When the Prey Stops Running

The first person to learn of Seong Chanyeong’s whereabouts was Yoo Iseo.

Leisurely swirling his glass in front of the subordinate reporting to him, Yoo Iseo let out a small laugh.

“To think that Seong Chanyeong would hole himself up in some rural backwater… I never would’ve expected that.”

Since Baek Dojun hadn’t shared the information with the other three alphas, Yoo Iseo, Chae Yoonchan, and Joo Taegang had no idea that Chanyeong had gone off to farm.

The subordinate sitting respectfully before Yoo Iseo spoke.

“The informant said that he came to the hospital with a middle-aged man—about old enough to be his father—as a hired worker, to treat an injured puppy.”

“Hmm?”

“He seemed quite worried, and it looked like he was even willing to adopt the dog himself.”

“Seong Chanyeong? Really?”

That can’t be right.

At those words, Yoo Iseo raised an eyebrow and began turning things over in his head.

In his memory, Seong Chanyeong had always been nothing more than a self-absorbed idiot.

— I’m better than Seo Eunsu. So look at me instead.

A rich fool with a head full of flowers, yet pathetically desperate for love.

Originally a rare dominant omega, only to fall to a beta after his final trait evaluation—the youngest grandson of the Seong-eun Group.

That was all Yoo Iseo knew about Seong Chanyeong, and he had never felt the need to know more.

Because in his eyes, Chanyeong was nothing more than a fool who had everything yet still craved affection.

I really don’t understand why he lives like that.

On the outside, he looked perfect.

But inside, he was completely rotten—a hollow shell.

The moment Seo Eunsu, whom he had looked down on as a recessive omega, manifested as a dominant omega, Chanyeong had obsessed over tearing him down.

— Why should I?

That was exactly why Yoo Iseo had deliberately pretended to love Seo Eunsu even more.

— W-what? You’re saying you’d abandon me, a member of the Seong-eun Group, for someone like Seo Eunsu?

— It’s funny that you’re even talking about abandoning anyone. You’re not my lover. Stop acting like a delusional patient.

— You’ll regret this… you will.

Watching Chanyeong tremble in anger, consumed by inferiority, had been amusing.

There was nothing more entertaining than watching a fool rage over something he could never have.

And more than anything, everyone who had once confidently declared that Yoo Iseo would regret things had all ended up ruined.

So he had been curious just how far would Seong Chanyeong fall?

I want to see him crawl at rock bottom as miserably as possible.

That was why he had fueled Chanyeong’s stubbornness why he had poured oil on the fire and made it burn even brighter.

— Do you really think so? You’ll be the one who regrets it. I love Seo Eunsu.

He didn’t even love Seo Eunsu that much.

He had simply pretended to, even going as far as acting like a sponsor.

Originally, it was just a stepping stone—to secure a good dominant omega for marriage…

Yoo Iseo was a man who moved strictly according to his own plans.

He had no intention of wasting his time or money on something as soft as love.

To someone like him—who had clawed his way up from the shadows—

Seong Chanyeong was nothing more than a trivial toy.

Chanyeong possessed everything Yoo Iseo did not, yet clung desperately to something as trivial as love and affection, chasing after alphas who loved Seo Eunsu.

It was laughable.

I want to see how far he can sink.

In Chanyeong, Yoo Iseo saw echoes of someone from his past.

The legitimate son of his father’s main wife—his older half-brother—who had always mocked and ignored him, the illegitimate child.

Well… he’s dead anyway.

Unfortunately, that brother had died from illness before Yoo Iseo could take revenge.

Not long after, the main wife also died, making it easier for Yoo Iseo to become the heir.

But even then, he had always been left with a thirst for revenge.

That was why he had treated Seong Chanyeong so cruelly.

He wanted to see him completely lose his mind.

He had pretended to show affection toward Seo Eunsu, joined forces with other alphas Chanyeong was interested in, and mocked and despised him.

All for the sake of watching Seong Chanyeong’s downfall.

“And now you’re telling me that Seong Chanyeong brought an injured puppy to a hospital… and even said he’d raise it?”

That was something the old Seong Chanyeong—jealous, shallow, and foolish—would never have done.

Unless he had gone insane…
or been reborn entirely.

People don’t change that easily.

If they did, Yoo Iseo himself wouldn’t have turned out like this.

At the very least, he might have been able to feel even a shred of sympathy for someone like Seo Eunsu—or for Chanyeong, who struggled with affection deprivation.

But Yoo Iseo’s cold, twisted nature had never changed.

To him, the world was divided into things he could use… and things he could not.

And he believed Seong Chanyeong was the same.

That this was all an act—
just another scheme.

Still… this is new.

Yoo Iseo was curious.

When would Seong Chanyeong reveal his true nature this time?

And how badly would he fall?

For the sake of his own amusement, Yoo Iseo spared no effort in supporting the search for Chanyeong.

Patience, after all, made the reward sweeter.

“Did he seem physically fine? No memory loss or anything like that?”

“It didn’t appear so.”

“I see…”

His suspicion only deepened.

Yoo Iseo recalled the moment Baek Dojun had confessed during their last meeting that he had broken off his engagement with Seong Chanyeong.

From what I heard, it wasn’t Dojun—it was Chanyeong who handed over the breakup documents first.

And since Dojun had no reason to refuse, he had accepted it.

The engagement had been officially called off.

Not long after, even the chairman of the Seong-eun Group had personally confirmed it.

There was no doubt—it was true.

“Alright. You can go. Keep tracking Seong Chanyeong.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll relay the orders and have him monitored continuously.”

After dismissing his subordinate, Yoo Iseo was left alone in the room.

“…This is strange.”

Seong Chanyeong’s recent actions were impossible to understand.

Breaking off his engagement with Baek Dojun.

Abandoning the powerful backing of the Seong-eun Group and disappearing.

And according to Dojun, possibly being terminally ill—yet still treating an injured puppy and even deciding to raise it.

None of it made sense.

It’s like he’s become a completely different person.

Which should be impossible.

Yoo Iseo lit a cigarette and inhaled deeply.

Whatever illness Chanyeong had… it must have shaken him badly, because he was doing everything he normally never would.

“What could it be…?”

For the first time, genuine interest in Seong Chanyeong began to stir within Yoo Iseo.

He didn’t realize it himself, but he was deeply intrigued by Chanyeong’s unpredictability.

I thought he’d burn himself out with jealousy and inferiority until he self-destructed.

What a waste.

Yoo Iseo had expected him to meet a cruel and miserable end—had even pretended to show affection to Seo Eunsu just to push him further.

All of that effort, now pointless.

“Maybe I should meet Seo Eunsu and ask.”

After investigating, he learned that just like with the four alphas, Chanyeong had approached Seo Eunsu as well—to apologize and say goodbye.

But unlike the others, he had met Seo Eunsu in person.

That part irritated Yoo Iseo.

With him, Chanyeong had only left a half-hearted message and blocked him.

Yet with the person he supposedly hated most, he had shown the most sincerity.

It made no sense.

“You used to beg me to look at you, to love you… and now you end things like this?”

Ambiguous.

Annoying.

He dropped his cigarette to the floor and crushed it under his shoe.

Then he picked up his glass again.

“I’ll find out when I see him.”

If he could figure out Chanyeong’s true intentions, it would make things far more interesting.

It would be the perfect chance to dissect him completely and drag him back down again.

Yoo Iseo didn’t know.

Sometimes, life doesn’t go the way you expect at all.

While he was burning with dark intentions toward Seong Chanyeong—

Chanyeong himself was…

“Janggun, are you doing well today?”

Busy doting on the puppy that would soon become his companion, smiling brightly.

As for the original story’s male leads to Chanyeong now, they were nothing more than dust floating in the air.