CHAPTER 33: CHAPTER 33

Yu Jin’s POV

I felt the floor drop from under me when Park Min said it.

"I’m getting full custody over my son."

My brain froze. My breath refused to move. The whole room tilted like it wanted to throw me out.

Before I could say anything, the door swung open.

The social worker marched in like she had been waiting outside to deliver a death sentence. Two officers followed her; one Alpha, one Beta, both already glaring in Woo Min’s direction.

She pointed straight at him.

"Dr. Woo Min, step forward now."

Woo Min didn’t move. He stood near Rin’s bed, shoulders tight, jaw locked, eyes flicking between her and Park Min like he was calculating whose neck should break first.

"What is this?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. It cracked anyway.

"We received an emergency report," she said. "An alpha assault incident. A civilian was almost hospitalized by pheromone overexposure. Witnesses identified Dr. Woo Min as the aggressor."

Park Min coughed behind her. Fake timing. Fake concern.

The officers stepped forward.

"We need you to come with us."

Woo Min finally looked up. He wasn’t scared. He wasn’t nervous. He looked... annoyed.

He glanced at the officers with a bored expression. "I’m working."

The Beta officer stiffened. "Sir this is not optional."

"Yes, it is," Woo Min said flatly.

They moved again. I jumped in the middle before Woo Min could decide violence was worth it.

"Stop! Wait....wait!" I said, hands up. "He didn’t start anything. He was triggered."

The Alpha officer narrowed his eyes. "Triggered by what?"

I pointed at Park Min without hesitation.

He blinked, caught completely off guard. "What? I didn’t..."

"He did," I cut in. "He provoked him. He caused the reaction. You want someone arrested? Arrest him."

The room went silent.

The officers looked at Park Min.

The social worker blinked. "Sir, were you involved?"

Park Min opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. No sound came out.

The Alpha officer sighed. "Sir, step forward."

"What? No...wait..." Park Min snapped. "I didn’t attack anyone!"

"The pheromone spike originated when you arrived," the Beta officer said calmly. "We have nurses confirming it."

I almost laughed. My throat was too tight.

Park Min stared at me like I’d stabbed him.

"You’re blaming me now?" he asked.

"I’m not blaming you," I said. "I’m stating facts. You walked out of the elevator, and everything went to hell."

The Beta officer grabbed his arm. Park Min jerked back, face twisting in panic.

"You cannot arrest me! I came here for my child!"

"And you endangered everyone on the floor," I said. "Congratulations."

The social worker cleared her throat sharply.

"Enough. Both of you need to stop. This is a medical facility and..."

She turned to me fully.

"And based on everything I’ve seen today, the baby is in danger due to unstable home dynamics."

My heart slammed against my ribs.

"What?" I whispered.

"This environment is unhealthy for an infant," she said. "There’s aggression. Conflict. Police involvement. And you, Mr. Yu Jin, you are showing signs of extreme emotional distress, and your physical stability is questionable."

"Are you saying, you’re taking my baby?"

"I’m saying," she replied, voice too calm, "that we will be reviewing immediate protective custody if things do not change."

I stepped back, shaking. "No. No, I thought we were over this, I’m taking care of him."

"Barely," Park Min said. "You look like you’re about to collapse every five minutes."

I snapped toward her.

"I’m telling the truth," she said, voice rising. "Look at you. You’re trembling. You can’t even stand straight. And he," he pointed at Woo Min, "is out here choking people with pheromones. How is that a safe environment for a newborn?"

Woo Min took a slow step toward to her.

I grabbed his arm immediately.

"No," I hissed through clenched teeth. "You can’t touch her. They’ll arrest you."

He looked down at me like he barely heard me. His eyes were too sharp, too dark. There was another man with her. And he kept pro. And hhime kept provoking him.

"He’s provoking you," I whispered. will lou hit him, we will lose everyth, ng.wly , slowly and looked back at Park Min.

The look said it all.

He takes care of me better than you ever did.

Park Min’s face twisted.

"Don’t look at me like that," he sna eped. "You’re not even his mate."

"I don’t need to be," Woo Min replied.

The social worker raised her hand. "Everyone quiet. The baby’s condition is still unstable. We cannot allow this chaos."

"We agree," the Alpha officer said. "So let us remove the main problem."

"I AM NOT THE PROBLEM!" Park Min practically screamed.

"You are," I said.

His head snapped toward me. "You’re unstable."

My breath stopped.

The officers paused.

Even Woo Min froze.

Park Min stepped forward, pointing at me like he finally found the weapon he wanted.

"You’re unstable," he repeated. "You can’t care for an infant. You’re shaking nonstop. You can’t even breathe properly when someone raises their voice. You passed out after birth. You have trauma reactions. And you’re refusing medical care."

He turned to the officers.

"Arrest me if you want. Fine. But you sho,ld also know,he is not fit to be a parent. And once I get a DNA test done, I’m suing for sole custody."

My knees almost gave out. The room spun.

"No. you’re not taking him," I said, shaking my head.

"You don’t have a choice," he replied. "Once the court sees this mess? They’ll hand him over to me."

"I’ll never agree to a DNA test."

"You don’t have to," he said. "The court will order it."

"No. You’re not getting anything. Not a test, not custody, nothing."

"You’re desperate," he said. "You’re scared and desperate and you don’t even know how to protect..."

The door opened again.

Everyone went silent at once.

A woman stepped in.

Tall. Straight posture. Hair pinned back like she didn’t have time for anything out of place. Her coat looked expensive enough to buy the entire hospital.

The social worker stiffened immediately.

"Ma’am, this area is restricted..."

"No," the woman said, voice cool. "It isn’t. Not for me."

Her eyes landed on me.

Then on Woo Min.

Then finally on Park Min.

He swallowed.

"Mother."

Oh.

Oh no.

My stomach dropped.

This was her.

The powerful woman.

The politician.

The family matriarch.

She stepped closer, heels clicking softly.

"So," she said, eyes shifting between us like she was watching a pathetic performance. "I was informed there was a custody threat. A hospital disturbance. And... an assault."

No one answered.

She looked at the officers next.

"Which one of you is arresting my son?"

Silence.

The Alpha officer cleared his throat. "Ma’am...we were instructed to detain him for questioning based on reports of..."

"Release him."

"We can’t do that..."

"Yes, you can," she said. "And you will."

The Beta officer swallowed. "Ma’am... there are procedures..."

"This hospital," she said calmly, "receives thirty percent of its funding from my office. If you think procedures can’t be... adjusted... you are mistaken."

Park Min straightened slowly, like he was absorbing strength from the air.

Her gaze fell on me next.

"You must be Yu Jin."

I nodded stiffly. "Yes."

"It’s concerning," she said. "A child requires stability. Structure. Protection. Not whatever this chaos is."

"I didn’t create this chaos," I said.

"You certainly participated," she replied without blinking.

I clenched my jaw. "I was defending myself."

"From whom?"

I hated that the question felt like a trap.

Before I could answer, her gaze slid to Woo Min.

"And you."

He lifted his chin slightly.

"Dr. Woo Min," she said. "An S-class Alpha with no self-control. I’m not impressed."

He didn’t move.

She turned back to the social worker.

"I’m filing an immediate petition for temporary protective custody."

My entire body froze.

"No," I whispered. "No..you can’t..."

"I can," she said, "and I will. You are in no state to care for an infant. And this man," she pointed at Woo Min, "nearly sent half the medical staff into respiratory distress."

"He was triggered," I said.

"By what?" she asked.

"By your son."

Park Min glared at me like I’d thrown acid in his face.

"Triggered or not," she said, "your child needs a calm, stable environment. And none of you can offer that right now."

I stepped forward without thinking.

"I will not let you take him."

She looked bored. "You don’t have power here."

"No," I said. "But I’m his birthgivet."

Her eyes narrowed.

The room held its breath.

"Birthgivers," she said coldly, "provide safety. You have provided nothing but chaos since the minute you arrived."

I shook my head. "I’m the only one who’s been with him every second..."

"And you are shaking," she snapped. "Look at yourself. You’re trembling. You’re pale. Your breathing is shallow. Your legs are barely holding you up."

She stepped closer.

"You had a traumatic birth. You are unstable. You are not bonded to any Alpha for support. And you refuse assistance."

"I have Woo Min," I said, voice cracking.

Her eyebrows lifted. "Him?"

"That’s not helping your case," Park Min muttered.

I shot him a glare. "Shut up."

The woman continued like we weren’t talking.

Park min was rumored to have hated her so much, what? Why was he quiet? Was he all of a sudden giving in.

"I will be requesting temporary custody for Park Min until a full evaluation is completed."

"No!" I said louder, my voice breaking. "No...you can’t..."

The officers shifted awkwardly. The social worker looked like she didn’t want to be involved. Nurses peeked through the door, terrified to enter.

My legs shook.

My hands shook.

My voice shook.

Everything in me screamed.

"You can’t take him," I said again, breath hitching. "He’s mine."

She gave me a calm, almost gentle look. Which somehow made it worse.

"You are in no condition to fight me."

"I’ll fight anyway," I whispered.

Park Min stepped forward beside her, emboldened by her presence.

"Just agree to the DNA test," he said. "We can settle this properly."

"No."

"You don’t have a choice," he said.

I backed up.

Woo Min caught my arm before I stumbled.

His voice was low, steady, deadly calm.

"You’re not taking him," he told the woman.

She turned her head slightly toward him. "And you think you can stop me?"

"Yes."

"And you think you’ll remain free if you try?"

"Yes."

She exhaled slowly, like she couldn’t believe someone dared talk back to her.

"Well," she said softly, "this will be... interesting."

"Two of my sons. Want one man and one baby."

Wait, what did she mean?