Years Later

"The omega is to blame, he should be the one behind bars," the customer remarked, glancing at the TV screen behind me.

As I continued scanning the snacks he purchased, I chose to remain silent and let him vent his grievances. He's a regular at our convenience store and frequently voices his complaints about anything he deems unsatisfactory. Whether it's a product he dislikes, a malfunctioning machine, or a past disagreement with a former staff member, he never holds back.

Now, he's upset about the news involving an omega filing a rape case against an alpha.

I wasn't sure if I should feel relieved this time since he wasn't complaining about the store. Nevertheless, this man in his late fifties, who appeared to be a recessive alpha, was still quite irritating.

"That's precisely why you shouldn't be so reckless, mindlessly releasing your pheromones, and then blaming alphas for simply following our instincts. Tsk. Not all omegas are innocent victims, some are fully aware of their actions and manipulate situations, only to later put the blame on us. It's incredibly frustrating!"

As he continued his lecture, I focused on scanning his purchases, trying my best to remain composed despite the insults aimed at my second gender identity.

It was evident that he had strong opinions, but engaging in an argument with him would probably only make things worse, so I decided to keep my thoughts to myself.

I smiled at him, doing my best to hide my annoyance. "I'm a beta," I calmly corrected him.

"Really?" he responded, looking at me skeptically and scanning my appearance. "You seem too skinny to be a beta, but now that I think about it, I don't smell any scent from you."

I swiftly placed all his items into a plastic bag, and he promptly paid for his purchase.

I wanted to end this conversation as smoothly as possible.

"That guy came back," Samantha remarked with a chuckle as she watched the man leave after paying.

She adjusted her uniform while I prepared to leave since my shift had ended, and it was now Sam's turn to take over.

"It seems like his huge ego as an alpha has caused him to lose a few screws in his mind," she added with a playful smile.

Despite being a beta and unable to sense any pheromones, Samantha had a keen ability to discern who was an alpha or an omega based on their physical appearance.

I grabbed my small shoulder bag. "I'll go home now, Sam. Take care," I said after finishing tidying up.

"Here, take this. I already paid for it," she said, handing me a plastic bag with two burgers inside.

Glancing at her and then at the plastic bag, I teased, "You're spoiling her," but I still accepted the thoughtful gesture.

"That's precisely what I intend to do," she replied with a grin.

It was already past ten o'clock when my bus finally arrived. I had waited for fifteen minutes, and fatigue and drowsiness slowly started creeping into my system.

I still have another part-time job at a café early in the morning, making me desperate for some sleep.

While resting inside the bus and resisting the urge to doze off, my phone suddenly rang. I quickly checked it and saw a text from Midnight.

It's been a while since he contacted me. After the interview I had with the Sullivan Empire two months ago, I never heard anything from him.

From: Midnight

I received an email from Maximillian Sullivan's secretary. They are recruiting for the same position again, but this time they have chosen to select from the pool of previous applicants instead of conducting new hiring. Out of all the applicants, they have decided to hire you.

I was flooded with a mix of sudden and conflicting emotions. I couldn't figure out which one to address first.

On one side, I felt relieved and satisfied that, after years of planning, progress was finally happening. On the other side, there was an elusive emotion, hard to put into words, that left me feeling puzzled for a moment.

It has been six years since that fateful night. Our plans to eliminate the second son of Sullivan turned into chaos when the supposedly quiet and naive eldest son outsmarted us.

Instead of his brother being killed, it was our co-agents and the headmaster who lost their lives.

The person who hired us to target the second son was also killed. I believed I was the only one left, but several months after the incident, Midnight and other escaped agents found me.

We thought that the organization would end.

The organization, Crimson, is dead as soon as the headmaster is killed.

However, a glimmer of hope emerged when we received a cryptic message from an unknown number, asserting that they were still alive but held captive by Sullivan's men.

Despite receiving only one text and harboring doubts about its credibility, it has rekindled a flame of hope within us.

At that moment, we discovered a reason to keep living. We must find and rescue them.

To accomplish that, someone needs to infiltrate the company to gather information.

My phone rang once more. I received two more messages from Midnight.

From: Midnight

Meet me at the cafe where you work. I will hand over all the remaining documents for your new identity.

I opened the other message.

From: Midnight

Also, they mentioned that you can start next week. Don't ever mess up the plans again, Shadow.

I sighed heavily as I read his threatening words. Midnight... He still blames and hates me, but he endures being around me because he needs me.

I turned off my phone and continued to stare out the window. The city lights painted a vibrant tapestry against the dark canvas of the night sky.

The hustle and bustle of life below never seemed to cease, as if the city had a heartbeat of its own, pulsing with energy even in the late hours.

Surrounded by the mesmerizing sea of lights, my mind couldn't stop overthinking, as the plan was now in motion.

After years of living a simple life, pretending to be a beta, my life is about to return to its former state.

A bittersweet smile gently graced my lips. It was fun while it lasted.

When I arrived home, everything was dark. Well, it's already eleven o'clock, so they should be sleeping by now.

I placed my bag on the sofa and went to the kitchen to store the burgers that Sam had given me in the refrigerator.

I tried to be quiet as I didn't want to wake them up, but my efforts were in vain.

"Why are you tiptoeing?" a small, familiar voice of a child echoed in the quiet apartment.

"Why are you still awake?" I asked her, trying not to get angry. I closed the refrigerator and looked at her intently.

She was already wearing her pajamas. Despite giving her a meaningful look, she didn't budge. She knew I'd be upset if she didn't go to bed early, but this child was just too stubborn.

"Mauwi is waiting for you."

And now she was trying to escape by acting cute.

I sighed and crouched in front of her to be at her eye level.

"Mauwi, I already told you not to wait for me and go to bed early. You have classes tomorrow."

She just pouted and avoided looking at me. "I know, but Mauwi wants to see you. Mauwi misses you."

My heart ached. Lately, I hadn't been able to spend much time with her due to my job, and she must have felt lonely. "I'm sorry, I've been busy, but I promise to be with you this weekend. How about we go to the amusement park?"

After I said that, she immediately looked at me with excitement shining in her eyes.

"Really?! Mauwi's going to ride the Going Merry!"

"Yes, yes, Mauwi's going to have fun this Saturday, but first, Mauwi needs to sleep right now."

Mauwi nodded a few times. Her mood had improved, making it easy for me to persuade her to sleep.

I looked around. "Where's Liam?" I asked her, noticing that she was alone in the dark.

"Sleeping. He tried to put Mauwi to sleep, but he was the one who fell asleep first after a few seconds. How incompetent."

Maureen could be rude and straightforward. I knew that children were usually honest, but this girl had no filter and said whatever she wanted without caring how her words might affect other people. That's also my problem with her.

Her kindergarten teacher called me twice because Mauwi made her classmates cry. I honestly don't know what to do. I've tried to talk to her about it, and sometimes she listens, but most of the time, she can't help herself. She says what she thinks.

I've attempted to change her behavior, but I wonder if it's already ingrained in her, as she seems to have inherited it from him. Maybe it's just a natural part of who she is.

"Be nice to him. Despite his busy schedule, he tries to babysit you when I'm not around," I scolded her. She didn't say anything and remained silent.

Whenever she's quiet, I can see him in her. Their aura, personalities, and eyes are the same.

I'm relieved that's the only thing she inherited from that man, because if she also got his looks, it would be dangerous. I couldn't hide her for this long.

"Aren't you sleepy?"

I glanced at the refrigerator. It's a good thing I put the burgers that Sam gave me away before she saw them. It might be troublesome to put her to sleep, knowing her--they're her favorites, and she won't give up until she gets what she wants. It's not good for her to eat junk food late at night.

"Mauwi's sleepy. Mauwi wants to sleep with you," she says with a yawn.

I smile and lift her into my arms. I switch on the lights as we make our way to the bedroom. She holds onto me, and I can feel her getting drowsy.

I gently stroked her long and curly hair. "Goodnight, Mauwi. I love you."

"Goodnight, Mommy. Mauwi loves you too," she responds in her sleepy voice.