House of Crimson....
The massive building pulsed with neon lights, laughter spilling into the night. Couples were tangled up in the parking lot, mouths locked, hands everywhere. Rihan walked past them without slowing, heading straight into the building.
The air hit him like a wall thick with pheromones, sweat, and perfume. Half-dressed Alphas, Betas, and Omegas moved through the haze, their bodies brushing against each other in the dim light.
He frowned. The scent was suffocating, almost dizzying, but there was no escaping it. So, he simply moved on.
He made his way to the VIP section. From there, he could see open rooms filled with movement. Silhouettes tangled in pleasure, moans blending with the bass that vibrated through the walls. The smell of sex was everywhere.
Rihan's jaw twitched as he pushed through to an empty lounge, dropped onto a leather couch, and sprawled back, manspreading like a king surveying the filth of his city.
He brushed a few loose strands of hair off his face, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it. The first drag burned clean through the stench, smoke curling lazily in the crimson air.
"Hey, handsome." Came a smooth, teasing voice.
A female Alpha walked in. She was tall, broad-shouldered, and perfectly built. Her dark bob framed her sharp features, and her black shirt was rolled to the elbows, paired with wide-legged pants that fit just right.
She carried a bottle of expensive liquor in one hand, her smirk lazy. "Fuck me,"
She dropped into the chair opposite him, resting the bottle on the table. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you."
Rihan's lips curved slightly. A rare, genuine smile. "I'm here on the job."
"You can still relax," she purred, pouring herself a drink. "Your twenty-eighth birthday was last month. Another reminder you're getting older… and even more dangerously sexy."
Rihan chuckled quietly, smoke drifting from his lips, his eyes gleaming faintly under the red light. "Business is going well," he said.
"Business is always going well." She snorted softly, swirling the liquor in her glass. "Tell me what it is this time."
"Lantern House." Rihan exhaled a stream of smoke. "I've got a case linked to that place. A sex worker from there was killed by the same man who got him into the job in the first place. Hana, tell me everything I should know about that place."
Hana's smile faded, the amusement draining from her face. "That place is a dump now. How is—" She stopped when she caught the cold, serious look in his eyes.
With a sigh, she leaned back. "Look, just because I run a brothel doesn't mean I know everything about other brothels."
"I understand," Rihan said, flicking ash away. "But give me anything useful. Whatever you remember."
A sly smile crept back onto her lips. "On one condition."
Rihan groaned quietly, half amused. "Of course. What is it?"
"You take off that pheromone blocker for a month."
Rihan let out a low, dark chuckle. "Very funny."
Hana's expression softened, almost pitying. "Gosh. Such an Enigma like yourself, forced to hide what you are. And with only one of your kind in existence…" She sighed. "So sad. Are you planning to die lonely, Rihan?"
"Hana…" Rihan groaned, sliding the cigarette back between his lips.
"Fine, fine." She lifted her hands in mock surrender before leaning on the table. "The main lord of that place was a gang leader of some old syndicate that's long gone now. But his assistant was the one who really ran it. Creepy bastard, one eye missing, always smelled like cheap cigars. He's an Alpha, I think. His name is Minsoo?"
Rihan nodded. "Do you have a picture of him?"
Hana nodded again, pulling out her phone. A few taps later, Rihan's phone buzzed. He took it out, studying the photo of a rough-looking man with an eyepatch covering his left eye.
"Seen him around recently?" Rihan asked.
"Last night," she said, her lips curving into a frown. "Came in drunk. Paid for three Omegas. Poor souls."
Rihan's jaw tightened slightly. "Thank you." He stood to leave.
"No, no, no wait." Hana stepped closer, holding out a hand. "I take back my condition about the pheromone blockers, but you're not leaving yet. Sit. Loosen up for once."
Rihan's brow arched, but he didn't resist when she pressed her glass into his hand. She grabbed the bottle and poured him another drink.
"Drinking on the job is bad," he muttered, though he raised the glass anyway and downed it in one go.
Hana laughed softly. "There you go."
"You're such a bad influence," he said, setting the glass down.
"That's because you stopped coming to drink with me. Just because I'm not a corpse doesn't mean you should avoid me."
Rihan rolled his eyes. "Whatever."
She poured him another glass, and he drank that one too without hesitation.
At that moment, one of her bodyguards stepped in. "Boss, you're needed at the drink store. Some boys broke a few bottles."
Hana sighed, straightening. "Time to get to work, handsome. I'll see you later."
Rihan watched her walk off with the bodyguard, then grabbed the bottle and drank the rest of it himself, the burn settling deep in his chest.