TL | Chapter 56 | What Will You Do?

A brief silence fell between them. Seowon couldn’t find the words to explain, nor was he even sure an explanation would work if he had one, so he kept his mouth shut, unable to say anything. Ryu Jin’s gaze subtly shifted, moving from Seowon’s face to his chest.

“Unluckily, the bullet pierced the heart, causing organ rupture and massive blood loss, leading to immediate death. The Luciano-affiliated hospital in the United States declared Ha Seowon dead, and there was no sign of tampering in that record. They even cremated Ha Seowon’s body after transporting it to South Korea, right in front of his parents and friends,” Ryu Jin recited without missing a single word.

“It’s possible to forge a death certificate, but Ha Seowon’s parents personally confirmed their son’s body and acknowledged his death with their signatures. Ha Seowon wasn’t estranged from his parents, so there’s no way they could’ve mistaken someone else’s body for his.”

There was nothing to deny. Unlike the numerous others who tried to dispute “Ha Seowon’s” death, grasping at any possible reason, Ryu Jin had somehow gotten the precise facts and stated them accurately.

“Miracles, where the dead return to life, do happen,” Ryu Jin smiled faintly. “But it’s impossible for a cremated body to be restored so perfectly.”

The fact that “Ha Seowon’s” body had been cremated was an issue. It was burnt to ashes, leaving only bone fragments, making it utterly unreasonable for Seowon to be walking around alive and well.

“I even wondered if it was a trick and investigated further, but the ashes were confirmed to be Ha Seowon’s. Someone even went to the memorial park, stole his ashes, and ran a DNA test, which easily confirmed it.”

Seowon remembered the day at the memorial park when this had happened. Ryu Jin, sensing possible suspicion, clarified that he wasn’t the one who stole the ashes; he’d simply stumbled upon the DNA test records while digging through various information. Iden also assumed the one who took Seowon’s ashes was someone targeting him, likely unrelated to Ryu Jin, who had no interest in the casino business rights.

When Seowon nodded to show he didn’t misunderstand, Ryu Jin gave a gentle smile.

“So, don’t you feel curious? Who exactly is the person sitting before me right now?”

Leo and the other bodyguards had wondered the same thing. Their conclusion had been that this was someone else who looked like Ha Seowon, a substitute that Iden had found.

It didn’t really matter what conclusion Ryu Jin reached or whether he arrived at the same conclusion as the bodyguards. What he couldn’t grasp was why Ryu Jin had arranged this private meeting, so Seowon stayed silent and didn’t react.

“The last time I met Natasha, I asked her to get a strand of your hair.”

They had only shared a brief conversation in a café. When had she taken a strand of his hair? Seowon glanced at Natasha, who simply smiled as if it was no big deal.

“Surprisingly, when I ran a DNA test on your hair, you turned out to be Ha Seowon himself.”

Ryu Jin was the head of RF Pharmaceuticals. With one of the largest research facilities in the country, he could easily run a private DNA test.

“Isn’t it strange? The body was burned to ash, yet here Ha Seowon is, alive and well.”

Though he said he was astonished, Ryu Jin’s expression didn’t convey much surprise. Instead, his eyes sparkled like a child discovering a new, fascinating toy.

“Furthermore, your bond with Iden de Luciano is still intact.”

It dawned on Seowon that Ryu Jin seemed to know everything. He was exposing even private matters, leaving Seowon momentarily suspicious about whether Ryu Jin might have hidden CCTV cameras in Iden’s house.

“Oh, I haven’t peeked into any private spaces I shouldn’t have.”

Sensing Seowon’s suspicion, Ryu Jin quickly added, “Omega Ha Seowon doesn’t react to Alpha pheromones. That’s how I confirmed it.”

Ryu Jin gestured toward a spot with a light nod. Seowon turned to see a diffuser with long wooden sticks sticking out of a small glass bottle.

“There’s Alpha pheromone scent in the air. From over there.”

Ryu Jin smiled brightly as he explained. Ah, Seowon hadn’t noticed at all. His throat moved slightly as he swallowed dryly.

“I had no intention of making things difficult. I even made arrangements to immediately respond if you entered Heat Cycle because of that Alpha pheromone. But, as expected, you didn’t react. You’re an Omega with a marked partner, after all.”

He didn’t know how to respond. Seowon might not be the same as the dead Ha Seowon, but he was still Ha Seon, and his bond with Iden was still in place. Ryu Jin had confirmed all of this himself, without needing to ask Seowon directly.

“What are you trying to say?”

It puzzled Seowon why Ryu Jin insisted on meeting him directly, even after he’d confirmed everything.

“You’re Ha Seowon, but you’re also not Ha Seowon. More precisely, you’re not the Ha Seowon who marked by Iden de Luciano.”

Ryu Jin’s gaze shifted, losing its playful glint and turning serious.

“Isn’t that a little troubling? If it’s not a bond you chose yourself.”

No response came to mind. It stung a bit. Even though Seowon had come to accept Iden, just as Ryu Jin said, he hadn’t chosen him; rather, he’d been swept up by circumstances. The Iden he chose wasn’t Iden de Luciano but Jung Iden.

“What if you could break that bond? What would you do?”

An unexpected question followed. Seowon blinked, staring at Ryu Jin.

“If I could help with that, would you choose to break the bond?”

If anyone else had asked, Seowon would have dismissed it as nonsense. But this was Ryu Jin, the CEO of RF Pharmaceuticals, the country’s top company in handling Alpha and Omega pheromones, and home to a world-renowned research facility. His words couldn’t be brushed off easily.
•

After the morning meeting, there was a lunch appointment with an official from the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism. Since the counterpart was a government official, taking a crowd of bodyguards wasn’t an option. It would only make the government uneasy, which could negatively impact decisions about the casino business. Iden decided to take only Rodney and Leo, leaving the other bodyguards to pre-check every possible route for any potential sniper threats.

“It’s about time we head out.”

Min checked the time and reported to Iden. As Iden stepped out of his office, Rodney naturally followed him.

“I’ll be back.”

Rodney flashed a bright smile as he waved to the secretarial staff. The employees waved back, wishing him well. It was Rodney’s first time at the Luciano Korea branch, and though the people here hadn’t met him before, he’d already made friends with his easy-going charm. His clumsy Korean also helped lower their guards and draw out their friendliness.

“Stop getting chummy with everyone.”

Standing by the elevator, Iden warned him, to which Rodney scoffed.

“What, are you jealous?”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

When Iden bluntly denied it, Rodney chuckled, as if that response was exactly what he’d expected.

“Ahh, I miss Seowon.”

Rodney purposely spoke in Korean to get on Iden’s nerves, and Min shot him a quick look. Rodney just grinned, ignoring any sense of propriety.

“I want to clock out and go see Seowon.”

Iden pretended not to hear Rodney’s silly grumbling. After all, Rodney wasn’t someone who’d stick around just because he was asked to. He was the kind to move as he pleased, even if the boss or Liam requested otherwise. So the fact that he was here beside Iden, even while grumbling, was also his choice.

“Should I call Seowon and invite him for lunch? You’ll be eating separately for work anyway.”

When the conversation got long, Rodney switched to English. When Min replied, offering to join him for lunch, Rodney muttered something else, seemingly dissatisfied at the lost excuse to call Seowon.

As they bickered about trivial things, the elevator reached the lobby. Leo had already brought the car around and was waiting outside.

As they walked toward the lobby entrance, Rodney’s gaze fixed on something. Approaching them from the opposite direction was a man in a work uniform and a mask, appearing to be an electrician.

“Iden.”

Rodney called Iden’s name briefly. Iden shifted his gaze in the direction Rodney was watching and gave a subtle nod. The distance between them and the electrician narrowed. Iden, Rodney, and Min continued walking straight ahead.

The electrician, pulling a large case filled with tools, bumped into Min’s leg. Min stopped to check his leg, and the man gave a small bow in apology. As Min leaned down to inspect his leg, the man, disguised as an electrician, suddenly drew a sharp dagger and swung it toward Iden.