Kiss Me if You Can Novel Completed - Chapter 36

“Hello, Mr. Miller. It’s been a while. How have you been?”

As Chase appeared in the office, the waiting editor-in-chief approached him first, greeting him warmly. Chase merely glanced at him without much reaction before turning his head away. It was an awkward situation by anyone’s standards, but the editor-in-chief, as if such things were nothing, casually changed the subject.

“All preparations for the shoot are complete. We need to do Mr. Miller’s makeup and hair, and I’ve prepared a few outfits for you to change into. The interview will be after the shoot. The person who will be interviewing with you will also arrive soon. Everyone is waiting, so please come this way. Ann, please guide Mr. Miller.”

“Yes, please follow me.”

The seemingly nervous secretary quickly guided him. Chase’s manager and staff followed behind him, and Seth and Henry also moved. Josh, as planned, turned in the opposite direction with Isaac, following Mark. The team was on high alert, remembering the chaos that ensued when fans swarmed them last time.

“We have to do this flawlessly.”

Mark had repeated the same words several times already. The other members fully agreed, nodding silently. Their movements had all been checked. The building structure and schedule were also checked every 30 minutes. It was a familiar task, but the reason for the overflowing tension was that their security detail was Chase Miller.

Josh glanced at Chase. He had never once looked at Josh, not since he finally appeared before departure after being holed up in his room all day. It was as if he was ignoring him, treating him like he didn’t exist.

It would be strange if he acknowledged me.

Josh made a reasonably rational guess. Chase had always ignored everyone, including him, so it was nothing new. He just thought he was being more sensitive because of what had happened the day before.

That was probably why Chase’s pheromone scent felt sharper than usual. Josh dismissed it, following Mark to the studio.

Not long after Chase and his entourage disappeared, the door suddenly opened, and a man appeared.

“Wow, everyone was waiting. Sorry, sorry for being late!”

Everyone’s gaze instantly fixed on the man who entered with a boisterous voice. Everyone barely managed to suppress a gasp.

The man’s name was Duncan Conrad, a rising model and actor who had recently declared his full transition to acting. As a former model, he was characterized by his tall stature and handsome appearance, but unfortunately, his acting skills did not match.

Nevertheless, he steadily built a fandom and filled a decent filmography with the backing of his management company. Everyone expected him to reach a respectable level with moderate success at this rate.

If only he watched his mouth.

His manager followed behind him, apologizing with a smile. He lowered his voice and subtly added,

“Don’t provoke Chase too much, Duncan.”

Despite the worried plea, Duncan walked off without seeming to hear. His manager was always worried because of his habit of sometimes going too far due to his strong desire for fame. And today’s opponent was Chase Miller. Remembering some rumors about him, it was hard to imagine what might happen if he provoked him unnecessarily.

But for Duncan, who was desperate to make a name for himself, this was a golden opportunity. His opponent was Chase Miller; just having his name appear alongside Chase’s would surely inflate his recognition tenfold. His manager could fully expect him to provoke Chase by any means necessary.

I hope nothing goes wrong.

He quickly followed Conrad with a worried expression.

“Does Miller know he’s shooting with me?”

Conrad asked, barely suppressing his excitement, and his manager replied, flustered.

“Well, he was certainly informed, but…”

Duncan also understood the meaning of the trailing words. Chase, and the public, were unaware of Duncan’s existence, then and now. This always pricked at Conrad’s inferiority complex.

In a recent street interview, only one out of twenty people recognized his face, and even then, they only pondered, “He looks familiar.” But on the day that interview was released, news broke that a crowd had gathered because of Chase, causing injuries, and Duncan couldn’t sleep for days, consumed by jealousy that surpassed envy. From that day on, Duncan hated Chase deeply.

I’ll make sure they know this time.

He gritted his teeth, waiting for this day. He would perfectly execute both the photoshoot and the interview. Chase Miller was the perfect subject for gossip. Moreover, he was currently enjoying his peak popularity, having been cast as a major supporting role in a highly anticipated film. The film they were scheduled to shoot together would have overlapping schedules, which made it even more ideal.

People would now see Duncan as Chase’s equal rival. Once he made a name for himself, the world would soon acknowledge that Chase Miller was nothing compared to Duncan Conrad.

They’ll regret not recognizing me until now.

He entered the studio with an excited heart. And when he finally uttered his prepared first greeting, Duncan was already certain of victory. The tense faces of the people around him didn’t even register in his vision. His intentional lateness was also calculated. Thanks to that, everyone’s attention was focused on him, further boosting his self-consciousness.

“You’re late, Duncan. Please get ready.”

A waiting staff member quickly approached and led him away. Following the staff, Duncan looked around.

“Is Chase Miller not here yet?”

A corner of his heart twinged, wondering if his plan to make a grand entrance at the very end had gone awry, when the staff member said,

“No, he’s already here and getting ready. For now, the shoot will be separate, and the interview will be together later. Time is tight, so please hurry.”

Duncan smiled brightly at her anxious words.

“Alright.”

The photoshoot went smoothly. The atmosphere was stiff, with only the photographer’s voice and the sound of the shutter occasionally echoing, but so far, it was proceeding without incident. Most importantly, Chase was obediently changing clothes and posing as instructed, which was a crucial factor.

If he continued without causing any trouble, they would finish the shoot and return peacefully. Of course, that was what everyone desperately wished for.

“Alright, we’re done. You were truly magnificent, Mr. Miller. Amazing.”

The photographer announced the end, praising him enthusiastically. After taking the last shot, the photographer seemed completely captivated by him. And why wouldn’t she? If he didn’t cause trouble, Chase Miller was the most excellent subject in the world. Unable to contain her passion, the photographer rushed over to him, showering him with compliments.

“These are the best photos I’ve ever taken. To think the day would come when I’d shoot such a masterpiece in my life. Mr. Miller, there isn’t a single bad photo. To have to choose only four from all of them… I could send you all the photos after editing them, what do you think? If I could, I’d want to release all of them. It’s truly a shame people won’t see them all, and I feel a strange sense of superiority too…”

However, Chase’s reaction was cold. His attitude of leaving without even looking at his worshipper might have made the photographer embarrassed, but she smiled brightly as if she had expected it. She immediately followed Chase, asking,

“I hope we have another opportunity like this. Time is just too short. I want to take so many more.”

Leaving her sighing and looking down at her camera, Chase’s manager quickly guided him to another room where the interview was scheduled.

“Mr. Conrad will start his shoot now. During that time, Mr. Miller’s interview will proceed, and by the time the interview ends, Mr. Conrad’s shoot will also be finished. Then, the two of you will answer a few questions together, and the schedule will be over.”

Duncan would remain alone afterward for a solo interview. The manager was anxious, wondering if he would say anything to provoke Chase. It was an expected course of action, and everyone anticipated it, but this interview could not be refused. Duncan had also been cast in the film Chase was contracted to shoot.

The production company, as well as the magazine, would naturally not refuse this interesting combination. They were the kind of people who wouldn’t hesitate to throw an actor into a shark’s mouth if it would generate buzz.

Even so, if Chase had said he wouldn’t do it, they might have been able to resist somehow, but he didn’t. Of course, there was a small trick played by the manager here. Taking advantage of Chase’s personality, who cared about no one but himself, he didn’t properly inform him about what kind of man Duncan was.

On the one hand, it was natural that Chase didn’t even know his name, and the information was conveyed minimally: You will have an interview with an actor shooting in the same film.

The manager watched Chase’s expressionless face during the interview with trepidation. As time approached, his mouth felt dry. He only prayed that Chase would respond to Duncan’s provocations just enough to create buzz. Just enough to become a hot topic.

Finally, Duncan finished his shoot and entered the studio.

Finally, I get to see that magnificent face.

Duncan sneered inwardly. What’s all this talk about him being an extreme Alpha? Isn’t it just that his eye color is unusual? He’s just a bit better looking than others, that’s all.

He had seen Chase Miller’s face countless times in photos, but Duncan was confident he wouldn’t lose to him. He, too, was a top model who had graced the finales of numerous runways, and he had received endless praise throughout his life.

If that bastard wasn’t an extreme Alpha, people wouldn’t worship him that much.

Duncan was certain. Chase Miller was nothing, compared to him.

It was with that confidence that he flung the door open without knocking.

…Huh?

He paused for a moment at the sweet scent he had never encountered before. It was a seductive fragrance that felt as if it would melt his brain if he lost himself for a moment. In his life, he had never smelled a scent that made his heart pound like this. If a perfumer were to smell this, they would surely give their soul to learn its formula.

But it wasn’t a perfume created with all someone’s might. The moment he saw Chase Miller, Duncan realized the identity of the scent.

He was wearing a gray suit and a darker gray coat draped over his shoulders. He sat perched on a backless round chair, an unlit cigarette held between his fingers, his desolate face staring indifferently into the distance. When Duncan saw him, he stopped breathing.

My God.

He swallowed dryly. His face on screen was all a lie. No one could capture Chase’s unique aura, where an overwhelming presence and a contrasting emptiness strangely coexisted. Each slow blink of Chase’s eyes revealed fleeting purple irises that accentuated his desolation.

Is that Chase Miller?

Duncan thought, dazed. He felt the fighting spirit and ambition that had filled him until now erode and disappear somewhere. His head was blank, but the sweet scent continued to linger at the tip of his nose.