Oddity's Charm ( Omegaverse BL)

Ivan's POV

I stare at my reflection in the mirror, barely recognizing the person looking back at me. The lights around the vanity glow softly, casting a golden hue over my skin, highlighting the sharpness of my cheekbones, the fullness of my lips, the elegance of the jewelry resting against my collarbone.

I should feel powerful. Untouchable.

Instead, I feel exhausted.

The whispers behind me don't bother me—I've long since learned to ignore the envious stares, the quiet murmurs of my name slipping past painted lips and judging tongues. The entertainment industry is cutthroat, always has been, and while I've danced this dance before, something about it feels different now.

Maybe it's because I'm not just another model anymore.

I'm a spectacle.

And it's all because of him.

---

The past week has been nothing short of hilarious—exhausting, but still hilarious in its absurdity.

Each time a suitor sends me a bouquet of luxurious roses, Zander sends a bigger one—so big that I literally had to move furniture to accommodate them.

A first-class flight invitation? Zander countered with a chartered private jet.

A VIP restaurant invitation? Zander rents out the entire fucking place.

A diamond necklace? Zander sends one ten times more extravagant, with diamonds big enough to blind someone.

It's a spectacle, a goddamn battle, and the tabloids are eating it up. The headlines are ridiculous:

"Ivan Orlov: The Most Coveted Omega in High Society!"

"The Battle for Ivan: Who Will Win His Heart?"

"Zander Vale – A Jealous Alpha or A Hopeless Romantic?"

It's entertaining, sure. But the longer this goes on, the heavier it feels.

Zander is still keeping his distance, respecting my wishes, and yet… he's everywhere.

Every extravagant gesture reminds me that, despite the space I've created between us, he's still there, watching, waiting.

And it's wearing me down.

Not because I don't want him—I do.

Not because I don't miss him—I do.

But because this dynamic between us is so unbalanced, and I don't know how to fix it.

---

I asked for my own apartment, my own car, my own career—things that were supposed to make me feel like I had control. And sure, I'm making money now, building something for myself again, but compared to him? Compared to Zander Vale, one of the most powerful Alphas in the world?

It's not enough.

And that's the problem, isn't it?

This gap between us—it's unbridgeable.

No matter how much I try to stand on my own, he will always have more power.

More influence.

More control.

And it terrifies me.

Not because I think he'll use it against me—not consciously, at least—but because he doesn't understand what it's like to be on the weaker end of the stick.

He can't understand.

Zander was born into power, into privilege, into absolute dominance.

He doesn't have to worry about being vulnerable in a world that caters to him.

But I do.

I'm an Omega—and no matter how modern this world pretends to be, that fact alone will always put me at a disadvantage.

The only reason I can walk around with my head high, with my confidence intact, is because I know I have a big, bad Alpha protecting me from the shadows.

Zander's power makes me untouchable.

But his power also suffocates me.

And I don't know what to do with that contradiction.

---

Then there's Dorian—a ghost from my past that Zander has undoubtedly kept away.

Even without asking, I know he's been handling it. I know he's been using his influence to ensure that my past doesn't come knocking at my door again.

And that's another problem, isn't it?

Because I needed him to.

Because even after all this, after demanding my space, my independence, I still needed Zander Vale's power to keep me safe.

What does that say about me?

What does that say about us?

I run a hand through my hair, exhaling shakily.

I can't keep going in circles like this. I need to think. I need to get my thoughts in order.

Because right now, all I know is this:

I want to forgive him.

I want to be with him.

But if I forgive him now, if I just fall back into his arms, what does that mean for me?

I shake my head, frustrated.

He gives me security—but I don't feel safe.

And I don't know what to do about it.