“Stay away from me and maintain some distance, will you?” Lucian demanded.

Chiyo’s brow furrowed. It wasn't as if he was intentionally getting close to Lucian. Hearing the alpha's rude command only confirmed his growing belief that all ‘big shots’ had terrible attitudes.

“I don’t have any interest in getting close to you anyway,” Chiyo retorted, then turned his attention to Ren. “Okay, Ren, I’m leaving now. And my name is Chiyo.” He said his farewell before walking away.

Ren waved goodbye to Chiyo as he left the beach.

They both watched Chiyo walk away, remaining on the beach until he had disappeared back inside the hotel. Once Chiyo was gone, Ren smacked Lucian on the arm.

“What did you think about Chiyo? He was beautiful, wasn’t he?” Ren asked, his tone teasing.

Lucian brushed the sand and dust from his shirt with his thick, large hands. “I don’t think anything about him. He was nosy, that’s all. He irritated me for no reason.”

But Ren merely smiled, a look that clearly communicated he didn't believe Lucian at all. “Don’t lie. If you didn’t like him, you wouldn’t have sat with him. You hate Omegas.”

Lucian, the heir and next successor of the Han Group, was notoriously known for hating Omegas. Many powerful families had tried to match Lucian with their omega sons, but nothing had ever worked out. It was even rumored that he found the scent of dominant Omega pheromones intensely troublesome, as if someone were torturing him.

Lucian scratched the back of his head. “I just sat down because it’s a public beach, not his private property,” he insisted, turning his gaze out to the sea.

“How long are you going to keep hating Omegas?” Ren pressed.

As a dominant alpha, Lucian's pheromones were intensely unstable. When his anger flared due to his own pheromones, especially if he got a whiff of an Omega's scent or they came too close, he felt an overwhelming, dangerous urge to kill them on the spot.

“I don't like Omegas, so don’t irritate me. Leave me alone,” Lucian growled.

“Oh, come on, let’s go to the party. It’s your birthday; at least try to enjoy today,” Ren urged.

Even though it was Lucian's birthday celebration, he was far from happy. Inside the venue, the number of Omegas far outweighed the Alphas—a form of torture for him. That was the exact reason he had left the party earlier, having no interest in the event at all.

“Is Grandpa still inside, or did he leave?” Lucian asked, changing the subject.

“He’s still inside,” Ren replied, looking back toward the hotel.

“Then I’m not coming. You go.” Hearing Lucian’s definitive statement, Ren simply nodded and headed back inside, leaving Lucian alone on the beach.

When Ren re-entered the hotel, he instinctively glanced back at the beach. As he turned his attention forward, he saw several guests who were waving at him while drinking. Even though he didn't recognize them, he waved back politely.

“Ren!”

A voice called out to him from behind. When Ren turned, he saw an older man standing before him. He was a dominant alpha with brown hair and matching brown eyes, impeccably dressed in a gray suit. This was Lucian's grandfather.

The grandfather worried about his grandson’s life more than anyone. Lucian’s parents had died when he was young, and since then, the elder man had raised Lucian with unwavering love and care.

His greatest worry was Lucian’s intense hatred for Omegas. If Lucian continued to reject them, he would never marry, and the grandfather feared that after he himself was gone, especially since his own health was failing, Lucian would be alone forever. This concern was why he had finally decided to personally search for the perfect omega for his grandson.

This birthday celebration had been organized for that very purpose. He had invited numerous Omegas, including many dominant ones, hoping that exposure might soften Lucian's heart and help him fall in love with an Omega.

The grandfather was unaware of the severe physical and emotional distress Lucian actually experienced when he was near Omegas. He only knew that Lucian became instantly angry whenever marriage or Omegas were mentioned.

“Yes, Mr. Han?” Ren asked, addressing Lucian’s grandfather.

The grandfather gestured for Ren to follow him somewhere private. Ren complied, and they walked into the hotel’s garden. From there, the grandfather moved forward, his gaze fixed on the beach. Lucian was still sitting alone, only his back visible from their vantage point.

“A while ago, someone was sitting beside Lucian, wasn't there? Who was he? A Beta or an Omega? He looked too small to be an Alpha.”

“Yes, he was an Omega, but not an ordinary one, he was an elite Omega. It’s only my second time meeting one, honestly,” Ren replied, taking a spot beside the grandfather.

The grandfather looked at Ren quickly, hope flickering in his eyes. “Is Lucian dating him?” he asked.

Ren shook his head no.

“Well, he doesn't like Omegas, so what can we expect from him?” Ren said. His mobile buzzed, so he pulled it from his pocket, glancing at the incoming messages.

The grandfather was still watching the beach. “But Lucian’s behavior was different with that Omega. Lucian never even lets any Omega come close to him, nor does he approach them, yet this time he was sitting so near that Omega,” he mused, nodding to himself.

“Yes, I noticed that too,” Ren replied.

“If I don’t act now, he will remain single forever,” the grandfather murmured, his tone heavy with concern.

Ren understood that Lucian's grandfather was planning something. "So, what are you planning to do now?" he asked. He felt a sliver of hope, seeing Lucian’s recent, unusual tolerance for the Omega as a potential improvement. Perhaps Lucian might start to like them after all.

“I will get that Omega married to Lucian. Since he didn't actively hate that Omega, then it is settled,” the grandfather declared firmly.

“Huh?” Ren was utterly shocked. He had expected Lucian’s grandfather to search for a new, suitable Omega, but to make such a sudden, definitive decision was completely surprising.