media industry with the development of this new product.

Her blond hair was swept into a high and neat ponytail, dressed in a conservative white business outfit of a double-ed dinner jacket and trousers, sans the dress shirt. Her brows were furrowed in thought, jotting down some points on a notebook.

The team was nervous at the lack of smile on their beautiful and stern CEO’s face and the constant notes that she made throughout the presentation as if they had not done a good job. Next to her, the affable and capable Park Chorong wore a neutral expression.

The presentation was soon over and some of the investors began to filed questions. The blond CEO set her pen down to scan around the comfortable and luxurious conference room, trying to read the mood of the investors. She nodded internally, seeing their old business partners excited with this prospect. It was the new faces that she was interested in. They were the CEOs of the smaller media firms that may soon gain sufficient profit to reshuffle the ranking of industry leaders.

One particular omega stood out, accompanied by a bodyguard and a female personal assistant. Her long black hair was tied up in a high ponytail like hers. She emanated an aura that of a competent entrepreneur, commanding attention in the conference room despite her younger age. Her narrowed gaze had never left Yongsun throughout the presentation as she played with her pen absently. Her personal assistant updated her quietly, leaning into the space of that intimidating and beautiful omega.

Yongsun sensed that this stunning omega was not here for business, rather she seemed to be sizing her up for some unfathomable reason. Her instinct had her putting up a stoic front, waiting for the other woman to show hand.

She closed the notebook absently when Chorong leaned into her space finally, whispering into her ear. “Yong, she is Lee Dahee, one of the minor lines of the Lee Chaebol. I needed to spend some time digging before I found the connection. She dabs in both entertainment and fine dining. She was naturally invited since she has been investing heavily into the entertainment industry and has plans to take over several smaller broadcasting firms.”

The blonde CEO was flabbergasted with the personal passive hostility from this equally young and ambitious entrepreneur.

“Maybe she’s here to see if you make a good ally. I heard that she is very motivated,” continued Chorong, charmed. “I’m certain that she would want to challenge Lee Changsub for the position of heir eventually.”

Yongsun did not quite agree with the assessment of her personal assistant and friend, sensing that it had nothing to do with politics, rather this rivalry had something to do with a matter that was close to the heart. She scanned her memories for any meeting with this beautiful and intimidating omega but drew a blank.

There was simply no reason for this Lee Dahee to intimidate her.

The CEO returned to her professional mode, addressing the conference room when the presentation had concluded and started to thank the investors that she knew personally with a faint smile. There was always the occasional lecherous old man whose gaze would sweep from her face down to her chest mixed in the crowd of familiar investors whom she had been working with. These were the older crowd who believed that she had risen to this position due to her connections with her father, rather than her own capability.

She treated those older men with impure intentions very coolly, always maintaining a respectable distance from them before moving on to the committed investors. Some of the committed investors were foreigners and she spoke to them fluently in English, charming many of them with her razor-sharp wit and beauty.

These exchanges reminded Yongsun of the days when Apa was still around. If she had returned from the states for the holiday, he would often invite her to such events to represent his company. Apa, despite being very capable, was terrible at making small takes. He could easily convince others of the merit of his projects due to his burning passion but failed miserably if the topic of conversation expanded to other areas. Thankfully, Yongsun excelled at this, a natural complement to him. Since she was a freshie, she had unofficially handled the investors.

Chorong followed up with most of the legwork on ensuring that the business contracts would be inked. Soon the conference room was most emptied, leaving only a certain Lee Dahee alone at the table, who had taken in everything that was happening in the room critically.

The beautiful woman raised to her feet elegantly, towering over Yongsun and Chorong—the two petite women felt mildly intimidated by the difference of height but they did not show it. “It is nice to finally have a chance to talk to you, Ms Solar Kim,” smiled Dahee thinly. “I’m Lee Dahee,” She folded her arms across her chest, her eyes falling on the wedding band on Yongsun’s hand briefly. “May I address you as just Solar?”

“Ms Lee, how do you find this app?” Solar questioned with a faint smile, wishing to keep any liaisons strictly professional.

Dahee held Yongsun’s gaze steadily as silence stretched between them tensely. Chorong had gave the rest of the team the signal to leave the conference room at once, sensing that this meeting had nothing to do with business. “Solar, both of us know that I’m not here to speak to you about this app,” drawled the taller omega, looking uninterested. “My PA will contact yours on this matter.” She inched closer, trying to force the blond CEO to lift her head upwards to meet her gaze as a way of exerting pressure.

“Ms Lee, we’ll have nothing to speak of then,” stated Yongsun civilly. “Please excuse us then. We have matters to attend to.”

Dahee nodded at the bodyguard and he stepped forward immediately, showing her a vivid security footage of upstanding pub on the screen. Yongsun recognised the subjects at once as Kang Seulgi and her wife, Moon Byulyi. They were drinking together. Judging from their relaxed postures, they already had a few rounds. The talk seemed to become serious after Seulgi asked a question and her wife behaved almost agitated, all influence of alcohol disappearing from her face.

She did not like the look of defeat on Byulyi’s face as she continued to speak to Seulgi, her shoulders slumped. Their body gestures changed at once when a maître approached them with another fresh round of drinks.

Yongsun smiled to herself, noticing the irritation etched on the postures of Seulgi and Byulyi at the unwanted drinks. The two childhood friends could be very similar sometimes. The maître seemed to gesture to another person away, out of the camera’s view.

Why was she showing this security footage of her wife and Bear drinking? She knew that Dahee owned several drinking establishments and there was no law prohibiting alphas from drinking in public.

Besides, it was rather creepy that she was providing this footage, behaving very much like a stalker.

The blond CEO was losing patience with her. Her well-sculptured brows furrowed automatically. “Ms Lee…”

The answer was soon revealed when Lee Dahee appeared on screen, slipping into the seat next to Byulyi fearlessly. The advances of this omega were completely unwanted, given the brief flicker of frown on the purple-haired alpha’s face. If it wasn’t for the situation, Yongsun might have teased Byulyi about that grimace of utter disgust.

Her attention returned to the video at once when Lee Dahee blatantly tried to seduce her wife, not even bothering to seek her consent. She eyed the purple-haired alpha like a prey, touching the unimpressed Byulyi with ludicrous familiarity as if she was her lover, running a hand affectionately up and down her arm, feeling her out.

Yongsun needed to supress the hiss as her anger flared. How dare she touch her wife! She had to consciously maintained a neutral expression, feeling the gaze of Dahee. The blond CEO thought that there were no more to the video until the expression of Byulyi changed in a flicker.

Her heart stopped.

The faint annoyance on Byulyi’s face was transformed into an unfamiliar and devilishly charming smirk of a rake. The purple-haired alpha looked like she was well-assured of her charms, turning the table on the omega.

Yongsun frowned in confusion, seeing nothing of the carefree and cheeky Byulyi that she knew well and loved. It was like Mr Jekyll and Hyde, this other new personality that she was not privy to. This elegant and charming purple-haired alpha was oozing sophisticated charms with every well-calculated smile and gesture. She could only watch with utter disbelief as the woman who shared the name and face as her beloved leaned boldly into the personal space of Dahee. She had flirted with the enraptured omega so effectively that her gaze turned smothering at once.

The stomach of Yongsun knotted painfully at the way another omega had the privilege of being the recipient of her flirtation. She gritted her teeth instinctively, her gaze darkened. Byulyi had a fondness for the warm skin behind the ear or the neck, sensitive erogenous areas. The younger woman would often alternate between nipping and kissing under her ear when they allowed their passion ran hot.

The frustrating and perplexing video concluded with that still and appalling image of Byulyi flirting with Dahee, either whispering sweet nothings or worse, kissing her ear and neck. Her hands balled into fists. All polite melted from Yongsun’s face. “Ms Lee, why are you showing me such an uncouth video?” She snapped her gaze away from that image, glaring at the taller omega.

Dahee seemed to draw herself to her full height, enjoying the open simmer of Yongsun’s anger. The smirk of Dahee became feral, realising that the purple-haired alpha seemed to mean something to this usually stoic omega before her.

Interesting.

“Why, you asked me, Solar?” Dahee echoed, with mild bafflement. “Your uninhibited wife behaved improperly towards me.” She extended her hand and the bodyguard placed the screen into her hand. “And I demanded suitable restitutions otherwise this little video would surely find its path to the police. They would love to lay their hands on this video especially since she is engaged in a lawsuit with them.”

Yongsun froze at once, realising the stakes. The discriminatory laws against alphas had a section that spell out the appropriate behaviour of married alpha. A married alpha could be charged for trying to seduce another omega. This law was constituted to protect the vulnerable omegas from hostile alpha who could use their alpha pheromones like weapons on unsuspecting omega, just like date drugs.

The CEO would probably sneer at Dahee for failing to seduce her wife if their circumstance was different. The married couple was in a legal battle with the police over the unlawful detainment, use of force and attempted murder of Moon Byulyi. Any defending lawyer slightly more competent would have used this piece of evidence to discredit Byulyi and cast doubt on the truthfulness of her testimony, changing the purpose of the trial from finding out if the police had discriminated and wrong an innocent civilian to if there was any truth in the testimony of Moon Byulyi to review the actions of the police.

The blond CEO huffed. “A blackmail.”

Dahee smiled sweetly at her, shaking her head. “No, of course not, Solar. I have always admired you. You’re the most beautiful and sought-after omega in this city, one of the youngest successful entrepreneurs who have broken the glass ceiling. I wouldn’t dare to blackmail you.” There was an inscrutable gleam in her eyes. “We have the same refined taste when it comes to bedwarmers.” She her bottom lip almost hungrily, fanning herself with a hand. “Solar, I cannot imagine how you survive every night if Byulyi seduces you the same way. She was very hot, kissing and nipping my—”

“Please do not foul my ears with your fantasies, Ms Lee,” interrupted Yongsun gruffly. Her trust in Byulyi would not shake despite her words but she knew that she would be barely able to restrain herself if the taller omega continued to sprout her fantasy. “Why are you showing me this video?” The CEO met her gaze once again, returning to the heart of the conversation.

What a worthy opponent.

Dahee’s eyes glowed in a way that sent shivers down Yongsun’s spine. “Simple. I want your wife.”

Chorong who had remained silent through the whole exchange, rolled her eyes dramatically at that request. What was with these stupid, high-ranking and powerful omegas and their obsession in Byulyi?

Did these domineering omegas had this wrapped desire to control a dangerous and equally assertive alpha just to feel good? Or were they just indulging in their omega instincts to be the partner of an assertive and worthy alpha, unlike those carefully bred submissive alphas from the facilities or the schools? Maybe, it was the novelty too.

There was their new COO who had fallen head over heels over Byulyi. From the rumour mill, there were omegas who had camped in the café nearby hoping to ensnare this purple-haired alpha too.

Geez, what about Byulyi had these omegas thirsting for her?

Chorong understood the proposal of Dahee at once. Individuals in their social circle had this nasty practice of trading their alphas like baseball cards among their peers to secure better deals since they were seen as little better than objects.

She knew that the honourable Yongsun would respond very violently against her request. She lived and breathed Kant: she was one of the rare omegas that respected the inherent dignity of all individuals.

“Excuse me?” Yongsun was offended by her sheer audacity. She stiffened visibly as her expression became very hostile.

Dahee looked unperturbed, classifying her churlish hostility to that of an uneducated boor, unfamiliar with the ways of gentle-bred, cultured individuals of the highest social strata. “Solar, it’s just an alpha with some looks and no family,” elaborated the beautiful omega, maintaining a condecending smile. “I’m not going to marry her,” scoffed the taller omega, waving her hand absently. “I simply want her for a few nights to douse the flame that she had started last night.” There was a gleam in her eyes. “I can sweeten this deal by allying with you formally to get rid of that foolish Lee Changsub.” Her smile was razor-sharp as if she was certain that this was a generous offer that the blonde CEO would not reject.

Yongsun grounded her jaws openly, struggling to maintain control over the potent mixture of anger and disbelief. “My wife is not for sale,” huffed the offended CEO finally. “Ms Park, please show Ms Lee to the door now. The Kim Inc is uninterested in forming any sort of business relationship with an individual who is out to steal an asset.”

“I know you’re a noveau rich and you don’t understand how things work here, Solar Kim,” explained the taller omega in an insufferable and patronising tone, disregarding Chorong’s invitation to leave the conference room. “Alphas are just merely playthings to advance your career to greater heights.” She chucked, covering with a hand. “You’ll accept this tradition if you want to fit in with us.” She waved her hand absently. “You’ll accept my invitation eventually.” Her tone reverberated with great certainty.

Dahee handed the screen to the personal assistant. The personal assistant handed the screen to Chorong in return. “A little gift from me. I’ll hear from you soon, Solar.” The audacious omega sauntered out of the conference room with her subordinates as the visibly annoyed Chorong escorted her.

The mask that Yongsun wore crumbled at her departure as she hissed wordlessly, wishing to crush something to take away the edge of her anger. How dare this woman came in to demand for the company of wife as if she was entitled to her!

Yongsun snarled at the blatant contempt of Byulyi and her. All members of the Lee Chaebol were equally annoying and repulsive.

The very insult of attending a demo as a farce to ask for her wife.

Instantly, she recalled how the purple-haired alpha explained to her the night before about this omega that tried to hit on her, skipping the sordid details such as the daring omega touching her. Her by-the-way accounting expressed Byulyi’s vivid disinterest. The advances of Lee Dahee did not even warrant a proper mention last night as they fell asleep in each other’s arms.  

If she wasn’t in love with Byulyi, she would not think too much about how disrespectful omegas were to alphas, the brasher ones simply taking whatever they wanted from the alpha that caught their eye. The tables had been turned against the alphas and the omegas started to channel the same hostility and blatant disrespect that led to the discriminatory laws against the alphas.

Yongsun’s heart throbbed at the apparent harassment that Byulyi had to endure and the subsequent blackmail of Dahee to force the younger alpha to capitulate to her wishes. This was unfair and wrong on many counts that she was speechless. In this instance, her wife had done no wrong in protecting herself from the unwanted harassment of another omega.

She raged at the sheer shamelessness of Dahee in demanding for her wife, Byulyi. Why would she let her beloved to suffer such injustice? Besides, Byulyi was hers and she would never share that alpha with anyone.

Although she trusted Byulyi fully, that nauseating image of Byulyi and Dahee still burnt her eyes. She simply could not erase that sickening image from her mind’s eye, scrutinising it with greater attention. Irritation flared once again and she realised that she loathed seeing her wife in physical proximity to other women.

Her stomach knotted uncomfortably, seeing her in the personal space of another woman. This strange burst of possessiveness surprised the blond CEO but accepted her feelings at once—of course she was possessive of her, Moon Byulyi was her lover and wife.

What if they were mated, would Byulyi still be harassed by other omegas? The altered scent of a mated alpha would have chased away any potential suitors since the fragrance was only pleasant and irresistible to the mates. She pondered over this thought of claiming that cheeky, carefree, respectful purple-haired woman and her inner wolf simply purred happily.

She was ready for the next step and thrilled for the next milestone.

The dream last night was so surreal that it filled her with confidence for their future. She had woken up with a smile on her face and kissed her wife chastely and slowly, enjoying the quiet morning.

Her heart burst with joy at the very thought of Byulyi bearing her mating mark proudly, displaying to the rest of the world that the younger woman only belonged to her. Perhaps, a mutual claiming might be more suitable for their unique relationship, a ritual that was frowned upon in their society since it empowered the mated alpha.

The blond CEO was finally composed now that she had something to look forward after completing her day of work. She strode through the corridors to the lift lobby, nodding curtly at employees who bowed at her along the way.

Besides the division head, most employ