IAAA Chapter 1

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There is nothing more honorable than being an alpha. Strong in body, sharp in mind, and undeniably handsome. Unlike the countless betas who fade into the crowd, nor as fragile as the delicate omegas.

Even more honorable than that—I am an alpha who has been a vegetative patient for twelve years.

My body lay in bed for twelve years, and when I finally opened my eyes, the sunlight outside nearly blinded my dry, aching eyes. The machines around me beeped incessantly, and the caretaker on duty, whom I couldn’t name, stared at me as if he had seen a ghost. God knows, I almost thought his already frail beta shoulders were about to tremble apart.

However, my miraculous return from the dead didn’t seem to be well-received. I struggled to prop up my stiff old body and waited for a long time before a doctor stormed in, looking absolutely furious.

"When did you wake up?"

His tone was so aggressive that I, using my recent recovery as an excuse, didn’t bother responding. Instead, the poor caretaker answered for me. "More than two… no, more than three hours ago."

"Why does it have to be now?" The doctor muttered under his breath, but I still caught it. I rolled my eyes but let him ramble on about some medical instructions before exhaustion pulled me back into unconsciousness.

I thought I could sleep myself back into being a vegetable again, but reality had other plans—my hunger mocked me awake, forcing me to face the truth.

"Fuck this." I cursed at the blindingly white ceiling.

"You're awake?"

It was the young caretaker’s voice again. He looked so young he could almost be my son. He inserted a straw into a thermos cup and handed it to my lips.

"Please drink a little. Your body should be able to handle water now."

I took a sip, and the sensation burned down my throat, which had been dry for over a decade. It hurt like hell. But oddly enough, the pain made everything feel real—I was truly awake. It wasn’t a dream.

The young caretaker, seeing that I had drunk enough, took the water away and started rambling. "You'll need to undergo a series of tests to evaluate whether your body functions are returning to normal."

I nodded. He continued, "But it might take a while."

"Why?"

My voice startled him. No one expected a person who had been in a coma for twelve years to wake up with normal cognitive abilities, even if my voice was hoarse—like a blade scraping across glass.

"Because something big happened at the hospital this morning!" The young caretaker’s eyes sparkled with excitement. "The president of Quanta Group’s wife went into labor—complications with severe hemorrhaging. He probably won’t make it."

I was stunned. "Who?"

"Oh, right! Sorry, I forgot you just woke up." The caretaker scratched his head. "You know President Shen, right?"

"Yeah." My expression darkened. I had fought against him for so many years—how could I possibly forget?

"It's his wife! They've been married for over a decade, and their relationship is amazing. When he gave birth to their second son, my mentor was his caretaker. They were so affectionate it was almost too much." The caretaker sighed. "But this time… it looks like he won’t survive."

I closed my eyes. A strange heaviness settled in my chest.

During my hospital stay, while undergoing physical rehabilitation, I went to visit the poor newborn child—born without an omega father.

His tiny body was red, his newborn hair was thick and dark, and to my surprise, he opened his big, round eyes, staring at me intently.

"He looks good, no doubt he—"

"No doubt what?"

Hearing the voice, I froze. My body stiffened as I turned around, and when I saw the person behind me, I almost trembled.

"Jun… Shen Junshan?!"

The man before me was unnervingly calm, so much so that I couldn’t associate him with someone who had just lost his wife. He glanced past me at his child, and I took the opportunity to observe him.

Alphas were undeniably charismatic creatures. Even though he was almost forty, he still had an aura that could draw people in. The kind of presence honed over time—so much more refined than my appearance after spending twelve years as a sleeping beauty.

"Something wrong?"

I must’ve been staring too openly because he glanced at me after a short while.

"N-No, nothing." There was no way I’d admit to anything. I blurted out clumsily, "Well… see you."

"Mm, see you." He added four words I wasn’t expecting. "Get well soon."

I had been competing with Shen Junshan for over twenty years—from the moment I was born until I became a vegetative patient. Every second, I had been striving to surpass him.

Our parents were both company shareholders, and despite being of the same generation, we had never been on friendly terms.

Competing for first place, for height, for looks… Anything that could be compared, I fought to win. Though looking back now, all of that felt so distant.

I saw the dark circles under his eyes, the exhaustion he couldn’t hide, and suddenly, I felt… disinterested.

I spent two more weeks in the hospital before I was finally discharged. Apparently, the only reason I was allowed to stay in the VIP ward was because of a request from the very same president’s wife—who was now in a coma, his fate unknown.

I wanted to see him, but standing outside his room, I hesitated.

I chickened out.

But I did see their two children—the older one, nine years old, and the younger one, just four. Two handsome little alphas.

The older brother held the younger one’s hand, his little face serious. The younger one’s cheeks were still round and soft, his big eyes blinking curiously.

"Gege," the younger one tugged at his brother’s hand, asking in a small voice, "When will Papa wake up?"

The older one’s eyes reddened, but after a pause, he lowered his head and gently patted his little brother’s hair.

"Papa is tired from having the baby. He’ll wake up once he’s rested enough."

"I miss Papa." The little one’s voice was filled with grievances, his tear-filled eyes barely holding back his emotions. He looked so much like Shen Junshan.

The two children held hands and walked into the hospital room.

I stood there, my chest tightening as if pierced by needles.

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