Alpha Culinary Love

I kissed her softly, savoring the warmth and comfort of her presence. "Just promise me you\'ll be more careful. I can\'t lose you."

"I promise," she said, her voice filled with love and sincerity.

As Jiyeon settled back into her bed, exhaustion overtaking her, I gently brushed a strand of hair from her forehead and watched her eyes flutter shut. She needed rest, but I had other plans. My mind was already racing, plotting the next steps. Those brigands wouldn\'t get away with this.

Once Jiyeon was asleep, I quietly left the hospital room. I needed to get to the bottom of this, but I wouldn\'t dirty my hands directly. That\'s what subordinates were for. I made my way to the car and drove to my office, my mind running through the list of operatives I could trust with this delicate mission.

At my office, I called in my most trusted aide, Soo-Min, a highly skilled investigator with a knack for uncovering the truth.

"Soo-Min, I need you to find out who was behind the attack on Flavors of Seoul," I said, handing him a flash drive containing the security footage. "Use every resource at your disposal. I want names, motives, everything."

Soo-Min nodded, his face serious. "Consider it done, Yura."

With Soo-Min on the case, I felt a measure of relief. Now I could focus on keeping Jiyeon safe and making sure my parents didn\'t suspect anything was amiss.

Back at the hospital, I found my parents sitting with Jiyeon, chatting animatedly. Jiyeon looked up as I entered, her face lighting up with a smile.

"Yura! Your parents were just telling me about your childhood adventures," she said, laughing.

I raised an eyebrow at my parents. "Oh, really? What embarrassing stories have you been sharing?"

Min-Jun chuckled. "Just the time you tried to build a treehouse and ended up stuck in the tree."

Jiyeon laughed, the sound like music to my ears. "I would have loved to see that!"

I shook my head, smiling. "It was a disaster. But it taught me persistence."

We spent the next hour talking and laughing, the tension of the day slowly melting away. It was moments like these that reminded me why I was fighting so hard to protect our happiness.

Days passed with no significant leads, and my frustration grew. I checked in with Soo-Min regularly, but the trail seemed to be cold. Jiyeon was healing well, and my parents were a constant source of support and comfort, but I couldn\'t shake the feeling of unease.

Then, one evening, Soo-Min called. "Yura, we\'ve identified the attackers. They go by the names Jin-Ho, Kyung-Min, and Sun-Hee. Low-level thugs, but it seems someone paid them a substantial amount to target your restaurant."

"Who?" I asked, my heart pounding.

"We\'re still working on that. But we\'ve narrowed down their recent contacts. We\'ll have more information soon."

"Good. Keep me updated."

As I hung up, Jiyeon looked at me, concern in her eyes. "Everything okay?"

I forced a smile. "Just some business matters. Nothing to worry about."

She reached out, taking my hand. "You don\'t have to handle everything alone, Yura. I\'m here for you."

Her words warmed my heart, but I knew I had to shield her from the darker aspects of my world. "I know, Jiyeon. Thank you."

Soo-Min continued his investigation, and finally, after what felt like an eternity, he called with the breakthrough we needed.

"Yura, we found the mastermind. Her name is Karen."

My blood ran cold. Karen. Of course. Karen was an Alpha who had been trying to seduce me for years, despite my constant rejections. She was obsessed, convinced that I belonged with her and not with Jiyeon.

"That explains a lot," I said, my voice steely. "Karen has been persistent. She must have seen Jiyeon as a threat."

"We have her location," Soo-Min said. "What are your orders?"

I took a deep breath, my mind racing. "Bring her in. I want to talk to her personally."

Soo-Min nodded. "Understood. We\'ll handle it."

As Soo-Min and his team moved to apprehend Karen, I focused on Jiyeon and my parents, making sure they were safe and unaware of the storm brewing around us. Jiyeon was almost fully recovered, and I could see the sparkle returning to her eyes.

One evening, as we sat together watching a movie, Jiyeon turned to me, her expression serious. "Yura, are you sure everything is okay? You\'ve been so tense lately."

I hesitated, then decided to tell her a partial truth. "I\'ve been dealing with some business issues. But I\'m handling it. I promise, there\'s nothing for you to worry about."

She studied my face for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Just remember, we\'re in this together."

I kissed her forehead, feeling a surge of love and gratitude. "I won\'t forget."

Late that night, Soo-Min called again. "We have Karen. She\'s in custody."

"Good," I said, my voice cold and determined. "Bring her to the safe house. I\'ll be there shortly."

I left the hospital quietly, driving to the location Soo-Min had secured. The safe house was a nondescript building, perfect for the confrontation I was about to have.

Karen was sitting in a chair, her hands bound, her eyes filled with defiance as I entered the room.

"Yura," she purred, a smile playing on her lips. "I knew you\'d come."

I ignored her seductive tone. "Why, Karen? Why attack Jiyeon and my restaurant?"

Her smile faltered. "Because you belong with me, Yura. Not with that... Alpha."

I stepped closer, my eyes blazing with anger. "You had no right. You endangered innocent lives."

Karen\'s expression turned desperate. "I did it for us! To show you that she\'s weak, that she can\'t protect you like I can."

As I got closer, Karen released a wave of her pheromones, a cloying, overpowering scent of artificial roses and heavy musk. It was meant to be seductive, to draw me in, but instead, it made my stomach churn. I recoiled, repulsed by the smell.

"Stop it, Karen," I snapped, my voice sharp. "Your pheromones won\'t work on me. They only make me sick."

Karen\'s eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed in anger. "You\'re an Omega. You should be drawn to me."

"Maybe I would be, if your intentions were pure," I said, my voice filled with disdain. "But your obsession is toxic, and so is your scent."

She lunged forward, her eyes wild. "You can\'t leave me, Yura! We\'re meant to be together!"

Soo-Min and his team restrained her, and I turned away, unable to look at her any longer.

"Take her away," I ordered. "And make sure she understands that if she ever comes near Jiyeon or me again, there will be severe consequences."

As Karen was dragged out, still screaming my name, I felt a sense of relief. The immediate threat was over, but I knew the fight wasn\'t truly over. There would always be those who couldn\'t accept my choices, my love for Jiyeon.