Kiss Me if You Can Novel Completed - Chapter 25

It would be even more so if he dressed up.

When Chase, who had his hair dyed by a professional and finished all preparations, appeared, everyone had the same thought.

The zombies will double.

“Everyone, brace yourselves today.”

Mark warned with a very tense face. No one joked. They each even brought their guns. Everyone except Seth got into the car with hardened faces, and soon left the mansion.

Even though it was a party for film promotion, Keith Pitman probably chose to host the event at his own residence for security reasons. He had heard that Pitman’s security team had temporarily hired a large number of new bodyguards for this day. Josh thought about Keith Pitman in the car, heading to the mansion where the party was being held, fully prepared.

A global magnate, a scandal maker beloved by the media, an Extreme Alpha, and a celebrity.

The important thing was that he was Emma’s boss. Then as now, Pitman was a truly dangerous man. Especially from the perspective of an older brother with a beautiful younger sister.

When Keith Knight Pitman first acquired an entertainment company and ventured into the business, many people probably gossiped that he had made a bad investment, trying to create a management company to become a celebrity himself. There were also rampant speculations that he might have intended to grow the production company large enough to personally choose roles to his liking.

Naturally, they were all wrong. He had never once appeared on screen himself. Despite having such a dazzling appearance, like most Extreme Alphas.

Among the countless rumors, the only one that still remained was the theory that he bought the company to easily choose partners to his taste. While Extreme Alphas were given an unavoidable exemption, the inevitable debauchery that followed always disgusted ordinary people.

Keith Knight Pitman was no exception. If you went into a convenience store attached to a gas station on the street, you could frequently see his photo gracing the front page of newspapers with various beautiful women. Thanks to this, everyone was confident they would immediately recognize Keith’s face even if they just glimpsed him. Of course, the chance of such a coincidence happening was as low as winning the lottery.

Because of that, when Josh first heard that Emma had gotten a job as his secretary, he thought that his grown-up sister should handle her own life, but he couldn’t help but say something unpleasant.

<Is there nowhere else to go?>

Emma retorted sarcastically to him, who clearly showed his reluctance.

<If you know a place with better conditions, why don’t you introduce it, Josh?>

He wouldn’t know such a place. Josh was quite anxious for several months, worrying that Emma might get hurt because of Pitman’s messy private life. This was on a different level from scaring away the pathetic guys who used to chase Emma in high school. Furthermore, Josh was too far away to protect his sister.

The only consolation was that Pitman’s flashy appearance was far from Emma’s taste. Sadly, Emma had terrible taste in men. In Josh’s eyes, there were far more 멋지고 well-off men, but she always seemed to pick out the frailest, most studious-looking guys from among them and chase after them.

There was even an embarrassing incident where Josh introduced her to a popular running back on his team, who was close to Josh, but she rejected him and confessed to the school’s biggest nerd, only to be rejected herself. Josh, angered, went with his teammates to teach that guy a lesson, only to get more scolding from Emma.

Even though Keith Knight Pitman’s appearance was a million light-years away from Emma’s taste, Josh still couldn’t trust her. He was full of worry that she might suddenly develop a strange taste and fall for Pitman, but thankfully, there had been no such signs yet. Emma was probably still infatuated with the most deer-like man in her group.

But just as he was about to relax, Emma’s words from their last meeting suddenly came to mind.

<Romance usually blossoms at work.>

His face instantly turned pale. Could Emma have someone in mind?

Surely it’s not Pitman.

Josh suddenly felt uneasy, but there was nothing he could do at the moment. Fortunately, Pitman seemed not to lay hands on his subordinates. She had worked at the company for several years without incident, so there was no way she would suddenly develop romantic feelings now.

But such things arise regardless of duration.

Emma’s past relationships, like a movie, flashed through his mind. Always falling for someone first and chasing them, only for it to end badly every time. It was truly incomprehensible.

As Josh’s sister, Emma was naturally a considerable beauty even in his eyes, as her blood relative. During his school days, he spent quite a busy leisure time dealing with the pathetic guys who approached Emma. Emma naturally disliked it, but Josh was serious. How could he just leave alone the scoundrels who dared to flirt with his sister? It wouldn’t be any different even if the opponent was an Extreme Alpha and a magnate, Keith Knight Pitman.

He subtly probed, intending to intervene if necessary, and found that the women who would be his partners were chosen by the head of the secretary team, who would create portfolios of candidates each time. Then Pitman would choose one of them. Fortunately, the team leader seemed to keep business and personal matters separate, so no unfortunate incidents occurred, and Emma never became a target for Pitman.

After several years passed, he was quite relieved and had almost forgotten about the matter. Emma rarely talked about her work at the company, and Josh had never imagined he would actually see Pitman.

Josh had not told his family about his current job. After all, all matters concerning Chase Miller were top secret. Fortunately, when he subtly probed, Emma said she wouldn’t be coming to the party today. Josh felt a sense of relief when he heard that the team leader usually handled such parties. Parties with Extreme Alphas were never safe.

Emma must be off work and resting by now. Conversely, Josh thought in the car on his way to work. That’s good.

“Have you ever actually seen Pitman?”

Suddenly, Isaac, who was sitting next to him, spoke. Josh shook his head, saying no. He muttered with an indifferent gaze fixed straight ahead.

“Will that bastard have a bad temper too?”

Josh asked back.

“Are there any Extreme Alphas who don’t have bad tempers?”

Isaac fell silent. They didn’t speak any more and arrived at their destination.

At the party held at Pitman’s residence, not only reporters but also ordinary people who came to watch were heavily stationed from early on. Beyond the massive iron gate, their own world unfolded, but only a very small portion of the space was open to the public. Even that was clearly separated by barrier ropes.

“Aaaaaaaah…!”

As soon as the car door opened and they stepped out, screams close to wails erupted. The immense roar sent shivers down Josh’s spine, reminding him of the zombie horde that had rushed towards Chase.

Not far away, the opposing actress was seen walking, waving her hand. Josh and everyone else immediately surrounded the car Chase was in. After quickly scanning the surroundings, Mark opened the car door. And finally, Chase Miller appeared.

“…!”

Suddenly, his hearing completely disappeared. Josh and everyone else paused. Even with one ear half-covered by an earphone, his ears felt muffled. But then, when Chase came into view, Josh was completely mesmerized.

Today, he had dyed his hair black to match his new role. His fair skin contrasted with his black hair, making him look particularly pale, and his lips were red, further emphasizing his usual delicate expression. As he casually brushed back a few strands of hair with his fingers, not only the onlookers but even Josh, who had already seen him at the mansion, felt their breath catch.

“That crazy bastard is so damn handsome.”

Henry’s muttered words from behind brought him back to his senses. It was a crude expression, but he couldn’t help but agree. Anyone who saw Chase Miller in person would think the same. Even Josh, who saw him almost every day and was thoroughly fed up with his terrible temper, was this captivated.

Chase’s flamboyant blonde hair shone jet black like the night today. Moreover, his short-cut hair further highlighted the elegant structure of his face.

He secretly thought that Chase would be breathtakingly beautiful even if he shaved his head. But today, instead of shaving his head, he had neatly trimmed his black hair and was wearing a tailcoat that suited his tall stature and well-proportioned physique. He was perfect, as if he had come to the Academy Awards.

As intended, flashes went off everywhere, and people incessantly called his name. Chase waved his hand indifferently with an expressionless face. As if he was bored to death. From behind, Henry grumbled softly, “That hypocritical bastard.” Josh also thought so a little.

People desperately tried to rush forward from all directions. The bodyguards held them back with all their might. As there had been several incidents already, the number of deployed bodyguards was enormous, and restrictions were thoroughly enforced.

“Phew.”

He finally let out a sigh of relief only after passing through the crowd and entering the mansion where the party was being held. Everywhere he looked, there were actors and staff from the film, and invited influential figures. Even Isaac, who usually had little interest in celebrities, was momentarily captivated. Mark also went blank for a moment but then quickly came to his senses and encouraged the members.

“We have work to do, stay sharp. Everyone knows their roles, right?”

“Yes, Mark.”

Everyone answered one by one in turn.

Josh immediately turned his gaze to check the surroundings. He briefly glimpsed the butler greeting guests, then gestured to Mark and stepped back. He was assigned the role of surveying the surroundings according to Mark’s instructions.

Henry and Isaac stood a certain distance from Chase, watching, ready to move immediately if anything happened. Seth remained at the mansion.

They had received information about the main attendees in advance, but they didn’t know everyone’s companions, bodyguards, or staff, so they couldn’t let their guard down. Josh’s job was to first check if there were any particularly suspicious movements around.

Most of the people gathered were prominent figures, and Pitman himself would have hired more security personnel than usual, so there probably wouldn’t be any major incidents. However, with a blackmail letter having been received, they couldn’t relax. Josh also remained vigilant of other bodyguards who, like himself, were surveying the surroundings.

As he quickly scanned the area, he suddenly paused when he spotted a man in his sight. He didn’t even need to confirm the purple eyes to know. The man was clearly an Extreme Alpha.

Keith Pitman.

Josh thought to himself. He had seen his face in countless media outlets, but this was the first time he was seeing him in person.

Pitman was as tall as he had expected. Moreover, his physique, hidden beneath his impeccably tailored suit, was perfect. Josh inwardly sympathized with the media’s lament about why he didn’t act in films himself. If it were that man, even if he just breathed in a corner of the screen, he would be a huge hit.

Having thought that far, Josh belatedly realized that there was no Extreme Alpha pheromone scent coming from him. At the same time, his eyes caught sight of a clearly marked ear.

“Did Pitman get married?”

When he whispered softly, Mark also lowered his voice and replied.

“No, didn’t you know? Someone marked him arbitrarily and disappeared. They’re in an uproar trying to find the culprit right now.”

Mark added nonchalantly to a surprised Josh.

“He must have been out of his mind during the rut, they say he has no clue who it was. Did someone plan it out? For Alphas, once they’re unilaterally marked, it’s pretty much over. Who would have imagined Pitman would be tied down by someone whose face he doesn’t even know? He should have behaved better usually.”

Although this was the opposite situation, hearing those words made it feel like it wasn’t someone else’s problem. However, the other person would probably feel worse.

At least I know who the other person is.

For the first time, Josh felt sympathy for an Extreme Alpha. Once marked, Keith Pitman would not be able to smell any other pheromone scent. Unless it was the scent of the Omega who marked him.

Looking at it this way, Alphas are definitely at a disadvantage compared to Omegas. The moment they are marked, their lives are essentially mortgaged. Josh unconsciously touched his ear over his earphone and thought.

Even though I’m similarly marked, I can find a new partner, but he can’t.

At the same time, Pitt’s face came to mind, and Josh pitied Keith.

What if it was me who lost control and marked him then, not Chase?

“They say he’s grinding his teeth, swearing he’ll kill them if he finds them.”

Josh changed his mind at Mark’s sudden addition. It’s a good thing I was the one who got marked.

After confirming that Chase had entered the party hall, Mark instructed everyone to go to their respective positions. Josh, as previously discussed, moved to walk around the mansion. Outside the mansion, cheers continued incessantly.

“…I see, it’s my first time seeing it.”

“It really is purple, how fascinating.”

He felt whispering voices and fleeting glances. Chase subtly furrowed his brow and ignored them. Small whispers and searching gazes were something he had received his entire life. This would probably continue until he died. Perhaps even after death, Chase would continue to be the subject of gossip and ridicule.

Just being an Extreme Alpha, people would sneak glances at them as if they were rare animals. In fact, the term “rare animal” was accurate. Even among the many people gathered at the party, Pitman and Chase were the only Extreme Alphas. They just weren’t confined in a cage.

Chase vaguely recalled the man who often stared at him, mesmerized, and frowned. He had known for a long time that everyone only liked his face anyway. Moreover, that man didn’t even deny it.

Shameless bastard.

He irritably gulped down his champagne. What annoyed him more was the fact that he was bothered by that man. The fact that Josh had been expertly avoiding Chase’s gaze for the past few days was also enough to displease him.

Surely he hasn’t quit already.

Chase paused, recalling that he hadn’t seen hide nor hair of Josh lately.

Why am I thinking about that man now? What does it matter if he quits or not?

The party is just too boring.

He thought. He needed to find some interesting event, but there was no way there would be such a thing. Extreme Alphas often became spectacles, but in Chase’s case, it was even more frequent and blatant. However, he didn’t want to get tired dealing with people at a party he was obliged to attend. As if sensing his thoughts, people only whispered from a distance.

The most defense Chase could employ was simply to ignore them. He just had to kill time like this, greet Keith Pitman, and then leave. As always.

But there was always someone sociable.

“Long time no see, Chase. How have you been?”

He stared at the woman who spoke to him for a moment. He clearly didn’t remember who she was. The woman smiled and introduced herself.

“I’m Naomi Parker. We’re working on the same project, please take care of me.”

Chase dutifully held her white hand briefly and then released it.

Just leave already.

Chase thought to himself, looking at her with a stiff face, but Naomi paid no mind. Instead, she openly scrutinized Chase with interest, then fixed her gaze back on his face.

“Grayson was complaining that the role didn’t suit you, but it actually suits you better than I thought? Why did he complain so much? Was it embarrassing because he’s your brother?”