Silence fell. Mark and everyone else looked at each other. Seth frowned, Isaac sighed, and Josh’s expression darkened. Mark turned his head again and asked,

“Are there no more secrets?”

“No.”

At the manager’s unhesitating answer, Mark frowned.

“If you’re hiding something, it will interfere with security.”

“No, really.”

“…”

“No.”

He smiled confidently. Of course, there was no trust whatsoever. But the manager clapped his hands twice quickly, as if to say, “That’s enough.”

“Alright, then I’ll go meet Mr. Miller. Again, what I just said is a security secret. I trust everyone remembers the contract terms.”

With those words, the manager turned and went up the stairs. For a while, those remaining silently watched his retreating figure. Among them, Josh was the most conflicted. His mind was even more complex.

“When filming starts, that’ll be a lot of work in itself, won’t it?”

Isaac was the first to speak. In the quiet, Mark responded.

“I’m also worried about fans coming to the set and rushing him. …C needs to listen to us well.”

Although an additional contract had been drawn up after the incident where he abandoned Henry, no one knew how far he would comply. They just looked at each other, then eventually dispersed to their respective places to prepare to leave.

Knock, knock.

He knocked, but there was no answer from inside. As it always happened, the manager paused briefly, then opened the door.

A cool breeze blew in strongly, making him pause for a moment. He collected himself and looked up to see the door to the balcony wide open. Having confirmed Chase sitting on a tea table chair, looking down at the garden, the manager walked towards him without hesitation.

“Mr. Miller, how was the party yesterday? Was there anything uncomfortable?”

He spoke warmly, but Chase didn’t even stir.

What is he looking at?

The manager was inwardly curious and craned his neck. Even so, all he could see was the garden hidden by leaves. It was the back of the mansion, so there wasn’t any magnificent landscaping. The manager tilted his head but then shrugged. Had this man ever done anything understandable?

“As I mentioned before, I came to deliver the book. I really hope you read this one many times. This is the only book written with Dr. Flame as the protagonist. Although he’s an important character throughout the series, he’s not the main lead, so information you can get from other books is limited. Even if you don’t read anything else, this one should be enough.”

He spoke at length, but Chase still showed no reaction. He didn’t even try to look at the manager. Being ignored like this wasn’t a one-time thing, but it was still always disheartening. The manager sighed briefly and continued.

“The trailer is ready, and I’ll send you photos of the interior. Let me know if you need anything else, and you know your schedule for today, right? The security team is getting ready now, so prepare to leave…”

“…”

It was then. Chase mumbled something. The manager paused and leaned in to listen. But he said nothing more. The manager hesitated, then asked carefully,

“Mr. Miller, I’m sorry, what did you say?”

Despite waiting patiently, Chase showed no reaction. The manager felt both embarrassed and disheartened and decided to give up. Then Chase opened his mouth.

“…Bodyguard.”

“Ah, yes. The bodyguards?”

To the manager who quickly repeated, he paused and then continued.

“Among the bodyguards, that beta.”

“Ah, yes. The team leader? Or Josh?”

“…”

Chase fell silent again. Suddenly, the manager felt that he was very troubled. Even though it shouldn’t be possible.

“Even if you don’t like the bodyguard, for now, there’s nothing we can do…”

“That’s not it.”

Chase, who immediately interrupted the manager, distorted his face. Still glaring at a corner of the garden.

“That’s not it.”

“…”

“No, never mind.”

He then closed his mouth. He showed no further sign of speaking. The manager waited for a moment, then changed the subject.

“Then, shall we get ready for the interview? I’ll prepare the clothes you’ll wear and anything else you need while you shower. The costumes and props will be prepared by their side, so we’ll keep it simple here.”

With those words, the manager quickly left the room and headed for the dressing room.

Chase, who hadn’t moved until then, gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath. His gaze remained fixed on the spot where Josh and Emma had stood together. It was none of Chase’s business what Pittman’s secretary and his bodyguard did. What truly infuriated him was the fact that he had climaxed at that messy man’s skilled hands.

“…Fuck.”

He annoyingly rubbed his eyelids.

In the end, how am I any different from Grayson or other extreme alphas?

He felt like he was going crazy with disgust. He wanted to rush down and strangle Josh right then, but he also knew it was meaningless. If the same situation happened, Chase would face the same outcome again. It wouldn’t change no matter who it was.

In the end, all he did was go to the bathroom, take a handful of pills from the cabinet, and swallow them. A familiar dizziness came, and only when he closed his eyes did his anger finally fade, if only slightly.

I wish all those messy guys would just die. He thought, beyond his hazy consciousness. Of course, that included Josh, and himself.