By Zephyria 
seven
Silence fell again. This time, it lasted longer. Ashley, who had been watching his son’s reaction silently for a while, leaned back in his chair slowly, as if he had expected it.
“If you’re not sure, it’s as good as a lie.”
Grayson, as always, raised the corners of his mouth again at the cold tone.
“I’m sure of what I feel. It’s different from anything I’ve felt before.”
“Is that so?”
Ashley chuckled and asked.
“Do you know how Dane Striker feels?”
Grayson’s eyes moved for the first time. His eyes, which had shifted slightly to one side, paused there for a moment before returning to their original position.
“Maybe?”
Ashley got up from his chair as if he was done. He ordered his son, who was following him, to stand up.
“You stay here. Don’t come out until I say so.”
“Yes.”
Grayson obediently sat back down in his chair. Ashley, after confirming that, left the drawing room. Outside, an employee was standing guard at the door.
“Don’t let Grayson out.”
“Yes, I understand.”
At Ashley’s command, the employee immediately answered and blocked the door with his body. Only then did Ashley move his feet and walk down the hallway.
Desire Me if you can
Knock, knock. At the sudden knock, Dane and Koi turned their heads at the same time. The door opened slightly, and Ashley appeared.
“Ash! ……Where’s Grayson?”
Koi, who had stood up to greet him, looked behind him and asked. Ashley replied to him in a flat tone.
“I told him to stay in the drawing room. I have something to say for a moment.”
“Something to say?”
As Koi tilted his head, Ashley shifted his gaze to Dane.
“Dane Striker, can I talk to you for a moment?”
Dane paused at the chilly tone. Why is that man suddenly talking to me? Koi was just as puzzled. Ashley, gesturing for Dane to come out with a flick of his fingers, said to Koi, who was about to follow.
“You wait here, don’t come out.”
“Uh…”
Koi looked back and forth between Dane and Ashley, seemingly flustered, but soon sat back down in his chair with a resigned expression. Dane felt strange at the atmosphere, which seemed somehow familiar.
Outside, an employee was standing in front of the door. As Dane followed Ashley, he immediately blocked the door they had come out of. As if not allowing anyone to enter or exit. He was wondering if he was keeping Koi locked up or preventing someone from intruding when he suddenly remembered something he had forgotten.
‘There’s a villa Dad built near here.’
‘He must have been trying to lock Daddy up.’
Dane felt strange again at the fact that Ashley Miller, the man who had built a villa to lock up his partner, was the very same Ashley Miller walking ahead of him. And also at the fact that the very same partner was Koi, who had been talking to him until just now.
I feel like I’m getting involved with an absurd family…
Just as he was thinking of an unpleasant thought, Ashley opened the door to a room. He nodded lightly, as if telling him to follow, and stepped inside first. Dane had no choice but to move his feet as he was told, even though he was reluctant.
Clang. After closing the door behind him, Dane was left alone with Ashley Miller in a desolate hall with no furniture.
Suddenly, he smelled a sweet scent. It was a familiar scent, but Dane knew that it was different from what he had smelled before.
This is Ashley Miller’s Pheromone scent. Like other Dominant Alphas, this man is spreading the scent around as if it were natural. If there were any Omegas around, they might go into Heat cycle, but he would never have imagined giving them such consideration.
Dane was not unaffected either, which made him feel even worse. It was fortunate that his Trait was Dominant Omega, so he had a higher resistance. Ashley, standing some distance away from Dane, who was frowning, spoke first.
“Dane Striker. The reason I called you here is because I have something to ask you.”
“Go ahead.”
Dane said in his usual nonchalant manner. Ashley frowned as if he didn’t like the reaction, but he didn’t bother to point it out. After all, it wasn’t a relationship that would last long anyway, so there was no need to worry about it. There was something more important.
“Grayson said he’s dating you, did you agree to that too?”
Dane paused for a moment. He had no idea what Ashley was going to say to him, but he felt like it was something unexpected. Dane, scratching the back of his head, confessed the truth.
“I can say I agreed…”
It felt somehow uneasy after he said it. Dane added as an excuse, under Ashley’s persistent gaze.
“There was an unavoidable situation. It wasn’t because I wanted to…”
Dane felt something strange as he was talking. It was because Ashley’s expression had changed subtly. Why is he looking at me with those eyes? Just as he was wondering, Ashley suddenly opened his mouth.
“Did that bastard rape you?”
Dane paused again at the sudden question.
“Pardon?”
When he looked at him with wide eyes, Ashley unexpectedly distorted his face and let out a deep sigh. With an expression that said, ‘He finally did it.’
“So, are you going to sue him?”
“Pardon?”
Dane asked again at the question that sounded somehow tired. Then Ashley continued quickly.
“Tell me what you want, I’ll do anything. Of course, I’ll give him a fair punishment too.”
Ashley Miller said as if he would give away all his fortune. For a moment, Dane’s eyes saw the enormously expensive cat supplies that he couldn’t even put in his shopping basket, but he struggled to resist the temptation.
“…It wasn’t Miller who did it, ahem, I… I did it.”
Damn Heat cycle, damn rut!
Dane felt his face turn red and confessed, making an effort to look away.
“I… I attacked Miller.”
An awkward silence flowed between them. For the first time in his life, Dane felt like he wanted to run away somewhere. Ashley was silent for a while, wondering what he was thinking. He just stared at Dane silently before finally opening his mouth slowly.
“You did it to him?”
Dane couldn’t bring himself to answer and just nodded his head very slightly. Ashley frowned and tilted his head to one side.
“Why?”
It was a reaction that he couldn’t understand at all. Of course he would. Dane bit his lower lip and finally confessed.
“I was in Heat cycle…”
“Ah…”
Only then did Ashley seem to understand. Well, if it wasn’t for that reason, Dane wouldn’t have even imagined sleeping with Grayson in the first place.
Ashley looked at Dane and thought. He was an Omega, wasn’t he? He hadn’t expected it, but when he thought about Chase’s partner, Joshua Bailey, it wasn’t something he couldn’t understand.
Soon, Ashley put his thoughts aside and turned his attention to the matter at hand.
“So, is he saying he’s going to sue you?”
This time, Ashley asked a question that he hadn’t even thought of. Dane was so surprised that he couldn’t help but look at his face again.
“Pardon? No, he didn’t say anything like that…”
“Then what’s the problem?”
It was Dane who was flustered. Ashley, puzzled again at him, who trailed off, asked.
“If Grayson has no complaints about it, then there’s nothing I can do, is there?”
Dane was speechless and just stared at Ashley’s face.
What’s wrong with this family…
I’ve seen a lot of things because I haven’t had a smooth life so far, but I’ve never imagined this kind of situation. Have I been rolling around in the gutter too much? Is this what the lives of the rich are like?
An Omega raped his son, and what is that reaction?
Dane couldn’t understand at all and just stood there blankly. Is it because they grew up in different environments? Even so, is that a normal reaction?
Suddenly, he remembered something he had forgotten. Grayson, who said he had been imprisoned. And he didn’t even know it was a punishment.
The scene of this man locking young Grayson in a dark basement and closing the door was so vividly drawn in front of his eyes. Then Dane felt his mind freeze coldly.
108 – 108
Ashley, still sounding like he was interrogating Dane, asked in a cool tone.
“Anyway, dating Grayson is your own choice, right? Not because he forced you or because of some unsavory incident.”
“…It is my choice.”
Since it was true that it was his own choice, Dane acknowledged it with a sullen face, and Ashley continued.
“He was so confident that you taught him emotions. Do you agree?”
“With what?”
Ashley narrowed his eyes at Dane’s question, who was frowning.
“Do you think Grayson really feels emotions?”
The man’s voice was full of disbelief, as if he was sure that such a thing could not happen to his son. Seeing that reaction, Dane felt a surge of defiance.
“Of course. I don’t know why you wouldn’t think so. Well, they say parents are the last to know their children.”
The last words were clearly sarcastic. A slight wrinkle formed on Ashley’s brow, clearly displeased, but Dane didn’t care at all. He had lived his whole life without caring whether others liked him or not. He might buy snacks or make soothing noises to win over animals, but he would never do that to people.
Looking down at the Omega’s bright blue eyes that were staring straight at him, Ashley slowly opened his mouth.
“Really? You seem confident that you know a lot about my son.”
“I don’t know if I know as much as you do, but I think I know aspects that you don’t.”
Ashley Miller narrowed his eyes. It was clear that he was displeased, but unexpectedly, the Pheromones floating around him were stable. Dane was inwardly surprised that he wasn’t angry at all. He thought that if he met someone who dared to contradict him so directly, he would naturally be furious.
Was this man unexpectedly calm, or was it just not worth getting angry about?
“Is that all you wanted to say?”
Dane was brought back to reality by Ashley’s voice. He took out a case from his suit jacket pocket, chose a cigar, and said.
“It’s fortunate that someone who knows my son so well is by his side. I don’t know how long it will last, though.”
Dane silently watched him cut the end of the cigar and light it.
“Well, it’s good to have hope.”
Contrary to his words, he twisted the corner of his mouth into a cynical smile. Dane couldn’t help but frown at the face that seemed to be mocking him. He suddenly felt like he had heard Ashley’s unspoken thoughts.
It probably didn’t mean anything.
“I have a question.”
The words came out before he could think. Meeting Ashley’s still cold gaze, Dane opened his mouth.
“Have you ever abused Grayson?”
Ashley, who had taken the cigar out of his mouth, stopped moving. Instead of being flustered or apologizing, Dane waited for his reaction with a frown. As if telling him to say what he had to say.
With a cool tension between them, Ashley slowly lowered his hand. He directed his emotionless gaze at Dane and, after a moment of silence, slowly moved his lips.
“Did Grayson say that? That I abused him?”
His low voice sank even deeper, to the point where it felt chilling, but Dane didn’t care and replied.
“No, he doesn’t even know if he was abused.”
“And?”
Ashley asked, bringing the cigar back to his mouth.
“Why do you think I abused him?”
“I saw and heard it myself.”
Dane answered without hesitation.
“Grayson said he had been locked in a basement. But he doesn’t even know if that was abuse.”
Only then did Ashley seem to understand the situation, and he let out a short laugh, as if it were absurd.
“Do you believe him?”
“Tell me yourself, did that really happen?”
Dane asked persistently. He had to resolve this question. He waited for Ashley’s answer, feeling a strange sense of pressure. But instead, he frowned in annoyance and asked back.
“Are you suspecting that I hit him?”
“Including that.”
“…Ha.”
Ashley let out a dumbfounded exclamation. For the first time, his cold expression wavered. He opened his mouth in genuine bewilderment and looked into the distance, but when he turned his gaze back to Dane, his face was full of contempt.
“If I had hit the children, I would have been divorced. Do you think I would have done something that would make Koi hate me?”
“So you didn’t hit him?”
“I didn’t hit him, and I didn’t abuse him!”
Eventually, his voice rose. Ashley took a deep breath as if he was truly frustrated, then repeatedly inhaled the cigar smoke. After some time, he seemed to have calmed down and glared at Dane with a scowl, adding.
“I was just teaching the children how to protect themselves. Yes, the method might have been excessive. But what else could I do? No matter how kindly I spoke or how gently I taught them, they didn’t understand! Grayson was a ticking time bomb from birth, because of this damn Trait!”
Ashley, who seemed to be gradually pouring out his words, suddenly stopped. Silence fell. In the silence, Ashley said in a subdued voice.
“Striker, we live in gratitude that he doesn’t inflict irreversible harm on others.”
He took another puff of cigar smoke and asked.
“In that basement, what did he do? Did he do something ridiculous to help someone?”
Dane couldn’t answer immediately. Ashley chuckled at his hesitant appearance, as if he had expected that reaction.
“I knew it.”
At the cynical tone, Dane had no choice but to briefly explain what had happened.
“There was a child locked in the basement, and Grayson chose to be imprisoned in the basement with him to help the child. He said it was better to have someone with him than to be alone in the dark. He said he was just trying to help the child.”
Ashley sucked on his cigar without saying a word. Dane immediately noticed the indifferent reaction.
“You’re not surprised.”
Ashley let out a short laugh, though he didn’t seem amused at all.
“Do you think I’ve only experienced that once or twice?”
He had been reacting nervously, but he just smoked his cigar for a while. After some time, Ashley opened his mouth.
“You asked if I abused Grayson? Yes, the discipline was strict. Do you know why?”
Ashley gave the answer without waiting.
“He almost killed someone before he was 10 years old, twice. The first time, he did it himself, with his own hands.”
Dane froze at the unexpected words. Seeing him like that, Ashley said.
“Who do you think the target was?
It was Koi.
He tried to kill his family.”
Ashley continued.
“Koi can’t smell. He can barely taste anything. Grayson was curious if that was real. So do you know what he did? He made a cake and put detergent in it. Koi almost died from eating it.”
His voice, which had been extremely businesslike, gradually wavered. Then, Ashley spat out roughly.
“If I had arrived any later, I would have found Koi’s body.”
Ashley’s hand holding the cigar could be seen trembling slightly. As Dane watched, Ashley continued to speak.
“There were three of my children there, and no one called an ambulance. They just watched in fascination as Koi was dying.”
He was silent for a moment, as if trying to calm his emotions. He just inhaled the cigar smoke deep into his lungs. After some time, he recalled the memory in a low voice as before.
“Grayson was severely punished, of course. So what do you think that child, who realized that he shouldn’t kill people, did?”
Of course, Dane couldn’t even guess. Ashley gave him a cynical smile.
“He tried to get someone else to kill him.”
Dane’s blue eyes shook violently.