Chapter 351

Damien

"Who is this?" I glare at Daphne, then at the Omega standing beside her. Blonde hair. Green eyes. An Omega—I can tell from the collar around his neck, the subtle deference in his posture.

"Your new fiancée," she says.

"What?!" I shoot up from my chair, ready to throw both of them out of my office.

"His name is Allie. Short for Alexander." She ignores my outburst completely.

"What is the meaning of this?!" I slap my hands on the desk. The sound echoes through the room.

"Give us a moment," she says to the Omega. He nods and walks out, closing the door behind him.

"What the fuck are you doing?" I snap.

"Coming up with a solution." She crosses her arms. "A surefire way to win the election."

I want to snap at her. Tell her to get out. Throw something at her perfectly composed face. But I’m grasping at straws. I can’t see a way out of my current predicament—which is entirely her fault.

I sink back into my chair.

"What do you mean?"

"How many people in power do you know—Alphas mated to male Omegas?" She walks around my desk, perches on the edge.

"I don’t know. How is this relevant?"

She rolls her eyes. "We’ve built your image as this liberal, progressive Alpha. What better way to cement that than getting married to a male Omega?"

I furrow my brows. "I’m publicly engaged to Vivienne."

"Well." She examines her nails. "Vivienne is now my wife. Obviously, I won’t come out with that information to the public just yet."

"Get on with it." I fold my arms.

She leans forward. "Picture this. Damien Han, Alpha, one-term mayor, running for re-election, out volunteering. He’s drugged by enemies—political rivals who want to destroy his ’family man’ image. They want to paint him as an Alpha who can’t control his needs."

I stare at her.

"In his compromised state, he accidentally mates an Omega. Not his fiancée. But instead of hiding it, instead of sweeping it under the rug—" She spreads her hands. "He does the honorable thing. He calls off his engagement. Takes responsibility for the Omega he marked. He’s not a villain. He’s a victim. A hero. Self-sacrificing."

"That’s ridiculous."

"So ridiculous it might work." She smiles.

"My rut isn’t even—" I start.

She pulls something from her pocket. Sets it on the desk. A small bottle. Unlabeled.

"This is a new drug from my company. Still in testing stages. It can induce rut or heat." She meets my eyes.

"Unlike the illegal ones on the market, this one is safe with no dangerous side effects."

I look at the bottle. Then at her.

"This won’t work."

"What’s the alternative?" Her voice sharpens.

"Because I’m sure as hell not divorcing my wife. Besides, I know you prefer male Omegas." She tilts her head.

"Do you know how hard it was for me to find one who comes from a good family? A similar background? A clean past? Who matches your physical preferences?"

I don’t respond.

"Think it over." She slides off the desk. "This plan goes into motion next week."

She walks to the door, pauses with her hand on the handle.

"I’ll let him in."

She leaves. The door clicks shut.

Moments later, the Omega walks in.

I stand. Smooth my tie. Extend my hand.

"Damien Han."

"Of course, Mr. Mayor." He smiles. Pretty. Dimples.

Elliot-level pretty.

Daphne wasn’t lying about the physical preferences.

"Take a seat, Alexander." I sit back down.

"Allie, please." He settles into the chair across from me, crossing one leg over the other. "I have a cousin named Alexander too. To avoid confusion, I go by Allie."

"Of course. Allie." I lean back, study him. "Tell me about yourself."

"Of course." He folds his hands in his lap. "I’m twenty-four. I have a bachelor’s in political science. I like hiking, reading—"

***

Daphne

I know they’ll hit it off.

I personally cultivated Alexander as Elliot’s replacement ages ago.

With the System’s help, I compiled a comprehensive profile,Damien’s preferences, his habits, his likes and dislikes about our dear main character.

The System even helped me source photographs of Elliot at his most unguarded. The way he laughs. The way he tilts his head when he’s curious. The way his eyes crinkle at the corners. All of it was analyzed, cataloged, and replicated.

Alexander didn’t just need to be pretty. He needed to be familiar. Comfortable. A mirror that reflected exactly what Damien wanted to see.

The plastic surgery wasn’t anything major—just subtle tweaks. A slight lift here, a soft fill there. Moving him from your average pretty Omega to absolutely stunning.

Prior to me finding him, Alexander was a sex worker at an upscale brothel—the kind that caters to wealthy clients who want discretion. He was good at his job.

The System was very useful. We wiped his records, fabricated a new identity, planted evidence of a wealthy family overseas. A tragic past that explained his absence from society.

He knows what’s at stake. Knows what will happen if he slips.

But he won’t slip. He’s a professional.

If we take everything Damien loves about Elliot and place it into someone else... will he still want Elliot? 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

We’ll see.

*

I’m driving to the outskirts of town. That’s where Vivienne is—a small cottage I bought years ago, hidden in the hills, far from the city and its complications. I needed her to be away from the stress while I dealt with everything.

The road is dark, the trees pressing close on either side. My headlights cut through the fog, illuminating nothing but the asphalt ahead.

[Harem breakdown: 77.87% complete.]

Oh?

[Charles Grey and Elijah Jacobs are no longer part of the main character’s harem.]

Did he find out about them?

The System proceeds to narrate what caused this.I can’t help it. I laugh.

"They asked him to have a child?" I shake my head, still chuckling. "That’s ridiculous."

Well good news for me.