Chapter 17

Josh didn’t wake up until the afternoon. He lay there blinking blankly before sluggishly sitting up. The only reason he had been able to sleep so soundly was probably because he had used his cold as an excuse. Thanks to that, his body felt incredibly light.

Good thing the heat cycle didn’t come.

He let out a short sigh of relief before getting out of bed.

“Oh?”

“Oh.”

As soon as he stepped out into the hallway, he locked eyes with Isaac, who had been walking in his direction. Picking up his pace, Isaac approached and asked cheerfully,

“How’s your cold? Feeling better?”

Josh nodded.

“What about you? What happened yesterday? Mark seemed really pissed.”

“Well, it’s fine.”

Isaac gave a short reply, making it clear he didn’t want to talk about the previous day. Josh didn’t press further. They continued walking together down the long hallway until Isaac broke the silence.

“...What happened with C?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean…”

Josh already knew what Isaac was trying to ask, but he feigned ignorance. After a moment of hesitation, Isaac spoke again.

“C hasn’t left his room since yesterday. So… I thought maybe you knew something.”

“No, I don’t know.”

Isaac’s curiosity boiled down to one thing—why had Josh come back drenched in so much pheromone? Unless he directly mustered up the courage to ask, he wouldn’t get an answer. Not that Josh planned to tell him anything even if he did ask outright.

Their conversation ended there, and they soon arrived at the main hall.

“Well, I’m going on patrol—”

“Oh, Josh.”

“What?”

Isaac called out to him as if he had made up his mind about something, but then hesitated again. Josh waited for a moment, but seeing no sign of him continuing, he simply said,

“If you want to talk later, do it then. I’m going.”

He cut the conversation short and turned to leave. Behind him, a bell rang, followed by the sound of Isaac answering a call.

“A visitor? …Did C approve? Alright, I’ll bring them in…”

Josh kept walking and stepped outside the mansion. As expected, the sunlight was blinding. He pulled out a pair of sunglasses from his pocket and put them on.

Aside from the occasional sound of rustling leaves in the cool breeze, everything was still. The world was so unnervingly peaceful that it left him feeling uneasy. The events of the previous night felt like an illusion. The fact that he had done that with Chase, that Seth had found out he was an Omega, even what had just happened moments ago.

Could it be that I really just dreamed up something completely ridiculous?

While he was caught in uncertainty, a car sped into view, crossing the garden.

Huh?

Josh stopped in his tracks. He recognized the car. Blinking in confusion, he watched as the vehicle zipped past him and came to a stop at the mansion’s entrance. The car door swung open, and the driver stepped out. When she turned her head, her face mirrored his own surprise.

Emma.

The name slipped unconsciously from his lips. Just then, the front door of the mansion opened. Startled, Josh turned his gaze to see Isaac stepping out and addressing her.

“Hello, I was expecting you. Please, come in.”

“Thank you.”

Emma smiled smoothly, maintaining a professional demeanor. Isaac turned and led her inside. As she followed, she briefly glanced back. When their eyes met, her smile vanished like a mask being stripped away. Her message was clear.

We need to talk later.

The moment she turned back to Isaac, her face seamlessly returned to its practiced warmth.

@Penthouse

Chase had been in a bad mood since the moment he woke up. No, it had already been a mess even before he fell asleep last night, so it wasn’t as if the day had suddenly taken a turn for the worse.

There were multiple reasons for it—lack of sleep, self-loathing, irritation.

And frustration.

He gritted his teeth audibly. Now that he had unwillingly pinpointed the biggest factor, his rage surged uncontrollably. His bloodshot eyes felt heavy and sore, making it impossible to go back to sleep. After sitting there for a while, Chase abruptly got up and headed to the bathroom.

Inside the cabinet, rows of familiar pills were neatly stacked. He grabbed several of them, poured a handful into his palm, and immediately tossed them into his mouth. He filled two cups with water and downed them just to swallow the excessive amount of pills.

Haa, haa.

Panting, Chase stared straight ahead. His reflection showed a disheveled man—messy blond hair, tired eyes rimmed red, a dazed expression, and pale lips glistening with water. Unconsciously, he clenched his fist, nearly punching the mirror.

He was stopped at the last second by the sudden ring of the phone. After a brief delay, the answering machine kicked in, and a man’s voice played.

[Mr. Miller, are you awake? You have a visitor.]

The voice belonged to one of the security team—unfortunately, not the man who had kept him up all night. The guard continued.

[It’s Mr. Pittman’s secretary. She says she’s here for a courtesy visit regarding last night’s party. Should I let her in?]

Chase remained silent for a long moment. After a pause, the guard called out again.

[Mr. Miller? Are you still sleeping? Should I send her away?]

It was clear that if he didn’t answer soon, the call would be disconnected. Just before that could happen, Chase picked up the phone.

“Let her in.”

[Understood.]

The line immediately cut off, leaving behind silence. Chase exhaled and rubbed his tired eyes.

“Hello, Mr. Miller. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Emma Bailey, Mr. Pittman’s secretary.”

The poised introduction was delivered with smooth confidence. Chase gazed at the stunning woman with disinterest. She was an undeniable beauty, tall and poised, with flawless pronunciation—a walking advertisement for Keith Pittman’s standards.

Yet, he had no reaction. Without even looking at her properly, he absentmindedly flipped through a script, pointedly ignoring her. Undeterred, Emma continued with her prepared lines.

“Thank you for attending the party. It was a great success, thanks to you. Your presence truly—”

“I left early, so cut the bullshit.”

Emma faltered for a brief second. But as expected of a professional, she quickly regained her composure and responded with a polite smile.

“I was instructed to check if there was anything that made you uncomfortable. I also heard there was a minor incident before you left. Of course, it’s common for guests to have minor disagreements at social gatherings.”

Her words were deliberate, implying something more. Chase gave no reaction. He merely blinked sluggishly, looking every bit as exhausted as he was.

Emma noted his state—eyes slightly red, exhaustion written all over his face. Is he even processing what I’m saying? It’ll be a problem if he later claims he never heard this conversation.

Nonetheless, she pressed on.

“You’ll be starting filming next week, correct? I wanted to ensure you were fully prepared. It would be best if you made all necessary preparations before production begins.”

She smiled as she added,

“So, I can report that there are no issues? That filming will proceed smoothly as scheduled?”

Chase lifted his gaze to stare directly at her. Emma instinctively wanted to step back but forced herself to maintain a composed posture, her smile unwavering.

“Everyone is eagerly looking forward to seeing your Dr. Flame.”

Suddenly, Chase flung the script in his hand. The thick book hit the wall with a loud thud. Emma flinched but kept her eyes locked on him.

Chase sighed, exasperated.

“Fine, just tell them to leave me the hell alone. …I’ll forget about what happened at the party.”@@novelbin@@

“Thank you.”

Emma’s smile was genuine this time.

Back in his room, Chase stared down at the garden from his open balcony.

The sight of Josh standing there with Emma made his blood boil.

That dirty bastard’s hands made me come.

Chase clenched his teeth.

“…Fuck.”

Rage simmered in his chest. He wanted to storm down there and wring Josh’s neck, but he knew it wouldn’t change anything.

Instead, he went to the cabinet, grabbed another handful of pills, and shoved them into his mouth.

As the familiar dizziness washed over him, dulling his fury, only one thought remained.

All these filthy bastards should just die.

And in that moment, Chase included himself in that sentiment.

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