Chapter 18: Why Am I Paying for Zyren?

Zyke’s hand is still wrapped tightly around my wrist, his grip unyielding, almost crushing. His eyes lock onto mine—dangerously sharp, piercing through me without blinking. The morning air is cold, but the chill no longer matters. What suffocates me instead is his pheromone—strong, oppressive, heavy with anger.

He’s furious.

But why?

I didn’t do anything.

I try to step back, instinctively pulling at my wrist, but his fingers tighten instead. Pain shoots through my arm. I force a smile, shallow and strained, though fear curls deep inside my chest. I don’t want this. I don’t want to feel that pain again—the pain he gave me last time. It felt like standing at the gates of death, begging the god of mercy to look away.

His stare never wavers.

“Big… big brother,” I say, my voice cautious, almost trembling. “What’s wrong?”

He doesn’t loosen his hold. Instead, he steps closer, invading my space, his shadow falling over me.

“What are you trying to do?” he asks coldly.

I blink, completely confused.

“What… what did I do?” I ask, trying to keep my tone light, to ease the tension that’s choking the air between us.

His grip tightens again.

“You’re trying to pursue my wife.”

The words hit me like ice water.

I stare at him in disbelief.

This man really believes whatever he wants.

I’ve read countless novels—S-class Alphas are supposed to be sharp-minded, perceptive. But looking at him now, I seriously doubt it.

I try to step back again, my wrist still trapped in his hand, the pressure painful enough to make my fingers numb.

“Big brother, you’re misunderstanding,” I say carefully. “Sister-in-law and I were just walking and chatting.”

His pheromone thickens, flooding the space around us. My throat tightens, dry and uncomfortable.

“Really?” he says. “Just walking and talking?”

His fingers squeeze harder.

“Ah—!” I flinch, pain tearing from my wrist. “Big brother, it hurts!”

He doesn’t react. Doesn’t even blink.

Enough.

I wrench my hand free with force, ignoring the sharp sting, and look down at my wrist.

Red fingerprints bloom against my skin, angry and undeniable. My chest rises and falls as frustration finally spills over.

I’m trying to be good.

I’m trying to stay quiet.

And he’s hurting me without reason.

I look up at him, my voice no longer polite. “Big brother, can’t you just talk normally?”

Something shifts—just slightly—in his expression. Not much. But enough to notice.

“Why are you so angry?” I continue, forcing myself to stay calm. “Sister-in-law and I were just enjoying the morning air. He likes flowers, so I kept him company and talked about them. That’s all. I don’t have any bad intentions.”

His eyes narrow.

I sigh, exhausted. “Why would I even pursue my sister-in-law? If I wanted to pursue someone, I’d definitely choose a rare Omega, or—”

I don’t get to finish.

A sudden, brutal punch slams into my face.

Pain explodes.

The world spins.

I fall onto the grass with a strangled sound. “Ah—!”

Oh god…

Why did he hit me?

Zyke stands over me, looking down without a trace of regret.

“How dare you say my Omega isn’t rare and beautiful,” he says coldly.

I clutch my face, lying helplessly on the grass. My head spins violently, my ears ringing. Something warm touches my lips.

Blood.

I try to speak, to argue, to explain that I didn’t mean it like that—but my mouth hurts too much. Every movement sends sharp pain through my jaw.

He steps back.

Then he turns away.

“Don’t ever come close to my Omega again,” he says without looking at me.

“Especially—don’t give him flowers,” His voice hardens, final and merciless.

“If you ever do it again, I’ll kill you.”

I still lie on the grass, one hand pressed to my aching face, staring blankly at the sky above me. The blue feels too wide, too distant.

I try my best to be good… and yet I still get punched.

Wow, Neon.

In your first life, you were poor and lonely.

In this second life, you’re rich—but still drowning in problems.

And the loneliness? It never changed.

I wish… just once… someone would care about me.

My eyes slowly close as the cold morning air brushes against my skin. Silence wraps around me. Zyren did countless wrong things—so why am I the one being punished now? Why am I the one struggling so hard just to be a good person?

I’m not Zyren.

So why is it me who has to suffer for his sins?

I lie there without moving, my body heavy against the grass, almost like a corpse abandoned under the sky.

Then—

A soft touch.

I flinch and quickly open my eyes.

Golden hair sways gently in the breeze, glowing under the morning light. I blink in disbelief.

Angel is sitting beside me.

His hands cup my face carefully, so gently it almost hurts more than the punch. His eyes are filled with worry, trembling with fear.

“Young master… are you alright?” he asks, his voice shaking.

His gaze drops to my mouth. “Your lips… they’re bleeding, young master…”

I stare at him without blinking.

He’s worried about me.

His touch is warm, careful, like I might shatter if he presses too hard. His pheromones reach me—sweet, soft, strawberries—and stronger than usual. I remember reading about this… when an omega is scared or distressed, their pheromones spill out without them realizing.

“Young master…” he whispers again, almost pleading.

I finally blink.

He looks unreal in the sunlight—soft, golden, painfully beautiful. Slowly, I push myself up, my body still aching. His hands never leave my face.

“Young master, are you alright?” he asks again.

I try to smile. The movement pulls at my injured lip.

“Ah—”

He tenses immediately.

“I’m fine,” I manage to say softly. “Don’t worry.”

Angel softly asks, ” Young Master what are you doing here… lying on the grass like a dead body?”

I blink up at him, feeling the softness of the grass beneath me. Slowly, I turn my head and answer lightly, “Just… enjoying the fresh air.”

His gaze shifts from my eyes to my lips—still stained with blood.

“…Like this?” he asks quietly.

I smile at him, soft and careless, as if nothing hurts at all.

He helps me to my feet, steadying me carefully, as if afraid I might fall again. Together, we walk back into the mansion—his presence quiet beside me, warm and real.

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