The first thing Jongwoon saw after he regained consciousness was a cold, stark white ceiling followed by the face of a woman whom he despised with his life.

"Jongwoon-ah! Dear, do you have any idea how worried I was when I heard that you got in an accident?"

He felt like a thousand worms crawling under his skin where the evil woman touched him. However, he refrained from showing his true thoughts and pretended to be a fool.

"Who are you? Where am I? W-Who am I...?"

The older woman's eyes flashed in malice. It disappeared in a second but he still caught it. Despite that, he kept quiet when she hugged him and patted his back as if their relationship was oh-so close.

"Oh no! My poor nephew... Your parents' death and the accident must have stressed you out so much that you lose your memory. It's okay. Auntie is here with you now."

"Auntie...? You're my aunt? And my parents are dead? I-I'm confused..."

"Shhh... Just listen to Auntie and everything will be alright."

Although he wanted to strangle her neck so badly, he still forced himself to hug the hideous woman back. After a minute of disgusting suffocation, the older woman finally let him go. A glint of suspicion that was hidden cleverly in her gaze put him on edge.

"But, dear, do you really forget about everything? Even your own Alpha Cho Kyuhyun and your twins children? Hyeonyun and Sunggyu?"

Jongwoon almost flinched. Almost. He had to use every ounce of his willpower to conceal his rage. He never told anyone about his precious family, not even his beloved cousin Ryeowook. The fact that she knew he had twins and even knew their names...

"I have a family? Where are they then? Only you are here with me. Auntie... I'm scared and confused..."

"Omo, don't worry, Jongwoon-ah. I'm always here for you."

Finally, the evil woman stopped regarding him with suspicion and left him alone. Jongwoon felt disgusted with himself for touching that woman and lying about his irreplaceable family. However, it was the only way he could protect them from that psycho. It hurt him so much but he wasn't allowed to show any anger or tears, for he was confident that this room had hidden surveillance cameras to keep an eye on him.

He must get rid of the sinister woman if he wants to see his Alpha and their babies again.

.

.

.

The operation to take down his cruel aunt took much longer than he expected. Five years. Jongwoon wasn't even sure whether his family still wanted him back after leaving them in the dark. He missed the first few years of their children's lives which were said to be the most crucial time to bond. He left Kyuhyun to look after their babies alone. He had no doubt that his Alpha would be a great father but he should be there for them too. He had no one to blame but himself. He had always known that his aunt was greedy and capable of committing crimes to get what she wanted. The only thing that the woman did right was giving birth to his sweet cousin Ryeowook. Despite fully knowing that, he didn't convince his parents to hand her the president position when he could. Neither did he build his own power and connection to defend himself. Thus, he faced a consequence of his own incompetence.

He didn't expect to run into his Alpha during the operation.

He was supposed to pretend to be a stranger but his legs betrayed him and took him to Kyuhyun. He wanted to cry and jump into his husband's arms but he held back, knowing that his aunt had ears and eyes everywhere. He was also supposed to chase the Alpha away, as far as possible, but his mouth worked faster than his brain. When he realized it, he returned to his family's life as a stranger and dragged them into the mess. He knew that it was a stupid and fatal move but his heart softened whenever he saw his mate and the twins. He just missed them too much...

"Jongwoon-ah, I heard that you fired Auntie's man and hired someone named Cho Kyuhyun instead for the latest project?"

"I'm sorry for going against your order but I genuinely believe that Cho Kyuhyun's skill is better than your candidate. Auntie... don't be angry, please? It won't happen again. I promise."

"... Alright, be sure to remember that or Auntie will make you."

He wasn't blind to the threat. He also knew that the evil woman got suspicious of him again. He needed to deal with her as soon as possible.

By any means necessary.

**************************************

After learning everything about the dispute between his Omega and the sinister Madam Kim, Kyuhyun realized how crucial the situation was. He also accidentally might have put his mate in danger too for approaching him. However, it was too to regret it. Instead, he should hurry and restore Jongwoon's memory before Madam Kim made a move. For that reason, he planned to invite Jongwoon to their house again. This time, however, he wouldn't let his mate go until he remembered everything.

He didn't expect an uninvited guest to show up at their doorstep first.

"...Madam Kim."

"Ah, a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Cho Kyuhyun, the pitiful Alpha of my foolish nephew."

Madam Kim showed up at his house unannounced and stepped inside as if she owned the place. The old woman openly and condescendingly giggled at the small living space, before sitting down at the dining table. Kyuhyun didn't bother to hide his hostility as he addressed her.

"Please leave before I call the police."

"My, aren't you a rude young one? I just drop by to see my lovely grandchildren."

Right on bad cue, the twins who probably heard his voice came running into the kitchen and looked at the old woman curiously.

"Daddy, who is she—?"

"Both of you!! Go back to your room and don't come out!!"

Sunggyu visibly flinched and cried after he was shouted at. Kyuhyun immediately regretted it and hurriedly picked up his son to comfort the boy. At the same time, Hyeonyun ran to hide behind him and hugged his leg tight as if she was scared. Amidst all of that, Madam Kim just smiled pleasantly at them with no trace of sincerity.

"I have to say, they got their mother's eyes. Jongwoon-ah would be over the moon to see them closely so I shall take them to him, one way or another."

"Don't you dare lay a finger on our children!"

"Oh, I'd never do that to my precious grandchildren."

"You disgusting liar hag! I already knew about all of your evil doings!"

"From Ryeowook, I presume? Sigh, that ungrateful and foolish child of mine..."

Madam Kim smiled sweetly but her gaze was void of warmth.

"... I'd have gotten rid of him when I could, just like when I took care of brother and his commoner wife."

"So you really are behind the death of Woon-ah 's parents..."

"But of course! Those fools were very amusing. I just lied that I got their precious son and his family in my palm and they came running into their death door! Hahahahahaha!! That's what they got for taking what should be mine!!!"

Knowing that this woman was extremely dangerous and unhinged, Kyuhyun picked up his daughter and cautiously took quiet steps toward the door. The twins were so frightened that they couldn't even hiccup, just hugging him while trembling. He needed to get away from the madwoman and called for help—

"It's time to pay for your sin, my dear aunt."

Jongwoon showed up all of a sudden and came to stand in front of them, shielding the family from the evil woman.

"Woon-ah!!? What are you— No, that doesn't matter now. We need to get the police!"

"Then what? What are you going to tell them? That I, a small and powerless Beta old woman, tried to kill you? Dear, no one is going to believe you."

"Oh, I don't think so, Auntie."

Jongwoon said in a mocking sing-song tone and walked past the older woman to a towel cabinet. Then, he detached something from the bottom of it— a bug.

"I already acquired all the evidence of your embezzlement, bribery, and money laundering. I only need you to confess to murdering my parents and bingo!"

At Jongwoon's joyous exclamation, a few police officers rushed into the house and immediately charged the old woman. Madam Kim tried to struggle and scream but it was futile. As she was dragged away, the crazy woman glared at her nephew in disbelief and hatred.

"You—!!? I know it!! You fake your amnesia!!"

"Thanks for the convenient confession. You didn't expect that I'd bug my own house and use my family as bait, right? But hey! A successful businessman must be ruthless. I'm just following your teaching, Auntie."

Kyuhyun watched his Omega in disbelief, especially at that cold and cruel smile. Jongwoon probably could feel his heated gaze so he turned to them. The black-haired Omega then called them anxiously with a hesitant hand reaching out.

"Kyu... Babies..."

"Hyeonyun, Sunggyu, wait for Daddy in your room and don't come out."

The twins sensed that he was serious and obediently left, though not before glancing at the other adult curiously. Jongwoon tried to follow them but he blocked the way, slapping the hand that reached out to him.

"So, you didn't lose your memory."

"Kyu, please, listen to me, I don't have any—"

"It's one thing if you actually forget us but—! How-how, you, how could you!? HOW DARE YOU USE OUR CHILDREN AS BAIT!!!?"

"... It's the only way she'll lower her guard so I can permanently get rid of her. I'm sorry..."

"Shut up! I don't want to hear your apology. You crossed the line by putting our children in danger. Get out of here!"

"Kyu—"

"I said, leave now!!"

His fury overpowered his Alpha instinct that growled at him to hold and comfort his distressed Omega. Even Jongwoon's reddened and teary eyes couldn't douse the fire in his heart. He could forgive his mate for abandoning them. He could forgive him for lying about his amnesia. However, he would never forgive anyone who put Hyeonyun and Sunggyu in danger. The smaller man looked like he wanted to say something else but gave up. The saddened Omega glanced at him one last time before leaving. After he saw from the window that his mate had left, Kyuhyun slid down to the floor and cried in his palms. Not long after that, the twins ran to him and squeezed him while crying too. He hurriedly tried to stop his tears and comforted his children. Although they were too young to understand what happened, children were very perceptive to their parents' emotions.

"Hyeonyun hates beautiful uncle! He makes Daddy sad!"

"S-Sunggyu hate him too!"

"Pumpkins... No..."

He wanted to tell the twins to not hate their mother but he had no idea how to even begin explaining. So, he could only hug and tell them that he was alright.

Maybe it was foolish of him to attempt to mend this broken relationship.

***************************************************

A few days later after he calmed down, Kyuhyun called his mate to meet and discuss child custody. He left the twins with his parents while he stayed at home. The Omega man arrived half an hour early, probably hoping to see the children, but was clearly disappointed to find only him in the house. Kyuhyun bit back a concerning comment after he noticed that his mate's complexion was horrible. He was still angry at Jongwoon.

"...Thank you for allowing me to be in our children's lives."

"Well, I'm not going to stop them from getting to know their mother, even though the said mother abandoned and put them in danger."

"...First thing first, I'm willing to apologize until you forgive me but I'll still do the same given another chance. Please understand that this is my only choice to take her down."

"I understand. But understanding and accepting it are two different topics. Please understand us."

"Of course, I know my position well enough and I won't be greedy. So, how will we arrange it?"

"I'll send a schedule to you at the start of each week. You can come here and spend time with them as you wish. However, you can't take them outside without me tagging along, seeing how you seem to have a problem with safety assessment."

Kyuhyun frowned when his Omega suddenly chuckled bitterly.

"What's so funny?"

"Ah, I just realized how scary your poisonous tongue is, being subjected to it myself."

"Really? Is it as scary as when I came home and found out you were gone while leaving our babies unattended? Or when Sunggyu caught his first flu and I had to drive him to the emergency ward at night? Or when Hyeonyun came crying to me from a nightmare and asked where was mommy?"

"I-I didn't mean to... I know I hurt you and our babies..."

"Keep your apology and just focus on being a better mother."

He stood up to indirectly signal the other man to leave and Jongwoon got it. His Omega also stood up but didn't make to leave. After a few minutes of awkward silence, his mate spoke up almost inaudibly.

"...Kyu, Kyuhyun, can I ask you something?"

"Asking is free."

"Do, do you still love me...?"

He didn't expect that question so he was stunned. However, the answer came to his lips easier than he thought.

"I love you, Jongwoon, always have been and will be. However... It's because I love you so much that it really hurts when you leave me and I'm not sure if I can get over the betrayal."

"I... see... Thank you for being honest with me. I'll wait for the schedule—"

"Jongwoon-ah!!"

His Omega suddenly fainted and almost collapsed but he caught the frail body in time. Jongwoon's body was cold and his face was really pale. Kyuhyun let the shorter man lean on him and used his pheromone to help his mate relax. After a minute, Jongwoon came to and blinked at him quizzically as if he just woke up from a long dream. Their closeness and the tempting Omega pheromone made him squeeze his mate unconsciously. However, he quickly let the man go when he saw Jongwoon look at him hopefully.

"I'll send the schedule later. You should leave now. I bet you probably have a lot of things to take care of at the company."

"...Okay."

He ignored his Omega's longing gaze and closed the door in his face.

*******************************************

Kyuhyun didn't expect the Great President Kim to wear an old rag when he came to see the children. Most importantly...

"That t-shirt..."

"—Yes!! It's the one I usually wore when we took care of our babies. You know, so that I wouldn't feel bad if I had to throw it away when our babies ruined it."

"Yeah, the one you wore on the day you abandoned us."

Jongwoon flinched and blushed slightly in shame. The nervous Omega instantly recovered though and smiled sheepishly as he handed one of the shopping bags to him.

"Kyuhyun, I bought a great wine for you! This brand is really famous and has been brewed for—"

"I stop drinking."

"—Decades, eh? Did you...?"

"I'm a father now so I no longer drink."

"Oh, um, yes, that makes sense, silly me, my bad!!"

The Omega man chuckled awkwardly and ran back to his car to put away the unnecessary gift. While fumbling for the car key, Jongwoon dropped the bags and got flustered. When he picked up one bag, another bag dropped, and so on. In the end, Kyuhyun couldn't just watch and offer a hand.

"Why are you buying so much stuff? What even are these?"

"Toys for our children and some sweet! That one is macadamia chocolate and hazelnut—"

"They're allergic to nuts. Take it back."

"—White chocolate, wait, Hyeonyun and Sunggyu have nut allergies? I, I don't know..."

"Well, you'd have known if you hadn't left us."

Kyuhyun ignored his mate's pursed lips and trembling hands that put away yet another unneeded gift. He knew that he hurt Jongwoon on purpose but he wanted the Omega to feel the pain that he and their children had endured for five years, even though his heart had long forgiven his Omega.

.

.

.

"Hi... Hyeonyun, Sunggyu, I'm your mommy... I'm sorry for leaving you and Daddy but everything is alright now! The four of us will be a family!"

Jongwoon introduced himself to his twins children but they only looked at him warily. He didn't give up and kept smiling while keeping his distance. He knew that in their eyes, he was a bad guy who made their beloved Daddy sad. So, he was willing to wait until they were ready to accept him. He gave them gifts that he thoughtfully prepared— a penguin plushie and a turtle plushie as big as their bodies; a symbol of him and his husband. The children looked at their father and only accepted the gifts when the Alpha gave a nod. The girl took the turtle while the boy eagerly took the penguin. The twins then happily played together with their new toys while Jongwoon contented himself with watching them. He smiled in sad nostalgia. They were so small the last time he saw them, barely fitting in his mate's arms. Now, they grew up so much while they were out of his sight... His hand unconsciously reached out and he hugged Sunggyu from behind. However...

"Daddy!! Help!! Sunggyu is scared!!"

"You meanie! Let go of  my brother!"

His son panicked as soon as he touched him. The boy bawled his eyes and struggled to get out of his arms while the girl shouted at him to let her twins go. Although his daughter's arms were as thin as noodles, every hit hurt so much as if he was struck by a hammer. Jongwoon quickly let go of the boy and watched with a broken heart how the twins ran to their father. As he thought, this family had no place for him anymore...

"I-I just remembered that I have something urgent to take care of. I'll come back another day."

He hurriedly left before his last defense broke. Outside of the house that became unfamiliar to him, his body dropped to the ground along with his heart. Jongwoon pulled up his knees and put his face on top. A bitter chuckle was squeezed out of him as hot tears burned his cheeks.

"Auntie... you really are a big fool... Why'd you want this position that badly?"

It's so lonely at the peak.

.

.

.

"Daddy... is Mommy okay?"

Hyeonyun asked her father after she saw her mother on the ground from the window. Meanwhile, Sunggyu hugged his penguin plushie tighter but didn't look away from the window. As for Kyuhyun, he had been pacing back and forth in front of the door since his mate left in tears. Of course, he was still angry at the Omega but he also worried about Jongwoon so much that he almost went crazy. In the end, he groaned and ruffled his hair in frustration, before going out to the valuable man. He kneeled down beside his mate and put his hand on the trembling shoulder.

"...They didn't mean to. Just give them time."

Kyuhyun's throat tightened when Jongwoon looked up at him. The Omega man's face was full of sorrow and dejection. His hand then betrayed him and gingerly caught the falling tear, before gently brushing it off with his thumb. After that, his palm lingered in place and didn't move away even when Jongwoon nuzzled back.

"...You said that I'm a heartless person but you're no different. Kyuhyun, your gentleness is killing me alive."

He paused at the accusation but still didn't take his hand back. On the other hand, he kept wiping his Omega's tears without offering any comforting words.

Truly, they were cruelly made for each other.

********************************************

A few weeks later...

After the incident that day, the atmosphere in their home became even more awkward. The twins didn't protest anymore when spending time with their mother. However, Jongwoon was traumatized by his children's rejection and no longer tried to touch them. Meanwhile, Hyeonyun and Sunggyu wanted to approach their mommy but were too scared to do anything. Although Kyuhyun keenly noticed everything, he didn't step in to resolve it because he had his own issue to worry about. He was still angry at his mate but he also loved Jongwoon so much. He couldn't stop himself from spitting venomous words that hurt the inexperienced mother whenever the man made a mistake, but his actions became gentler and gentler around his Omega. Recently, he walked Jongwoon to his car and almost kissed the man when Jongwoon looked at him longingly. However, he ran away in time before his pheromone overtook him. To say that his relationship with his partner was complicated would be an understatement. He didn't even have a name for these tangled feelings in his chest.

So, their crooked little family moved on as if the road ahead of them was full of eggshells.

.

.

.

"Jongwoon, can you go get their laundry basket in the bedroom? I forgot to take it with me."

"..."

"Jongwoon?"

"H-Huh? What did you just say?"

"You space out a lot today. Go home if you're tired."

"No! I'm perfectly fine! Well, you said that you need something from our babies' room, right?"

"Laundry basket."

"Okay. I'll be back."

Jongwoon got up from watching the twins playing together. The Omega's hand reached out to the children's heads but retreated at the last minute. Kyuhyun squinted his eyes as his gaze followed the other man. He noticed that the Omega man's complexion was very pale today but didn't make any comment. Truth be told, he didn't believe at first that his partner could really spare time for their children, not when Jongwoon had to govern a whole conglomerate. However, his mate proved that he genuinely wanted to be a part of their lives and never missed a single day, though probably at the cost of his own rest time. Kyuhyun pursed his lips and looked down at the next week's schedule he was drafting. Maybe he should loosen up and take their children to see their mother at his partner's workplace instead...

"Daddy? Where is Mommy? Hyeonyun wants Mommy to read this book."

"Huh? He hasn't come back yet? What took him so long...?"

Kyuhyun went to the twins' bedroom to check on his mate. However, the unexpected sight that greeted him made his heart stop beating.

"Woon-ah!!"

He kneeled down next to the collapsed man and cradled the thin body in his arms. Jongwoon's skin was so cold and his face lacked colors. Then, dread hammered him when he realized that the Omega didn't breathe. He quickly pressed his ear on the man's chest and panicked in terror. Jongwoon's heartbeat was almost inaudible...

"Daddy, we hear your voice—"

"Hyeonyun!! Go get Daddy's phone and call one-one-nine! Now!!"

Hyeonyun froze in fear at her father's shout but instantly recovered and ran out of the room. Kyuhyun didn't wait for the medic team and began to perform CPR while calling his Omega desperately, begging him to open his eyes. A few seconds later, his daughter ran into the room with the phone already connected to the emergency line. He hurriedly asked them to send an ambulance while still keeping up with the CPR. After ending the call, he told his daughter to gather the necessary belongings, and the girl obediently followed his orders even though she was sobbing hard. During the commotion, Sunggyu stood still at the side like a statue and just watched them quietly while hugging his penguin plushie. Then, the boy dropped it and ran to his mother's side, shaking the motionless arm while crying his eyes out.

"Hic!  M-Mommy... Wah... Don't leave us again...."

*******************************************

Author's note:

I had such a happy day yesterday at Yeye solo con in BKK that I felt guilty for giving you angst today lol.

People tend to realize what's important to them only when they are about to lose it. The same goes for Kyuhyun here. I hope you don't hate Kyuhyun. As a father, he was justified to be angry at Jongwoon. But was his actions towards Jongwoon justifiable? Definitely not! But he wasn't perfect so he made mistake.

Jongwoon too. He didn't mean to do it as he had no choice. Still, he did almost put the children in danger. No denying that. He, too, wasn't perfect but he did his best to make up for his mistake.

How will the story end? Will they find their happy ending? (Well, I wouldn't write bad ending for kyusung as you know but still!) How will they get to that happy ending? Find out in next and last chapter!  xD

Take care and love you!   <3