Chapter 19: “We” Are Getting Married

“This- this feels like a leg or something… no, that can’t be… right?”

Flustered, Go Ha-jin blurted out nonsense as he tried to pull his hand away, but a large hand covered the back of his, stopping him in place.

“I didn’t expect you to be this proactive about checking your spouse’s physical condition.”

According to the rumors Ha-jin had heard, Chae Woo-seok was definitely impotent.

No matter how hard you tried to seduce him, even bringing him all the way to a hotel, it was said you couldn’t even get him to take off his jacket.

He’d heard it directly from an omega who’d been with Woo-seok, after paying a hefty sum, so the source had seemed solid.

It wasn’t just one person either.

Several had told similar stories.

That was why Ha-jin had even dared to approach Woo-seok while lying about being a dominant omega.

After all, if Woo-seok couldn’t even get an erection, there’d be no way they’d end up in bed.

“L-let go of my hand! Hurry…!”

But now, he was personally verifying the truth of that rumor.

It was complete bullshit.

So much so that he wanted to hunt down the omega who’d leaked the info and demand a refund for the information fee.

Chae Woo-seok was perfectly fine.

No, too fine.

Excessively large and hard.

This was definitely not impotence.

Maybe he just had… a low s*x drive?

“Looks like you paid for some fake intel.”

“…”

“Next time, just ask me directly. If it’s about this sort of thing, I’ll be happy to let you confirm it yourself.”

Woo-seok alone regained his composure.

As if utterly unconcerned that Ha-jin still had no idea what to do with what he was holding, he casually wrapped an arm around Ha-jin’s shoulders and pressed the elevator’s open button.

The moment they stepped out of the cramped space, the lounge manager’s gaze poured down on them.

The instant their eyes met, Ha-jin realized it, he knows.

He could tell something had just happened in that elevator.

“Welcome, Director.”

Even so, the manager greeted them with a calm smile.

Honestly, you’d have to try not to notice.

The alpha was the infamous Chae Woo-seok, and the omega beside him was flushed red from face to neck.

Even if he couldn’t know the exact details, anyone, even a child, could tell something heat-inducing had gone down.

“I’ll escort you inside.”

Guided by the manager’s impeccable professionalism, they entered a private room.

While it was useful for this marriage to draw public attention, today’s conversation absolutely could not leak outside.

“You made sure everything’s prepared, right?”

“…Why ask something so obvious?”

Seeing the man sitting like a gallery sculpture, casually casting his gaze around, Hajin couldn’t help thinking, did he already forget what happened in the elevator?

Or had it really just been a momentary joke to him?

Ha-jin’s heart was still pounding wildly, so why did Woo-seok look so perfectly fine?

“I’m saying this because we can’t afford mistakes this time.”

“Don’t worry. You might not believe me, but I’m not the type to mess up in situations like this either.”

Thanks to Woo-seok steering the conversation back to business, Ha-jin managed to regain his composure.

Today was their formal family meeting.

The date had been set at lightning speed.

Public opinion surrounding the worsening abuse-of-power scandal showed no signs of dying down, and a distraction was desperately needed.

That was why Lee Ah-seong had no choice but to rush the marriage.

“You’re here, Father… and…”

Right on cue, Woo-seok’s parents entered the room.

Having clearly gone all out, Lee Ah-seong looked so young he could’ve passed for someone in his thirties at first glance.

And the man standing beside him, he looked dangerous.

Very much so.

Ha-jin could tell he was Woo-seok’s alpha father from photos he’d seen, but the sheer pressure was far beyond imagination.

His build rivaled Woo-seok’s, and his age was impossible to gauge.

“Call me Chairman.”

Even his voice sent chills down Ha-jin’s spine.

Chairman Chae Il-joo sat down, and the others followed suit.

Seeing the three of them seated together made Ha-jin feel embarrassed for ever suspecting Woo-seok might’ve been a half-sibling.

Chae Woo-seok, Chae Il-joo, and Lee Ah-seong were a perfect family by anyone’s standards.

Their auras differed, but their faces were strikingly similar, as if Woo-seok had been sculpted by combining Il-joo’s and Ah-seong’s best features.

“Nice to meet you, Chairman. My name is Go Ha-jin.”

Ha-jin greeted him again after sitting down.

Chairman Chae Il-joo smiled pleasantly when their eyes met.

Even his smile was a mirror image of Woo-seok’s.

“So. Nice to meet you. You’re cuter than I’d heard, don’t you think?”

Whether his voice naturally lacked inflection or not, the praise came in a tone completely devoid of warmth.

That was when it happened.

The sharp gaze of Lee Ah-seong, seated beside him, pierced straight into Ha-jin.

It carried a killing intent that made it feel like he might be devoured whole.

“Thank you… Chairman.”

“You’ll suit my Woo-seok well.”

In that brief moment, Ha-jin understood the power dynamics of this household.

Chae Il-joo, who spoke without filters.

Lee Ah-seong, burning with sharp jealousy as he watched his husband.

And Woo-seok, conversing lightly with his father while never losing his manners.

This family wasn’t much different from any other alpha household.

The absolute ruler was Chairman Chae Il-joo.

Beneath him stood Woo-seok, under a father young enough to be mistaken for an older brother.

And beneath Woo-seok, Lee Ah-seong.

“Are the other family members not coming…?”

Feigning ignorance, Ha-jin asked casually, wanting to gauge their reactions.

“We’re enough. Even if it’s a family meeting, we’re the parties involved.”

Lee Ah-seong’s answer confirmed it.

Woo-seok’s siblings, and his sister-in-law, weren’t even allowed a seat at this table.

No matter how formal, a meeting that excluded family entirely was unnatural.

“Dad, I’m the one getting married.”

Woo-seok said what Ha-jin had wanted to say.

Yet Lee Ah-seong kept referring to the marriage as something we were doing.

Not Woo-seok and Ha-jin, we.

It was incomprehensible, but Ha-jin simply smiled it off.

“Excuse me… I just got word my father has arrived. I’ll go bring him in.”

With perfect timing, Ha-jin excused himself after checking a message and left the room.

Spotting the man approaching from afar, he jogged over and hugged him around the waist warmly.

“That must’ve been tiring, Dad.”

“Not at all. I’d gladly come for something like this.”

“Your suit looks great. You chose well.”

The middle-aged man patted Ha-jin’s back affectionately and quickened his steps.

Every gesture, every expression overflowed with warmth.

“Let’s go in. Keeping them waiting would be rude.”

Watching him lead the way, Ha-jin couldn’t suppress his smile.

How was he this good at acting?

Hajin had only tipped him off that the play was starting, yet he performed his role as if he were a real father.

Even the special-effects makeup was flawless up close.

Well, considering how much he’d been paid, it was only fair.

“Sorry for the delay. I’m Ha-jin’s father.”

The man didn’t bow.

Ignoring Lee Ah-seong entirely, he greeted Chairman Chae Il-joo with a handshake.

Introductions were brief, and the prepared meal began.

“You two seem very close. It must’ve been hard raising him alone.”

During the meal, Lee Ah-seong casually tossed out a stone.

A single father, how distasteful, wrapped in polite words.

That single line marked the start of their bargaining.

“Haha. I think it’s better than having several children who don’t grow up the way you want. Raising kids never goes as planned, after all. Our Ha-jin never once gave me trouble, so I had it easy.”

Ha-jin’s “father” accepted it smoothly.

The Chae family’s internal mess, three children with not a single decent one, was well-known.

It was a clear signal: Let’s stop talking about families and children.

“If you don’t mind me asking, what scale of business are you running in the U.S.?”

They’d definitely investigated him before today.

And they’d know the scale was far beyond ordinary.

With Chairman Chae Il-joo’s question, the meal, barely started, came to an end.

“Compared to SHS Group, it’s modest. Just enough to make a living, one 108-story building in New York, and…”

They couldn’t be fooled with flimsy lies.

That was why the truth had to be mixed with fabrication.

They’d chosen a real American real estate company, and the man playing Ha-jin’s father wore the company chairman’s face through special effects makeup.

The real chairman did have an omega child, but their identity was completely private, so there was no risk.

“And just in case, I’d like us to sign a prenuptial agreement.”

After briefly discussing assets, Ha-jin’s father dropped a bomb.

Of course, they wouldn’t want one, but there was no way the Chaes would proceed without a contract anyway.

Bringing it up confidently only showed they had nothing to hide.

“Ah… well… that might not be necessary, but, sure.”

Lee Ah-seong agreed reluctantly.

He wasn’t good at hiding his thoughts; his face already showed him calculating what conditions to write in.

No matter what, Ha-jin had nothing to lose.

“We’ll also need to discuss the newlywed home, and the dowry-”

“No. That won’t be necessary.”

“What?”

All eyes turned to Lee Ah-seong.

This was unexpected, even for Ha-jin.

“Oh, not that we don’t need a dowry. I mean the house. They should move into our main residence, of course.”

“Dad!”

Woo-seok protested immediately, but for once, Lee Ah-seong ignored his son entirely.

“Father!”

When Ah-seong still didn’t listen, Woo-seok appealed to Chairman Chae Il-joo.

Ha-jin, too, looked desperately at the chairman.

Living under the same roof as these people, that was impossible.

How could anyone wear a mask 24/7 around them?

“Well… these days, many couples live separately after marriage…”

Chairman Chae Il-joo’s eyes curved playfully as he looked at Ha-jin.

It was a strange smile, so unsettling it sent chills down his spine.

“Still, you should be taught proper housekeeping before being sent out. Move in.”

This was the worst possible outcome.