HIT OR HEAT

The man had stopped screaming for twenty minutes.

Then...

Whack!

“Ahh!”

Whack!!

“Ahhh!”

Blood gushed out from his split lips and trailed down his face, swollen and mangled with dirt.

His shirt was also ruffled with dirt and blood.

Barely conscious, he could no longer scream properly, yet the muscular men in black suits, who had dragged him into the dark room a few hours ago and tied him to a wooden stool, wouldn't stop hitting him.

Another neatly dressed goon walked into the room and whispered something to one of the goons. They paused and swore at their victim, but stopped hitting him.

The door flung open.

“Where's the fucker?!” A tall, slim man walked into the room. His expressionless eyes settled on the bloodied man tied to the stool.

“Boss.” The two goons greeted him and bowed their heads as they stepped aside, allowing their boss to walk through.

He took off his jacket, tossed it at them, and rolled up his sleeves.

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” he swore through clenched jaws.

Before the injured man could protest, the boss's fist flew swiftly toward his face, and his lifeless screams accompanied each successive punch.

“I… I'll… speak…” he coughed as he tried to speak.

“Shit… I thought you wanted to die first, you fucker.” The boss finally stopped hitting him.

One of the goons brought him a chair and a handkerchief to wipe his bloody hands.

“Ugh… I was paid. A man… in a tinted car…” he cried out in pain.

“He wanted me to sell the construction project file… I refused, then he…” The injured man struggled to catch his breath as blood flowed from his lips.

The boss lit a cigarette and blew the smoke into the injured man's face.

“Hey. We don't have the whole day. You will have to spill everything if you want to…” He was interrupted by a knock on the door.

The door was opened by a tall, younger-looking lady in a pleated, knee-length skirt and heels. She adjusted her glasses, walked in, and bowed to the boss.

“Director Kelvin, you are late for the board meeting.” She glanced at her wristwatch and motioned toward the door for the director to leave with her.

Director Kelvin sighed, then stood up and rolled down his sleeves while the goons helped him put on his suit jacket.

He spat the cigarette at the injured man and spoke to one of the goons.

“chris, make this fucker spill the entire thing before I'm back.” He adjusted his suit and strutted out the door while the goons chorused a “Yes, boss” at his back.

The dark room was just a back room that led to Director Kelvin Holmes's executive office.

The Director of Blue Dreams Hotel and Suites. One of the best in the country and among the top ten biggest luxury hotel franchises in the world.

Kelvin Holmes collapsed onto the sofa in his office the moment they got in. He ran his fingers through his hair as he exhaled in frustration.

Fuck.

Even if he had enough proof, those old farts wouldn't believe him, let alone give him a second chance.

This is it… They'll try to get rid of him with this too.

“Julia.”

“Yes, Director.” She responded and handed him a sky-blue necktie.

He knotted his tie around his neck and stood up.

“How much time do we have on our hands?”

“The board meeting already started thirty minutes ago, Director. I got a call from Secretary Dean.” She spoke as quickly as she walked to his desk, arranging a few documents.

“Put a call through to President Max.”

“Already did. He's out of reach.”

“Shit. I knew it. That bastard is always out of reach whenever I need him.” He hissed and tugged at his tie.

The secretary walked toward him and handed him a little bottle containing pink suppressant pills.

“Director, you should take this before we leave. Also…” With a straight face, she adjusted his suit collar to help him put on a pheromone patch around his neck.

Kelvin sniffed himself and raised his face to meet hers.

His brows creased.

“Am I already leaking?” He sniffed himself again.

“No, just a bit. Your heat is approaching, so we have to be careful.” Julia Krest answered, keeping her poker face in check.

She was the only Alpha who worked closely with Director Kelvin—a thirty-two year-old Omega who had lived a decade of his life on suppressants. The rest were all Betas.

Even though she had damaged her pheromone gland in an accident, which led to her lack of Alpha pheromones, she could still recognize other people's pheromones.

This made her one of his close confidants.

Julia Krest always kept a poker face, regardless of the situation, but as they drove out to their destination, anyone could notice the subtle concern on her face.

Director Kelvin had worked so hard to get the higher-ups' permission to bid for the new Cyanril Haven project.

This project was huge enough to draw the attention of their biggest rival, GM Group.

Everything was going fine. They were sure to win the contract. Not until the entire project file went missing and the contractor vanished.

Well, they found him, and he's currently enjoying a good time in the dark room attached to Kelvin Holmes's office.

Now GM construction, who had showed up with exactly the same plan as theirs, won the Cyanril City Haven project.

Nevertheless, Director Kelvin has to show up and give explanations to the higher-ups today.

“Director Kelvin, your absence from this meeting would have warranted another—one to discuss your dismissal.”

The words rang out the moment Kelvin stepped into the conference room.

He slipped on a wry smile, unbothered, as he walked toward his seat.

“Unfortunately,” he said smoothly, pulling out his chair, “my absence is… absent, Director Tim.”

Director Tim let out a chuckle.

“President Max is absent as well. It seems you are all alone today,” he mocked.

He didn't need to say that. The moment Kelvin entered, he had scanned the entire room and realized that he had to deal with these old farts alone today.

Not that the president would offer much help, but half a loaf is often better than nothing at all.

Around the table, the directors wore their usual expressions of thinly veiled disdain.

Their words barely moved him now.

He was used to them too.

Except for the heavy wave of mixed Alpha pheromones pressing against him from all sides, suffocating him.

“Fuck.”

Kelvin swore under his breath, his jaw tightening.

Every damn time.

They never missed a chance to force him back into place with their disgusting stench.

Beneath the table, his fist clenched as he struggled to keep his head afloat.

“The Cyanril City Haven Project has been awarded to GM construction, resulting in significant losses for HT Constructions. By order of the Chairman, Director Kelvin Holmes of the Construction Division is to be relieved of his position on the HT Constructions board. Any objections?”

Not a single hand went up.

Like they had all collectively agreed upon it behind his back.

Kelvin Holmes bowed his head.

His eyes squeezed shut. His body temperature was rapidly increasing. His fingers moved to his neck.

The pheromone patch was completely drenched. Barely holding on.

“Shit,” he muttered under his breath.

If it came off now… his scent would flood the entire room.

“Director Kelvin, are you alright?”

The Chairman's secretary paused mid-speech. Every head in the room turned toward Kelvin at once.

He tried to steady himself, but the entire room was spinning, and he could barely speak.

No…

No way?

Was he… going into heat?

His gaze lifted weakly, landing on the indistinct shapes of the Alphas watching him.

No, not here, in the presence of the predators who had sought after him for years.

Fuck.

The room went blank, and his head landed on the desk with a loud thud.