ALPHA UNIVERSE #5: DESIROUS

CHAPTER 17

Harin's day had been blissfully uneventful, a rarity she had come to cherish. Her routine was steady: arriving at work at 7 AM, putting in hours of focused effort, and leaving by 9 or 10 PM. It was a timeline she'd come to embrace, her little pocket of predictability amidst the chaos of her life.

Her colleagues often praised her relentless work ethic, assuring her she had nothing left to prove, but Harin couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing. It wasn't a tangible absence—more a gnawing void, an itch she couldn't quite reach. Was it the choreography? The genre? Or perhaps it was something deeper, a restlessness that defied explanation.

By 7 PM that day, she decided to call it early, a small rebellion against her own perfectionism. She invited Jaemin, the ever-bubbly omega, to join her for dinner. He had happily agreed but mentioned he might need a little extra time to wrap up his work. When Harin offered to wait, Jaemin suggested she hang out in his workroom to kill some time.

Harin, ever easygoing with Jaemin, agreed without hesitation and made her way upstairs, humming softly to herself. The halls were quiet as she navigated toward Jaemin's workroom with ease, her steps sure and familiar.

But peace was a fleeting thing.

"Rin."

The sound of her name stopped her cold, and the unwelcome voice made her grit her teeth. Turning her head, she found herself face-to-face with none other than Jung Jaehyun.

"What are you doing here?" Jaehyun asked, his tone laced with surprise—and something sharper. "Visiting a friend?"

Harin didn't bother to hide her irritation. "Yes, a friend."

"A BJ?" His brows furrowed in disapproval. "Who?"

"It doesn't matter," she replied coolly.

"It matters. I'm their manager," he retorted, stepping closer.

Harin sighed and turned fully to face him, a forced smile plastered on her lips. "Can I visit BJ Nana in his workroom, Manager Jung?"

Jaehyun's expression darkened. "Do you have something going on with him?"

"And what if I do?"

Jaehyun's jaw tightened. "Not him."

Harin rolled her eyes, exasperated. "As if you have any say in my life."

"Kwon Harin." His voice dropped into a warning, her name a weapon in his mouth.

Her alpha instincts recoiled at the sound of her full name, her spine stiffening. Jaehyun had always been like this—assertive, possessive, always trying to bend her will to his.

"Cut ties with him."

"Jae—"

"I don't care," he interrupted sharply, his voice colder than ice. "He's my talent, and you're someone I want. Turn around and go home."

She scoffed, incredulous. "You want me? Who are you trying to fool, Jung Jaehyun?"

"You will do as I say."

"She won't."

Both Harin and Jaehyun turned at the sound of a new voice, their tension snapping like a taut wire.