Chapter 3

Damn it.

Josh sat on the bed, gripping his hair. He had been like this for hours. Ever since he had put Pete to sleep, his mind had been trapped in an endless loop. No matter how much time passed, his thoughts kept circling back to the same place.

"…You don’t like it either, do you? Neither do we."

Mark’s voice filtered in through the haze of his thoughts. Josh finally let out the breath he had been holding, and Mark continued.

"Actually, this contract came in about a week ago. I was about to reject it because I knew everyone would hate it. But, man, the terms are really good. You don’t get paid like this often… Miller throws money around like it’s nothing."

Of course, the only things Chase C. Miller had in excess were money and looks. If even a fraction—no, a fraction of a fraction—of his face matched his personality, people would be worshipping him.

Josh scoffed inwardly at the thought. The popular joke was that God had put all His effort into creating Chase Miller’s body and, completely exhausted, had just tossed aside any sense of morality or decency.

Since Josh stayed silent, Mark scratched his head roughly.

"But, you know as well as I do that this job is… yeah. Miller’s temper isn’t exactly easy to deal with. Not that we can complain when the money’s this high. I mean, they had to reach all the way out to the West Coast just to find someone willing to take the job. Everyone turned it down. No matter how much money is involved… Miller, though? That’s a different story. I hesitated too, but then you said you needed cash, and, well… The other jobs available wouldn’t even make a dent. If you agree, it'll be easier for the others to decide."

Josh took a deep breath before speaking.

"Did you tell the others about it?"

"I called them before coming here—just a brief rundown. They said they’d think about it."

Josh still clearly remembered everyone cursing and gritting their teeth when they heard about the job. It was surprising that the response wasn’t as bad as expected.

Had something urgent come up for everyone, just like it had for him?

As he fell silent again, Mark added,

"It’ll be about six months, max. Could be as short as three. If it goes longer, they’ll compensate accordingly. …Well, if you’re really desperate, at least consider it. And remember, if you take it, the whole team goes, so don’t feel too pressured."

With that, Mark left, and Josh had been stuck in the same agonizing dilemma ever since.

Why the hell did it have to be him?

The answer was obvious.

There weren’t many people willing to throw that much money at their personal security. And Josh needed that rotten money more than anything right now.

That was the harsh truth.

No matter how much time he spent agonizing over it, the conclusion would be the same.

As the sky turned pale with the approaching dawn, Josh finally accepted the answer that had been set in stone from the beginning. Six months at most. Once the contract was up, there would be no extensions.

Mark would figure out the rest.

Waiting for Mark to start work, Josh finally made the call.

"The others… has anyone decided to take the job?"

The idea that everyone might have refused sent a shiver down his spine. But Mark quickly answered.

"Me, Seth, Henry, and Isaac. Four of us."

That meant everyone except Josh. He felt the tension leave his shoulders, only for Mark to add,

"Henry gambled again. Lost everything."

Seth had hesitated, but the paycheck convinced him. Isaac had loaned Henry money, only for Henry to blow it all at a casino, so now he had no choice but to take the job too.

"Henry dragged Isaac into his mess. Again. That idiot keeps falling for Henry’s smooth talk."

More than smooth talk, Josh figured Henry had likely thrown in some intimidation as well. It wouldn’t be the first time Isaac had given in under Henry’s threats and curses.

Well, at least it worked out in my favor.

Josh let out a bitter sigh and spoke.

"I’ll take it too."

"Good. That makes five, including you, Joshua."

Mark made a point of using his full name, as if he were already writing it into the contract. He wasn’t surprised or pleased—he had expected Josh to say yes.

It had been the only choice, after all.

After finalizing the necessary details, they agreed to check the contract via email. Not that Josh particularly cared about the fine print—so long as the money was paid as promised, nothing else mattered.

Once the decision was made, he acted quickly. He called his sister.

"I got a new job. Don’t worry about the money anymore."

Thankfully, the location was only a few hours’ drive from where their mother and sister lived. He’d be able to drop Pete off and visit on his days off.

"Don’t worry about Pete, Josh. Mom’s thrilled he’s coming."

Emma’s voice was bright with relief.

When the call ended, Josh let out a deep breath.

That was the biggest problem solved.

There’s no way he’ll find out about Pete.

Josh frowned, deep in thought. If the truth ever got out… he couldn’t even imagine what would happen.

If he had wanted to tell him, it should have been back when he first found out he was pregnant. But revealing it now? That was out of the question.

How would a man react to suddenly having a child appear out of nowhere?

Hiding it wouldn’t be hard.

Like everyone else, Chase believed Josh was a Beta.

Besides, that man had never once spared a glance for a mere bodyguard.

…He didn’t even remember sleeping with him after leaving his mark.

"You’re mine. All of you."

The forgotten words resurfaced, sending a cold chill through Josh’s chest.

Josh had to leave ahead of the others to drop Pete off. He figured he might as well spend a few days with his family while he had the chance.

He thanked Mrs. Roberts and promised to stay in touch. She looked heartbroken as she hugged Pete tightly.

After staying up for days preparing to leave, Josh finally made his way to the airport.

Boarding the plane with Pete in one arm and a small suitcase in the other, he noticed the flight attendants’ expressions shift—smiling warmly at first when they saw his face, then hesitating as they noticed the child in his arms. But they quickly recovered, returning to professional smiles.

Josh settled Pete in the baby seat, tucking him in snugly with a blanket. When he handed him a piece of candy, Pete was content, sitting quietly without fussing.

As he stored his suitcase, his gaze naturally drifted to Pete’s round, chubby cheeks.@@novelbin@@

Was it because he knew Pete was his child, or because they really did look alike?

It wasn’t something he could ask anyone. So every time, he forced himself to suppress the uncomfortable curiosity.

Pete quickly fell asleep, and as Josh wiped the drool off his lips, another thought crept in.

Will he recognize me? Does he even remember me?

He recalled their first meeting. The way Chase had looked at him.

Arrogant. Narcissistic.

Most Extreme Alphas were practically sociopaths. If their secondary gender manifested before puberty, they often skipped the emotional turmoil of adolescence and ended up full-blown psychopaths.

Chase had manifested later, so he at least understood emotions. The problem was that his were overwhelmingly concentrated in rage.

Psychopaths can feel anger too.

Josh sneered. That was probably why Chase could act—because he had emotions to draw from.

Not that he needed them.

With that face, he could just stand there and—

His thoughts were interrupted by a small gasp.

Josh turned to see the passenger across from him staring at a screen—at Chase Miller, emerging from the ocean like a god incarnate.

Right. Just like that.

Josh’s heart pounded.

No matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried to forget…

He never would.

Josh found himself unable to look away.

Soon, he would have to face the real thing.

But he desperately wanted to delay that moment for as long as possible.

Even as he shut his eyes, trying to ignore reality, the plane continued its steady course toward California.

"Josh!"

As soon as he stepped into the arrivals area, Emma ran toward him, beaming.

With Pete in one arm and his suitcase in the other, Josh didn’t have a free hand to return the hug, so he simply let his sister throw her arms around him.

Emma took a deep breath as if holding back her emotions before pulling back and meeting his eyes. Josh gave her a small smile.

Emma smiled back.

Then, Josh greeted her properly after years apart.

"You’re still ugly, I see."

And just like that, the sentimental moment was over.

"God, how can someone be this much of an asshole?"

Emma gritted her teeth, repeating herself for what must have been the tenth time.

Josh sat in the passenger seat, gazing lazily ahead.

"Turn now."

"Shut up. I’m driving."

"Step on it. That guy’s trying to cut in."

"I said shut up! I’m the one driving!"

Emma suddenly swerved the wheel, cutting in aggressively. She glared at the car behind her and muttered a string of curses under her breath.

If Josh said one more word, she looked ready to rip the steering wheel off and beat him with it.

Glancing back, he saw Pete shifting his eyes uneasily.

Josh smiled and made a bird shape with his hands, flapping them lightly.

Pete let out a delighted giggle and clapped his hands.

Emma, still mumbling curses, didn’t notice.

Josh leaned back against the seat, closed his eyes, and let the warm sunlight wash over him.

He was home. For real, this time.