Bound by a contract

#CHAPTER 3: THE ALPHA ARRIVAL

The next morning, Haru woke up before anyone else. He always woke up early—habit drilled into him like survival instinct. But today, it wasn’t just habit.

It was fear.

He lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling, listening to the unfamiliar silence of the mansion. His thoughts were already loud before the world had even begun to speak.

What happens next?

Deep down, he knew this place was supposed to be safer than his father’s house. And yet, safety had a strange shape here—one wrapped in power, in unknown rules, in an Alpha he had never met but was already bound to.

An infamous boss.

His so-called Alpha husband.

The thought alone made his chest tighten.

Haru wasn’t trying to please anyone here… not yet. And strangely, no one was trying to control him either. The maids, however, were careful around him—almost respectful. Not because he had earned it, but because for now, he was the boss’s Omega.

Until the Alpha returned.

And decided what Haru’s life would become.

Haru finally got up and showered, letting the hot water wash away the stiffness in his body. When he finished, he moved through the mansion like he used to in his father’s house—quiet, careful, invisible.

But this place was different.

It noticed him.

He wandered into the kitchen, almost instinctively, and began cooking without thinking. It was familiar—safe. The smell of food filled the large space, grounding him for a moment.

But then the maids entered.

A group of them, coming from the servants’ quarters in a separate building far from the main mansion. The moment they saw Haru, they froze.

“Ah—Omega Haru!” one of them said quickly, rushing forward.

Before he could even react, they gently took the spatula from his hand.

“No, no, no. That’s not your job,” another said firmly but politely. “Please allow us.”

Haru hesitated. “I can—”

But they were already smiling nervously, guiding him out of the kitchen like he was something fragile… or important.

He didn’t know which was worse.

So he let them.

Back in the room they had given him, Haru paused.

Someone was there.

A woman stood near the window.

She looked like elegance itself had taken human form. Every detail about her screamed luxury—from the soft fall of her hair to the calm confidence in her posture. She didn’t just wear expensive clothes… she wore authority.

And yet, she didn’t acknowledge Haru at all.

She simply walked past him like he was invisible.

Not a glance. Not a pause.

Just presence… and distance.

Haru stood frozen, unsettled by how easily she erased him from her world.

Later that day, the door opened again.

Cassian entered.

The right-hand man of the mansion.

He didn’t greet Haru. He simply walked in, tossed a set of clothes onto the bed, and adjusted his gloves like he had more important places to be.

“Dress up nicely,” Cassian said coldly. “The boss will be back today. Get ready.”

Haru looked at the clothes, then at him.

Cassian’s gaze sharpened slightly, as if evaluating him like a product.

“Who knows,” Cassian added, voice low, “if you look nice enough… he might decide to keep you, even though you are a male Omega.”

The words landed heavier than they should have.

Haru didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he nodded slowly.

Then he looked up.

“Can I ask you something?”

Cassian paused.

His eyes narrowed with suspicion. “What would make you suddenly curious?”

A long silence stretched between them.

Then—

“Go on,” Cassian said flatly.

Haru hesitated. “That lady… the one I saw earlier.”

Cassian’s expression shifted instantly. He already knew who Haru meant.

“You mean Lady Elena.”

“Yes,” Haru said quietly. “Who is she?”

Cassian’s gaze darkened slightly, like the name carried weight.

“She is the boss’s elder brother’s wife.”

Haru blinked. “The boss has an elder brother?”

Cassian didn’t answer the question.

Instead, he turned slightly toward the door.

“Get ready,” he repeated. “The boss will be here any time now.”

And then—

The sound of car horns echoed violently through the mansion gates.

One.

Then another.

Then several more.

The entire estate shifted.

Footsteps hurried. Voices lowered. Doors began to open and close in controlled panic.

Cassian didn’t even look back.

“He is here.”

Haru’s heart dropped.

Outside, engines roared closer.

The ground itself seemed to change with the weight of arriving power.

Whoever this man was… he wasn’t just arriving.

He was taking over the air.

And Haru, standing frozen in the room with unfamiliar clothes on the bed, suddenly realized something terrifying

He wasn’t preparing to meet his husband.

He was preparing to meet the beginning of his captivity.