CHAPTER 43: CHAPTER 43

Yu Jin’s POV

Min was already awake. Of course he was. He sat by the window, phone in one hand, jaw locked so tightly I could see tension all the way down his neck.

"Good morning," I said.

He didn’t answer at first.

That was my first warning.

When Min stayed silent, it meant he was filtering through disasters.

Then he turned the phone toward me.

A headline flashed across every major news network:

"CEO PARK MIN UNDER EMERGENCY EVALUATION PHEROMONE SPIKE OR MUTATION?"

My stomach dropped.

"Who leaked this? AGAIN" I whispered.

"Someone with access to the scanner logs," Min said. His voice was flat, too steady. "It wasn’t the officers. They don’t have the guts. This came from inside."

"Inside... your company?"

"It’s a board move." He locked the screen. "They want the public to panic before the shareholders do."

"So they threw you under the bus?"

"Yu Jin," he breathed out, "they threw us."

I stared at him. The way he said "us" hit somewhere I didn’t want to look at.

I sat across from him. "What’s the plan?"

"Damage control," he said.

"Okay. About what happened last night..."

"We’ll deal with that later."

That was what I hated about Min. He could separate things so easily. He could be injured, bleeding, half collapsing, and still prioritize work.

I stood. "Min, you almost lost it. That’s not something we can just..."

"Yu Jin."

The way he said my name shut me up instantly.

Then he looked at me properly.

And I realized something was wrong.

Very wrong.

His scent wrapped around me harder than usual. It wasn’t overwhelming, but it carried something else.

My chest tightened. I took a step back on instinct.

"What?" he asked quietly.

"I don’t know," I breathed. "It’s hitting stronger."

He frowned. "Stronger how?"

"It feels like... pressure." I pressed my palm to my sternum. "Like it’s inside, not around me."

He stood abruptly and crossed the room.

"Don’t move," he said.

His tone was calm.

He reached me, lifted my chin lightly, and breathed in. His brows pulled together.

"What?" I asked again.

"Your scent shifted."

I froze.

"What do you mean shifted?"

"It’s sharper," he said. "Stronger. It’s reacting to mine."

I took a step back. "That’s not possible."

"Apparently it is."

"No. Min that’s a mutation. Omegas don’t mutate."

"You bonded with someone who is," he said.

My heartbeat sped up. "So what? I’m turning into you?"

He didn’t answer.

"Min."

"I don’t know," he said. "That’s the truth."

I turned away. I couldn’t look at him. My hands shook slightly, which pissed me off even more.

He placed a hand on my shoulder. "Yu Jin."

"Don’t," I said.

His hand dropped immediately.

I appreciated that.

Before either of us could say anything else, the hotel phone rang.

Min answered without looking away from me.

"What is it," he said.

A long pause.

His jaw tensed.

"No," he said. "You’re not coming up."

Another pause.

"You’re not entering my floor."

Another.

"Try it, and I’ll shut down your entire funding wing."

He hung up.

"What now?" I asked.

"Company representatives," he said. "From Hyesung Corp."

One of his biggest rivals.

"They’re staging a safety intervention."

I blinked. "A what?"

"An attempt to make it look like I’m endangering you," he said. "If they succeed, my stock plunges. I’ll lose my political ground."

"Why me?"

"Are you dumb or just acting dump. Obviously because I bonded you."

"Well that was rude. So that makes me a shield." I exhaled slowly. "Great."

"They’ll try to isolate you from me first," Min said. "Pretend it’s for your safety."

"Fake concern," I muttered.

"Very fake."

"Do I have a choice?" I asked.

"Of course." His tone was dark. "But they’ll try convincing you otherwise."

We didn’t have to wait long.

There was a knock at the suite door.

A polite one. Three taps.

Always the polite ones that caused the biggest mess.

Min opened the door halfway, blocking the entry with his shoulder.

Three men in gray suits waited outside. Organized, groomed, fake smiles plastered on.

"CEO Park," the first man said. "We’re here under Omega Safety Recommendation Protocols."

"We’re aware," Min said.

"We’d like to speak with Mr. Yu Jin privately."

Min smiled. It wasn’t friendly. It was a warning.

"No."

"Sir, this isn’t optional..."

"It is," Min said. "Everything is optional when it concerns my household."

"We’re only trying to ensure the young man is safe."

"From who?" Min asked.

Silence.

Min leaned forward slightly. "From me? Is that what this is supposed to imply?"

The second man flinched.

They recovered quickly. "Mr. Yu Jin’s statement is required..."

"I’m not leaving," I interrupted.

All three men looked at me.

Min didn’t move, but I felt the air change behind him.

One of the representatives cleared his throat. "Mr. Yu Jin, we received reports that..."

"What reports?" I asked.

"We can elaborate privately..."

"You can elaborate now."

They hesitated.

Min was perfectly still, which usually meant everyone else needed to rethink their life choices.

The spokesman turned toward me again. "Is it true you experienced physical distress due to CEO Park’s pheromone surge last night?"

Wow.

They didn’t hold back.

I crossed my arms. "I wasn’t distressed. I was annoyed."

Min shot me a side glance.

"It’s an important distinction," I added.

The spokesman continued, "There are concerns that the CEO’s condition has become... unpredictable. Potentially unstable. This could place you in danger."

"I’m standing right here," I said. "Do I look terrified?"

They didn’t answer.

Min’s presence behind me was a solid wall. His scent was steady now, controlled, but sharp at the edges. Protective.

The spokesman tried again. "We only need ten minutes alone with you."

"No," I said.

"Mr. Yu Jin...."

"No," I repeated.

The third representative finally spoke. "Sir, if you refuse, we’ll be forced to submit a public statement.."

Min laughed quietly.

Everyone froze.

He wasn’t amused.

"You want to issue a statement," Min said. "About my omega? About my private suite? About my medical readings, which were illegally leaked?"

The spokesman swallowed.

Min stepped forward.

Not aggressive.

Just... present.

His voice stayed soft. That’s what made it worse.

"You move one inch toward him," Min said, "and I will sue this entire company. Individually. Personally. And publicly."

The spokesman opened his mouth but nothing came out.

Min continued, "Hyesung Corp wants my stocks unstable? They want the public to panic? They want my merger to collapse? Fine. But they will not use him to do it."

My throat tightened a little.

I hated how that affected me.

The spokesman straightened weakly. "CEO Park, we didn’t intend..."

"You did," Min said, "and you failed."

He shut the door slowly.

When he turned back to me, the adrenaline in my chest hadn’t faded.

"You okay?" he asked.

"I’m fine," I said. "Just kind of... angry."

"That’s new."

"I know."

We stared at each other for a second too long.

I broke eye contact first and stepped back. "Min... about earlier. My scent. The changes... I need to know if this gets worse."

"It might."

I nodded slowly. "And if it does... what then?"

He hesitated.

Min never hesitated.

"I’ll take care of it," he said.

"That’s not an answer."

"It’s the one I have."

I didn’t push.

Not because I trusted him.

Because pushing right now felt dangerous.

I sat on the couch, rubbing my temples. My head felt too tight. My chest felt too warm. Everything in me was either waking up or breaking down.

Min sat across from me. "Tell me the truth," he said. "When did you first feel the change?"

"Last night," I said. "After your pulse hit. It felt like being pulled forward. Not physically. Inside."

He watched me closely. "And now?"

"It feels... louder," I said. "Like I’m hearing something without sound."

He didn’t comment.

I leaned back. "Min. Is this bond going to kill me?"

"No."

He said it too quickly.

I narrowed my eyes. "Min..."

"It won’t," he said. "I won’t let it."

"That’s not how biology works."

"Biology doesn’t work like this either," he said.

I sighed. "So the answer is we don’t know anything."

"We know enough," he said. "You stay with me. You don’t go anywhere alone. You don’t talk to anyone they send."

I snorted. "You’re really leaning into the control thing today."

He didn’t smile. "I’m trying to keep you alive."

My chest tightened again.

Exactly what I needed.

I rubbed my face. "Min, you know I’m not good at being handled."

"I know."

"I’ll talk back."

"I know."

"I make things worse sometimes."

"You do."

"So why are you still choosing me?"

He didn’t answer for a moment.

Then he said quietly, "I’ll tell you when the time is right."

So you have a reason for loving me?!

I never expected this. There should never be a reason to love someone.