Chapter 50: A Sudden Arrival and an Unexpected Encounter

My eyes were swollen from crying so much.

The kind doctor waited patiently until I had composed myself, then carefully explained the precautions to take during pregnancy and what I would need to prepare.

“Are you not going to inform the Alpha about the pregnancy?”

At the doctor’s cautious question, I nodded without hesitation. Despite my sniffles, the resolute look in my eyes prompted the doctor to simply advise even greater caution.

After scheduling my next appointment, I left the hospital and opted to walk around the neighborhood instead of heading straight home. Returning in this state, I knew my mother would undoubtedly hold me captive with questions for a long time.

First, I stopped at a nearby convenience store and bought a cup of ice. I alternately placed the cold cup over my swollen eyes. I’d once heard during a makeup session that this method helped reduce puffiness quickly.

‘I can do this, right?’

Truthfully, I was still uncertain if this choice was the right one. The thought that I might regret it someday continued to occupy my mind.

Yet, one thing was absolutely certain: I would never resent this child. The choice was mine, and the baby bore no fault. I firmly resolved that I would never become like ‘those people’.

‘Will I be alright for now?’

Since I had decided not to terminate the pregnancy, I needed to conceal it from everyone around me until I left. This was especially true for my family; the secret had to be kept perfectly.

‘About a month should be fine.’

Originally, I had planned to stay for three months for my mother’s sake, but with this unexpected variable, I had to shorten my visit. A month felt appropriate, as my belly wouldn’t show by then.

From this moment, I would slowly prepare to leave for a place where no one knew me. There, I would raise the child alone. As always, my plan was flawless.

‘I won’t be able to wander around freely.’

Frequent changes in environment wouldn’t be good for the baby, so I would have to find a stable place to settle down. Fortunately, I had enough money, so any location would suffice.

I decided to ponder this further over the remaining month.

‘Let’s rest a bit before I go.’

Entering the park, I discarded the melted ice cup in a trash bin and settled onto a nearby bench. Nothing had registered in my mind until I went to the hospital this morning, but now, I noticed how clear the sky truly was.

Enjoying the gentle breeze, I pulled out the maternity record book I’d received from the reception desk, along with the ultrasound photo taken today.

‘It’s so small.’

According to the doctor, the gestational sac had settled stably. They said the round shape in the blurry photo was the sac, but I couldn’t really tell what I was looking at.

Nevertheless, receiving the ultrasound photo made it all feel real. An actual baby was growing inside me.

‘A prenatal nickname… should I give it one?’

After much deliberation, I decided to call them ‘Kkamjjak-i’. It was a truly intuitive nickname: ‘Kkamjjak-i’ because they arrived so suddenly.

Still, I’d heard somewhere that the best prenatal nicknames were those easy to say and remember. In that regard, even if it lacked flair, it was a perfect choice.

“Kkamjjak-a.”

Speaking the name aloud made me feel strange. A corner of my heart fluttered and swelled, making me want to laugh and cry all at once.

Having just calmed down, another bout of tears would only delay my return home. So, I desperately fought back the urge to weep.

‘It’s okay now.’

Having overcome that emotional hurdle, I carefully tucked the ultrasound photo into the maternity record book. Then, I rose from the bench and lightly brushed off my clothes.

Leaving the park, I headed homeward. As I walked along the main road, I sensed an unfamiliar gaze. It hadn’t been there long, perhaps since I first entered the park.

‘What is it?’

When I was Yoo Joon-hee, it was natural for eyes to follow me wherever I went, given my reputation as an actor. But as Yoo Seo-jin, it was different.

Even if my family was wealthy, a civilian like Yoo Seo-jin wouldn’t have paparazzi trailing them. Yet, I was certain I wasn’t mistaken about this unsettling feeling.

I quickly spun around to look behind me, but only saw people busily going about their own ways. Scanning the surroundings, I found no suspicious individuals who seemed to be watching me.

‘Was I mistaken?’

I had heard that senses could become overly sensitive in early pregnancy, so it was possible I was merely imagining things.

I tried to dismiss the lingering unease and continue on my way when a car suddenly glided up and stopped beside me. Startled by its unannounced arrival, I instinctively tensed my body.

‘What is this now?’

Though I wanted to see inside, the windows were darkly tinted, revealing nothing. Only my own face, fraught with wariness, reflected back from the mirror-like glass.

Just as I prepared to put ample distance between myself and the suspicious vehicle, the driver’s side door abruptly opened. A man in a suit then walked around the trunk and opened the back passenger door.

‘Surely not…’

A familiar scent wafted from the wide-open door, arresting my steps as I tried to retreat. While I froze, recognizing a fragrance I could never mistake, the person inside extended a long leg and emerged from the car.

As I lifted my head to meet his gaze, which was a full head taller than mine, he met my eyes. His face seemed slightly gaunt compared to the last time I saw him. A sudden thought struck me: ‘Could it be because of me?’

Even though it couldn’t possibly be.

“It’s been a long time, Yoo Seo-jin.”

He offered a casual greeting, then smiled faintly. Though momentarily flustered by the unexpected reunion, I instinctively started to turn away, trying to hide my stomach, before abruptly stopping.

Since there was no visible sign of pregnancy yet, attempting to conceal my belly might only invite suspicion. Thinking quickly, I composed my expression to appear nonchalant, then returned his greeting.

“Indeed. It has been a long time, Han Jung-woo.”

He raised a hand, signaling his driver to wait, then stepped closer to me. At that instant, my body reacted first to the pheromones that intensified with his proximity.

‘This is dangerous.’

Other Alphas’ pheromones had only ever repulsed me, but his evoked no such aversion. Instead, an urge to inhale more of it surged within me. Perhaps it was an Omega’s instinct craving Han Jung-woo’s pheromones.

Regardless, I knew for certain that the longer I faced him, the worse it would be for me. I needed to escape this place as quickly as possible.

“It seems we have much to discuss. Shall we move somewhere more private?”

However, he seemed to have no intention of letting me go easily. Matching his audacity, I replied curtly.

“I have nothing to say to you, Han Jung-woo.”

“I doubt that.”

He was smiling, yet his anger was palpable beneath the surface. He likely intended to question my sudden disappearance, but I felt no shame or hesitation.

He was the strange one, clinging on and acting pathetic despite my repeated insistence that our last encounter was truly the end. We weren’t meant to face each other like this anymore.

“Will you get in quietly? Or shall I force you?”

“I refuse both.”

“Hmm, then I’ll have to force you.”

He shrugged, then seized my arm. He then tried to push me into the car, whose door was still wide open. I attempted to scream, but the terrifying surge of pheromones choked off my voice.

‘Cowardly bastard.’

My body was already intensely sensitive to Han Jung-woo’s pheromones, which rendered me incapable of proper resistance. In the end, I found myself meekly getting into the car, just as he intended.

After pushing me inside, he completely blocked my escape. The door closed, trapping me with him in the confined space. Moments later, the driver got into the front seat, and the car pulled away.

The heavy silence endured for quite some time. I couldn’t understand why he had insisted on forcing me into the car if this was his intention. Was he merely trying to keep me beside him and revel in my discomfort? Knowing Han Jung-woo’s temperament, it was entirely possible.

“If you have nothing to say, then let me out. I want to go home and rest.”

The car, seemingly without a destination, had been circling the same area for a while now. It was baffling why someone of Daejin Group Director’s stature would waste time so pointlessly.

What lingering attachment could there be to a relationship that was already over?

“Stop the car and let me out.”

“……”

“Can’t you hear me? Stop the car and let me out—”

“Just shut your mouth. I’m currently choosing what to say to you, Yoo Seo-jin.”

At his low warning, the words I was about to utter instinctively vanished. He let out a deep sigh, then resumed his silence, one hand pressed against his forehead.

“To XX Hotel.”

A little more time passed before Han Jung-woo finally told the driver their destination. The car, which had been aimlessly circling, now turned in the direction Han Jung-woo desired.