chapter 1

Two years later

Yoon Tae-joon pulled himself back into the present. Sitting at his desk in the heavy silence of his office, his mind always drifted back to that day — the day he held Baek Si-ho in his arms for the last time.

His late partner was a constant presence in his thoughts, but he knew he eventually had to move on and let the memory rest in peace.

He often pictured Baek Si-ho still alive, running around with the child that had been growing in his belly.

They had to physically pull Yoon Tae-joon away from his body. When the physician informed him that his Omega had been pregnant, all he wanted was to go back and hold him again.

Their relationship had been tense for months before the tragedy, and the guilt still ate at him.

It had taken a long time to even consider moving forward, but now, two years later, he felt like he might finally be ready.

Glancing down at the files on his desk, it had taken every bit of strength he possessed to request them.

Each young Omega pictured in the files was more beautiful than the last. Growing up, Yoon Tae-joon had thought the Virgin Omega Auctions were barbaric, but as he grew older, his father had drilled into him that they were a necessary tradition among the elite.

When the auctions first became legal decades ago, it was due to extreme poverty and legalising trafficking.

Officials had legalized the system to boost the economy and ensure suitable matches for powerful Alphas.

In the beginning, many Omegas from poor backgrounds were exploited, but now the process was far more refined.

Only carefully raised, pure Omegas bred and educated for high-society bonding were presented.

At twenty years old, they were placed on the auction block and examined by prospective Alpha buyers.

These Omegas knew exactly what they were entering, and most seemed to accept their fate.

At least, that was what Yoon Tae-joon assumed. He had only attended the auctions once before and had never mingled with the circle of powerful Alphas who inspected the Omegas like precious goods.

His own mother had once been an Omega from the auctions. Though his father was nearly two decades older, they had eventually grown to love each other.

Yoon Tae-joon remembered the first and only time he had gone to the auctions — his father had convinced him, saying he was already thirty-three and still unbonded.

His father desperately wanted grandchildren. The moment he saw Baek Si-ho on the bidding stage, everything else had disappeared.

They had tried for five years to conceive and… No. He wouldn’t think about that now. Not when his evening plans involved attending the annual auction again.

He had to move on. It wasn’t healthy to remain trapped in the past. He would go tonight, but that didn’t mean he had to purchase anyone.

At thirty-eight, he was still young compared to many of the Alphas who attended — most were his father’s age.

Turning in his chair, Yoon Tae-joon looked out the floor-to-ceiling windows behind his desk. He was on the thirty-sixth floor, yet taller skyscrapers still towered over his building in the heart of Seoul.

He reached for the glass of scotch on his desk and took a slow sip. The sky above was a murky grey, an impending storm threatening to wash over the city.

“Master Yoon?” His assistant’s voice came through the intercom.

“Yes?” He took another sip and continued looking through the files.

“Director Lee would like to know if you can reschedule tomorrow morning’s investment meeting to this evening.”

Various photos of elegant young Omegas covered his desk. Amid the sea of dark and light hair, a soft, striking face with delicate features caught his eye.

Yoon Tae-joon pushed the other files aside and picked up the photograph.

The young Omega staring back at him was breathtaking. He had silky dark hair that framed his beautiful face gently. His eyes were large and green, carrying a quiet, almost ethereal softness.

“No, I have plans for this evening,” Yoon Tae-joon replied, his gaze never leaving the photo. He slowly ran his finger along the soft line of the Omega’s jaw.

He hadn’t felt interested in anyone since Baek Si-ho, even during his rut he never wanted anyone, but something about this young Omega — who would be at the auction tonight — stirred the deep, possessive Alpha instincts inside him.

Maybe his broken heart could finally begin to heal with a twenty-year-old pure Omega.

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