When he opened his eyes this time, he was in the hospital. There was a thick bandage on one arm and needles in the other.
"Your stamina is truly amazing."
Mark, who had just come to see him, clicked his tongue. He made several comments about Josh's condition when he arrived at the hospital, the treatment he received, and the injections administered. However, all Josh processed was "a lot of injections and treatment."
Among the simple belongings Mark had brought, Josh was the first to reach for his cell phone. He listened to Mark's explanation with a detached expression as he checked his messages. He found one from Emma.
[Give me a call. I have a question to ask.]
There was no real sense of urgency in the short message.
I'll try later.
Thinking the same as last time, Josh casually checked the remaining messages. Meanwhile, Mark's explanation was winding down.
"All the rabies and tetanus injections have been handled. Fortunately, there were no broken bones."
Mark exhaled as if finishing a long breath and added a joke with a smile.
"How did you come up with the idea of facing a group of coyotes? C must have been scared enough, but then you passed out and looked dead. Laura was shocked to see him so taken aback."
It was strange to hear that Chase had been shaken. Josh, who only smiled vaguely because he didn't know what to say, soon shifted the conversation.
"So when can I be discharged?"
"Hey, hey. Don't rush. What's the hurry?"
Mark reached out to calm Josh.
"It'll probably be tomorrow since we need to monitor your progress for another day. Take a break, relax, and once the procedure is done, you can go home. Maybe you should talk to your son."
"Yes."
Josh immediately thought of Peter. However, this time, an odd overlap in his mind replaced Peter's face with Chase's, leaving him momentarily confused. He quickly changed the subject.
"So what happened?"
He had many questions. Mark sighed deeply before beginning his explanation.
"The problem started at the hospital."
As expected, Josh thought. Mark continued.
"It turns out that the chocolate we ate had been drugged. Fortunately, it wasn't a substance with severe side effects. By noon, everyone had mostly recovered. Henry ate more, so he experienced stronger hallucinations, and it took him twice as long to wake up. Seth's condition was worse. Either way, he insisted he never accepts free stuff. Luckily, Isaac didn't eat anything. Since Henry had consumed so much, it was easy to analyze the ingredients."
Mark shook his head, but Josh's focus was elsewhere.
"So who is the culprit? Who did this in the first place?"
Of course, Josh thought of Steward. But Mark's response was unexpected.
"It was the clerk who gave us the chocolate."
"What?"
Josh involuntarily raised his voice. Mark nodded.
"Come on, you know—the cult that attacks dominant alphas. He must have been a believer. The hospital operates a research institute on dominant alphas, right? He got in to steal patient information or whatever he needed, and we just happened to be the target."
"I don't think C is the only dominant alpha receiving treatment there."
Mark nodded in agreement.
"Of course not. But they wanted to pick a high-profile target. One hit is enough to draw attention. Besides, if you take out C, the whole world will be in an uproar."
Josh recalled the sight of Chase lying unconscious, his face pale. A chill ran down his spine.
"Was he working alone? What about accomplices? Surely there's someone else involved."
"No, I think he waited for C to go see the doctor and then contacted his colleagues. They'd been preparing for a while. I mean, they had a gun and a truck ready. They must have been furious that they failed."
Mark seemed almost amused, but Josh remained unconvinced.
"And the doctor?"
"What?"
"C's doctor. His name was Steward. Didn't you investigate him?"
"Oh, that guy."
Only then did Mark respond, as if he'd just remembered.
"We already did. He's cleared."
"What?"
Josh's voice sharpened. That couldn't be true. Mark nodded and spoke calmly.
"Not just him, but the entire hospital staff was investigated. They're all clean. It was a lone perpetrator."
"No way…"
Mark frowned at Josh's reaction.
"What's wrong? Do you suspect something?"
"No, not exactly, but…"
Josh hesitated.
"He was the only one who knew our route. The more I think about it…"
He must have known the drug's effects and had access to information about Chase. Could he really be uninvolved?
Mark, lost in thought, spoke vaguely.
"Well, Isaac said the same thing."
"Isaac?"
"Yeah. He said the doctor made some odd remarks. He asked about our group, discussed the drug's side effects, and subtly encouraged hostility toward dominant alphas."
Josh's unease grew, but Mark only shrugged.
"But what can we do? The police cleared him. A staff member reported the route we took. He apologized, saying he didn't think much of it since it wasn't confidential patient information."
"But they ignored Isaac's concerns."
Josh tried again, but all he got was a lukewarm response.
"Maybe it's just a personal bias."
"…"
"We don't always like our clients, either."
Josh had nothing more to say. He finally let it go. Mark, observing him, changed the subject.
"The police will handle the investigation. Let's focus on our work. Got it? Need anything?"
"What about C? Was he hurt?"
"He's fine."
Mark sighed, shaking his head.
"After you collapsed, he tried to follow me to the hospital. Everyone had to physically restrain him. That guy never cares about anyone dying around him, but this time, he lost it. He was completely out of his mind. Even for him, it was extreme. In the end, we convinced him to stay at the mansion by reminding him what would happen if fans spotted him here. We told him you'd return after treatment, and that his presence wouldn't help you recover. Surprisingly, he listened."
Mark smirked and asked playfully.
"What happened? It's not like I'm only worried about him. Did something change between you two?"
"Maybe the pills messed with his head."
Josh muttered under his breath. Mark tilted his head, unconvinced.
"Is that so?"
"What else could there be? 'C' couldn't care less about a bodyguard."
When Josh shrugged, Mark muttered, "That's true." Still rubbing his chin and seeing him lost in thought, Josh pushed himself off the subject.
"So can I come in tomorrow night? Or during the day?"
"I'll set your schedule the day after tomorrow, so rest well and come relaxed. C's filming was postponed due to the police investigation and poor health. It's good to shoot the other scenes first because C is resting at the mansion right now as well. You should go there once they discharge you."
Josh thanked Mark for his consideration. Suddenly, he missed Peter's face.
"Well Mark, can't I get discharged today and come back tomorrow to hear the results?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Mark blinked in surprise. Josh said, scratching his head awkwardly,
"I miss my son. Anyway, I'll be sleeping tonight, right? I think I can come tomorrow, hear the results, and come back right away."
Josh's words were correct. Still, it was something Mark couldn't immediately agree to. Above all, he needed a doctor's permission.
"Let me ask first."
"Thank you, please. I haven't called him in days. Oh, I'm sure they're expecting me…"
"Oh no, you should call Peter. Okay, I'll be right back."
Mark hastily got up and left the hospital room. He came back with good news in just over an hour.
✤✤✤✤✤✤
"Daddy!"
As soon as he saw Josh, Peter burst into tears and ran. Although the urgent child was crying and wetting his shoulder with tears and saliva, Josh let him.
"Why didn't you contact me? I know you're busy."
His mother scolded him, looking at Josh's wounded body and adding a few words, which was also inevitable.
"You should also think about your body. Every time you come, you are hurt."
"Not a big deal. Just a few scratches."
The coyote's bite wasn't as bad as he thought. Quite a few stitches were sewn up and wrapped in a large bandage, but other than that, it was just scrapes.
"It was common in the military to get hurt this badly."
His mother looked at him briefly and said nothing. Meanwhile, Peter managed to stop crying. Josh, who patted the boy on the back, sobbed and shrugged, turning his head. Peter looked at him with a soaked face.
How could they be so alike?
Feeling strange and eerie, Josh kissed Peter on the cheek. Suddenly, he remembered Chase's face. What is that man doing now?
Are you trembling again, hallucinating?
When he stopped in a daze, Peter suddenly slapped his face with both hands.
Late in his senses, Josh asked with a smile,
"Are you sleeping with Dad tonight?"
At Josh's question, Peter opened his eyes wide and flopped onto his hips onto his arm.
Holding Peter by the butt and arms enthusiastically and helping him climb up his neck, Josh spoke.
"I have to stop by the hospital, so I'll be back in the afternoon. Can you join me for dinner? And Emma."
"It is possible at an early hour."
Meanwhile, Peter, who was sitting on Josh's shoulders, covered his eyes with his small hands.
"Come on! Dad, come on!"
Although he could see everything through his fingers, Peter was so excited that he ordered. Josh deliberately staggered, pretending not to know.
"Dad!"
"Oh, what is this?"
"Hahahaha."
Moving around the house to accommodate the excited, smiling boy, Josh had the strange experience of feeling full and empty at the same time.
What is Chase doing now?
✤✤✤✤✤✤
The cold silence left Mark unable to open his mouth with an embarrassed face. Chase gritted his teeth with a fierce stare, not looking at the food he'd brought.
"What do you mean he went on vacation?"
The low voice was full of anger. Mark opened his mouth in shame.
"He had to stay in the hospital one more day anyway. He preferred to go home since… his mother lives nearby."
He even mentioned Josh's unnecessary private life, but Chase's mood didn't improve. He shook his fist with all his might, then unfolded it and squeezed it again. Soon after, Chase, who uttered a curse, "Shit!" jumped out of bed and paced the room.
It was Mark's own authority to schedule team members first. Even if he gave him a vacation, there was no reason for Chase to be so angry. Anyway, isn't it okay if we don't mess with the guards? Mark quickly raised his furrowed brows.
Maybe Josh did something to offend him while they were alone.
He tried to guess, but it was not acceptable. Still, Josh risked his life to protect Chase. Even a man rumored to be a mad dog would not be ungrateful.
He has nothing to say if it's our job.
Mark, who came up with a sour thought, opened his mouth and looked at Chase, who kept going back and forth across the room.
"He'll be back as soon as he's treated… Maybe Josh has something else to do. I'll let him know when I get back."
Chase stopped. For Mark, who had hesitated, he was silent for a moment and then slightly opened his eyes.
"Not bad, right?"
Mark couldn't understand the meaning of his words. As soon as Josh got back, he would put him in front of him.
"Yes."
Only then did Chase's face soften a little. Rubbing his forehead in a nervous movement, he exhaled an irritating sigh.
"… I'll hit you if you lie."
"Why would I tell such a useless lie?" He swallowed, and Mark replied, "Yes" again.
"… Damn!"
Chase glanced for a moment at the cart Mark had brought. Mark ran out of the room in a hurry, while Chase opened the lid of the plate and took a cold bite to his mouth with a face that was really irritated.
✤✤✤✤✤✤
At first, Josh was in a very refreshing mood for the first time in a long time. The wound was still painful, but nothing compared to a day alone with the boy. Thinking about getting treatment and spending time with Peter, he took the wheel, humming to himself.
The treatment did not last long. All he had to do was bandage the wound and listen to the test results.
"You better come in for regular treatment. You have quite a few stitches, so… I'm sure you have a scar left, but you were bitten by a coyote. You're very lucky to just have this scar."
After mechanically acknowledging the words, the doctor set a date for his next visit.
After thanking him, Josh even finished vaccinating his son right away. When he was about to go home to Peter, he suddenly stopped walking. He could see the park not far away. Thinking for a moment, he soon changed direction and walked towards the park.
"So would you like ice cream?"
"Yes!"
The boy screamed excitedly. Peter spun around as he staggered toward the ice cream parlor not far away. Josh smiled, walked over, and stood behind him.
"What do you want to eat?"
Soon, Peter's face smiled happily as he took the chocolate ice cream that was set in a cone.
"What a lovely boy."
The clerk at the ice cream parlor admired Peter and Josh alternately.
"You look like your dad."
"Thank you."
Josh laughed and finished the calculation, including some advice.
When the boy finished eating the ice cream, he felt slightly tired. Josh sat on the bench while Peter played on the grass.
That's when he found the man. Sitting on a bench not far away, he had a pudding in his hand.
A grown man might have laughed, saying "pudding" while sitting alone on a bench, but his condition didn't make him laugh. There was not a single color on his face as he stared at one place. Stiff as if something had surprised him, he scooped the pudding and raised it to his mouth.
Josh was watching silently, but when he saw that the man still couldn't move even after dropping the pudding on his leg, he couldn't help but take a step forward. Josh got up from the bench after seeing Peter sitting on the grass and starting to break the shamrock.
"Hey, are you okay? Is everything okay?"
As he approached and spoke to him, the man blinked in shock. Anyway, it was fortunate that there seemed to be an answer. Josh continued after sighing.
"Are you not feeling well? Should I call 911?"
"Oh no… that's fine."
The man refused in a shaky voice. Suddenly, Josh thought he looked familiar.
"Have we … Have we met somewhere?"
He was the first to bring up the memory before Josh. The man soon opened his eyes wide and said,
"You said you were a bodyguard … Josh, right?"
Immediately, Josh's memory returned as well. It was a man named Yeonwoo, whom he had met at Pittman's party. Only then did Josh greet him cheerfully and sit next to him. Even then, Yeonwoo had been having a difficult time because he wasn't feeling well.
But that was not the end of the surprise. Recognizing Peter's face, Yeonwoo confessed that he worked for the same company as Emma. Unexpectedly, he added,
"Emma said you had a baby too …"
Later, Josh remembered a message from his sister.
Was this it?
Josh was glad it was none of Emma's business, so he opened his mouth.
"So that's why she texted me asking when I was going to rest. I didn't know what was going on … Anyway, the result is the same."
Emma had deliberately contacted him, and she couldn't pretend she didn't know because she had already met Yeonwoo twice. After adding as much advice as he could about Omega himself, Josh kept his mouth shut. Giving him time to think, Josh paused for a moment, then came up with something.
"You work for the same company as Emma, right? Can I ask you something?"
Yeonwoo nodded happily. Josh asked without hesitation,
"How many men are there in the office?"
Yeonwoo, who blinked in confusion at the question, answered, puzzled,
"The only man working in the secretarial department is me, the team leader. The rest are all women. Including Emma, there are three of them."
At that moment, Josh's face hardened. A torrent of thoughts passed through his mind, recalling Emma's behavior. And the memory ended with the man in front of his eyes.
✤✤✤✤✤✤
Why the hell does she have such a bad eye for men?
Josh gritted his teeth as he drove down the road. As far as he knew, Emma believed this was a true relationship. If he thought about it, Yeonwoo's appearance was perfect, as if it had been made to match Emma's taste. When he first saw him, it was natural for him to remember Emma. So it was understandable that his little sister had fallen for him.
The problem was Yeonwoo. When he remembered the innocent face of Yeonwoo, who had no idea about Emma's feelings, he felt angry again…
Also, she had even texted him saying that she would help the subject—Josh almost hit his weaker opponent. If Yeonwoo hadn't told him he was pregnant, he might have actually hit him.
"Shit!"
Josh hit the steering wheel with a curse. Peter, who was asleep in the car seat, suddenly raised his head. The boy, who blinked in bewilderment, soon fell asleep again.
Suddenly, Josh felt dejected. It was true. What sin would Peter have committed? This was all because Emma didn't have a good eye for men. When he thought about that, he got mad again.
What the hell, why does she always pick these kinds of guys?
Josh barely held back the urge to hit his head against the steering wheel and instead pressed the gas to the limit.
✤✤✤✤✤✤
Josh's anger didn't subside even after he returned to work. He was going to say something at dinner with Emma, but she didn't show up…
His mother also said this with disappointment, but Josh, who was so determined, dragged his anger with him because he didn't know where else to take it. He had put Peter to bed early, and when he got to Chase's mansion, it was after midnight.
After stopping at the designated spot, he went straight to see Mark. As soon as Mark saw Josh's face, he greeted him happily.
"How is the injury? Can you work?"
"This is nothing, I'm fine."
At Josh's reliable response, Mark was visibly relieved. In fact, he wanted Josh to rest more, but it wasn't easy to give him a vacation with a reduced workforce. Josh also accepted this lightly because he understood. In fact, this kind of injury meant nothing to him.
"How is Seth? Has he come back?"
"Yes, he's back today too. He asked me how you're doing. Tell him you're back … you have a schedule for tomorrow afternoon."
Mark, who had finished speaking, sighed and said, "Oh, my head."
At Josh's curious look, he continued, "Go see C before you go to bed."
"Mr. Miller? Why?"
When Josh asked, Mark rubbed his eyebrows as if dealing with a headache. "He's furious because I gave you a vacation without telling him. No, it's my authority to make schedules. Does he expect me to report every little thing? Anyway, I'm supposed to report as soon as you get back, so go and show your face. He's a complicated guy."
Josh had no choice but to say, "I get it." He greeted Mark briefly and returned to the room he shared with Seth. He planned to greet Seth first and then look for Chase. Maybe he wanted to postpone the moment he had to face him, but he pretended not to know.
"Seth, how is your body …?"
He opened the door and asked, but the room was empty. Josh was momentarily embarrassed, looking around the vacant space before setting down his luggage. When he emerged from the bathroom after a quick shower, carefully avoiding getting his wound wet, the door suddenly opened, and Seth entered.
"Seth."
"Josh."
The two called out to each other in surprise before shaking hands and exchanging a brief hug.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling better now?" Seth asked.
Josh answered with a smile. "Well. How are you doing with the shot?"
"Good."
Seth, echoing Josh's words, quickly scanned him. After noting Josh standing with only a towel around his waist, he shifted his gaze back to his face.
"What really happened? You were alone with the dominant alpha."
Oh, Josh understood the situation now. Seth's face, serious and filled with concern, showed an unusual level of anxiety. Josh responded modestly.
"Thanks for your concern. Nothing happened. The coyotes were more troublesome than the pheromones."
He added a small joke, but Seth remained serious.
"I heard you were bitten. Did you get a rabies shot?"
Josh nodded. "The wound isn't as bad as I thought. Is it better to get a shot?"
"It's just a flash. It's the strangest medicine I've ever had … I barely opened my eyes and discovered I was in the hospital. Isaac suffered alone."
Josh remembered Mark mentioning that Isaac was the only one who had managed to stay okay. With an understanding smile, he said, "I owe you one, Isaac."
Seth shook his head and laughed. "I thought you'd be the one helping me."
"It was lucky Isaac was there. I'll ask him about it later."
Seth agreed before asking belatedly, "Do you take anything for pheromones?"
"No, I don't drink suppressants often…"
Now that he thought about it, he hadn't taken anything since Chase had visited him. Without realizing it, he brought his wrist to his nose and sniffed. Seth paused, then leaned closer and said, "Wait a minute."
"That tickles."
"Be patient."
As Seth's breath brushed the back of his neck, Josh grew irritated but let him continue.
"You really do smell weak," Seth murmured. He inhaled lightly and added, "It's not that I can't smell it at all, but usually, your scent isn't strong. Maybe it's because the detergent smell is stronger…"
"What are you two doing?"
At the sudden voice, both of them turned their heads simultaneously. Isaac stood in the open doorway, with Henry just behind him. It wasn't gossip, but Josh couldn't help but grin, remembering how much they had just talked about Isaac.
"Good timing."
If it were just Isaac, Josh wouldn't think much of it, but something was different this time.
Isaac's gaze flickered between Seth and Josh before settling on Josh with an unreadable intensity.
"…What were you two just doing? Why are you here alone?"
Something about his calm voice made the atmosphere feel off. It made Josh uneasy. Feeling nervous, he quickly replied, "I just wanted to talk… What's with you—"
"What were you two doing alone? Don't tell me you were—"
"Doing what?" Seth interjected.
Isaac glared at him. Josh was shocked—Isaac, who always had a slight smile on his face, now looked furious. Even Henry, blinking in confusion, glanced between them.
"Hey, what's wrong?" Henry asked, trying to defuse the tension. But Isaac didn't suppress his hostility toward Seth. Instead, he shoved Henry's hand away and stepped forward. Seth sighed at his reaction and said bluntly:
"What the hell are you thinking? Josh and I don't have that kind of relationship."
"So what was that just now? You were kissing Josh's neck! And you're saying it was nothing? Do I look like an idiot to you?" Isaac shouted, his words coming fast and sharp.
Josh wanted to say it was a misunderstanding, but he had no good explanation for what had just happened. More than that, he had never seen Isaac so agitated, let alone use such harsh language. Unlike Josh, who was stunned into silence, Seth remained unbothered.
"It's a misunderstanding," Seth said smoothly. "What we were doing is between me and Josh. I'm not obligated to explain it to you, am I?"
"What, you bastard?"
"Just because you like Josh doesn't mean everyone else is like you."
"…?!"
The bombshell dropped so casually that it took a few seconds for them to process what had just been said.
"Wait, what?" Josh asked, confused.
"What?!" Isaac exclaimed in shock.
"Listen!" Seth continued, now addressing them both. "Isaac likes you, Josh. That's why he's so worked up, thinking I was going to steal you from him."
"What?!" Josh repeated, utterly floored.
"What?!" Isaac's voice shot up an octave, his face turning red.
Henry, still watching, muttered, "Oh, this is getting good."
Josh, Henry, and Isaac exclaimed. The three looked at each other alternately. The same happened with all parties. Only Seth remained as serene as ever. The boy gritted his teeth, his face turning red.
"Son of a bitch, how…"
Seth replied lightly, shaking with anger.
"You've been pushing me so hard. I have to resolve the misunderstanding too."
He breathed deeply, unsure of what to do. This was the first time Isaac had gotten mad at Josh. When emotions became tangled, strange, and embarrassing, and when minds grew complicated, Henry stepped in out of nowhere.
"Really?"
Josh realized for the first time that his voice was so loud. Isaac looked at him and hesitated. His voice, several steps higher than usual, trembled as he screamed.
"You're serious, you bastard! Are you sure you like Josh? Really?"
Isaac couldn't answer. His face only grew redder, which made Henry even angrier.
"Henry!"
Without taking a moment to calm himself, Henry hit Isaac hard on the cheek with his fist. A terrible pounding sound echoed, and Isaac staggered backward.
The impact was so strong that he thought his jaw might be broken. But even then, Henry's rage wasn't relieved. He immediately chased after Isaac and grabbed him by the collar, but he didn't need to go that far. After raising his next fist in the air, he finally uttered a short curse, turned around, and ran off like a madman.
What the hell is this?
Josh couldn't understand what was happening right in front of him. He blinked, his eyes widening. Watching Henry's figure retreat into the distance, he casually remarked,
"You didn't know? That guy likes Isaac. It was so obvious."
"What?"
Isaac screamed, but his reaction was unexpectedly nonchalant. Seth added, as if Josh couldn't see him smirking.
"But I'm surprised you knew. I thought you wouldn't figure it out until the end."
Isaac muttered sheepishly, avoiding his gaze.
"…That's because he confessed to me."
"Henry confessed?"
Repeating Isaac's words in amazement, Josh watched as Isaac quietly answered, still staring at the floor.
"At Pittman's party… he called me over to say something, and that's how it happened."
Only then did Josh realize why the two of them had disappeared at the same time and then returned with an unusual atmosphere. Seth, standing beside Josh, spoke to himself, speechless and empty-headed.
"This is a disaster."
Josh couldn't say anything, and Isaac was just trying to hide his flushed face, his mouth shut tight.
"…I'll leave you alone."
After muttering an unnecessary farewell, Isaac turned his back and disappeared. Still blinking, Josh looked at Seth.
"How did you know?"
"How the hell wouldn't they know? It's so obvious."
Seth asked, as if Josh were being ridiculous. Josh had nothing more to say.
✤✤✤✤✤✤
The mansion was as still as death. Josh lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
It had been almost an hour, and he still couldn't sleep. Tonight, the monitor room was being run by Seth. Sharing the same room, Josh was finally able to relax for the first time in a long while. Thanks to this, he had been rolling around, listening to music, and fiddling with his cell phone aimlessly. But as time passed, his mind only grew clearer.
"Damn."
Josh finally sat up, cursing under his breath. He stopped by the bathroom, stepped out, and suddenly remembered something he had forgotten—he needed to visit Chase.
"Whoops."
He left the room and immediately regretted it after exclaiming in frustration. He couldn't believe he had forgotten. Mark had told him about it.
No matter how shocking the situation with Isaac and Henry was, Josh was to blame for delaying for as long as possible and then completely forgetting. If Chase hit him for it, he'd have no excuse.
Was Chase asleep now?
Josh wondered as he walked down the long hall. But if he waited until morning, Mark would definitely scold him again. Either way, it was his responsibility, so he needed to handle it. Resolving himself, Josh tried to pick up his pace, though he still walked slowly.
After climbing the stairs, passing through the hall, and moving past several doors, he finally stopped in front of Chase's room.
"Hmm."
Seeing the closed door, Josh swallowed his nervousness and cleared his throat hastily. He raised his hand, but it took more courage than expected to knock. Was he always this much of a coward? He knocked on the door, wondering.
Knock, knock.
The blow was exceptionally strong in the hallway. There was no answer, but it was the same old thing, so Josh took his time and grabbed the doorknob. He could see his hands shaking slightly. He opened the door with both heart and strength.
I don't know…
The heavy door creaked open with a grim sound. Josh swallowed dryly and stepped into the room.
"Mr. Miller, I heard you were looking for me. Sorry, I…"
He tore his eyes away from the elegant, empty bed and looked around the flat room. Chase's shadow was nowhere in sight.
What happened?…
He blinked in confusion and moved slowly. There was no sign of anything in the connected bathroom. Standing in the middle of the spacious room, where there was nowhere to hide, Josh confirmed that Chase was not there.
"What the hell…"
He brushed his hair back in a daze. Suddenly, a faint sound of the waves reached his ears.
Now that he thought about it.
The realization hit him late, prompting him to walk toward the side of the room. When he opened the closed door, he immediately saw a wide, smooth spiral staircase leading to the shore. Although Chase had a side path structured to allow him to jump into the sea whenever he wanted, Josh had never seen him swim. Of course, this was unknown to the rest of the team, including Josh. Despite being a private beach, there was almost never a human presence.
Except for this moment.
Who the hell is that?
Josh stood blankly on the stairs, staring at the figure in the distance. Appearing through the waves, disappearing and reappearing—it was clearly a human form.
Are you paparazzi? Another member of that damn religious group? Who else could you be? Who are you blackmailing? Are you a crazed fan?
As he quickly searched his mind for an answer and prepared to confront the stranger, a sudden realization struck him like lightning.
First of all, no one but a team member or the owner of this place could access the private beach. Among them, there was only one person who could swim with such confidence right now.
It was Chase Miller.
The sound of the waves reached his ears again. He stood there for a while, watching the figure of a man rocking in the waves.
The hesitation didn't last long. Drawn by the rhythmic sound of the waves breaking the silence, he descended the stairs.
✤✤✤✤✤✤
The sand that lay on the wide shore was soaked only in a designated area. The seawater reached the same point each time, maintaining a precise boundary. While order usually brought comfort, watching the tide retreat after wetting the same stretch of sand over and over again somehow ignited a desire to disrupt it.
Josh did exactly that now. The urge to spoil the balance took hold as he scooped up a handful of sand and chased after the retreating waves. Then, he saw it.
"…!"
Josh stared blankly at the distant sea. The man changed direction and began swimming toward the beach where Josh stood. Suddenly, Josh's thoughts snapped into focus. Emerging from the water, his purple eyes staring straight ahead, his blonde hair disheveled, his skin pale from the cold, and his red lips slightly parted.
Reality set in. Chase, rising from the water, moved with the rhythm of the waves, stepping forward one at a time. Josh simply watched as he drew closer and closer.
Feeling a sudden frustration, he ran his hand through his hair and stopped himself from looking further. But it was too late—Josh was already transfixed. Seawater trickled from Chase's hair down his face, his long neck, his clavicles, and his chest, before catching on his nipples and forming droplets. The water then traveled further, descending along his sculpted abdomen. Josh held his breath as his gaze followed the trail down to Chase's sharp pelvis and well-defined thigh muscles.
Chase was completely naked.