Chapter 6

Breakfast must be delivered to the room after confirming the wake-up call every morning. Other meals will be served upon request.

Apart from the above, never enter Chase Miller's room. Seek permission by phone if necessary.

Do not initiate conversation. Do not answer if asked.

Unless in a special circumstance necessary for security, do not enter within a 5-yard radius.

Do not walk behind him.

Do not walk in front of him.

Further details are attached.

Josh held a fork in one hand and casually flipped through the paper with the other. The sheet detailing the rules was nearly five pages long. He had been told to read and memorize it whenever he had time, but in reality, even Mark, the boss, probably couldn’t remember everything.

“Damn, are they crazy? I didn’t even go to college because I hated reading words.”

Josh gritted his teeth and threw the papers at Henry, who didn’t say a word in response. However, after Chase suddenly threw a phone at him the next day, hitting him in the forehead and causing a cut, Henry spent the whole night memorizing all the rules. Now, no one knew the contract better than him. The rule he had broken was “Do not block Chase Miller’s path.”

“I was just walking, damn it!”

Henry shouted in frustration, but it was true that he had crossed within the ‘5-yard radius.’ Everyone was on edge, enduring stress. The contract was full of absurd clauses.

“Are we housekeepers or something? Why do we have to deliver meals every time?”

Mark responded to Isaac, who was venting his frustration, with a serious face.

“We can’t let him starve. Look at the house, there are no maids or anything. They say they all quit because they couldn’t handle his temper, and do you think we can hire new people? We’re here because we’re short-handed.”

Isaac had no rebuttal, though he was angry. Mark continued.

“At least we’re not asked to cook. Meals come every two days, so let’s just handle that. It’s not that hard…”

The clauses about the meals were absurd, but they were the least of their problems. Chase Miller’s presence was a disaster for them. Within just a week, Seth complained of hair loss, Isaac lost seven pounds, and Henry had to get stitches in his forehead.

Josh had managed to avoid trouble so far, but he never knew when something unexpected might happen. Anyway, Josh was the first to be beaten. He often reread the documents and committed the rules to memory.

Had it been like this before?

Josh furrowed his brows. It seemed like there were more rules now than there had been years ago. He couldn’t remember exactly, but the rules hadn’t been written this tightly before.

It seemed like the world-famous star, who had once been adored, was getting more difficult by the day.

He silently mocked. He just wanted it to be over as soon as possible. But in reality, it hadn’t even been a month yet.

“Ugh.”

Josh groaned and slumped over the table. Suddenly, he felt the urge to see Pete. Maybe he was napping. Should he wake him up? No, that wouldn’t be good.

Already feeling uneasy, he pressed the phone’s button. When the dial tone ended and Pete’s voice came through, Josh couldn’t help but shout his child’s name loudly.

“Pete!”

[Daddy?]

The child immediately recognized his voice and yelled. Josh, desperately holding back his desire to rush home and hug his son, quickly continued.

“Yeah, Pete. How have you been?”

[Daddy, yeah, Daddy.]

Pete struggled to get the words out, unable to hide his excitement.

[Daddy, when will you come to see me?]

At Pete’s urgent question, Josh clenched and unclenched his fist several times to calm his emotions.

“Well, I don’t know. How’s Grandma?”

Trying to change the subject, Pete’s voice sank in disappointment.

[Yeah… this morning, I had scrambled eggs, and Grandma put beans in them.]

“Poor thing.”

Josh comforted the child with a gentle voice.

“You’ve got to eat everything to be a good boy. You’re growing taller.”

[Like Daddy?]

“Even taller than Daddy.”

Pete exclaimed in awe.

[Then will I grow like Uncle Mark?]

“Even taller than that.”

Pete shouted another “Wow” in excitement, then pouted.

[I don’t like beans.]

“I’ll go and defeat all the beans for you.”

[You have to get rid of all of them.]

“Of course, I’ll get rid of every single one.”

Listening to Pete chatter, all of Josh’s stress seemed to evaporate. He listened absentmindedly as Pete’s words flowed, responding when necessary.

“Josh.”

Just then, Seth entered the room. Josh lifted his head, and Seth pointed with his thumb behind his shoulder.

“Your shift.”

It was time for patrol. Reluctantly, Josh had to end the call. He forced himself to smile and said goodbye.

“Pete, tell Grandma I said hello…”

[Daddy, when will you come?]

Before he could hang up, Pete asked again. Josh had no choice but to lie.

“If you eat everything, beans or carrots, you’ll see me soon.”

[Really?]

“Really.”

[Then I’ll eat everything. I’ll be a good boy.]

“Yeah, Pete. I’ll come soon.”

After making the promise, Josh kissed the phone. He heard a "smack" as he ended the call, and then he locked eyes with Seth, who had been standing there.

“What?”

Josh asked in confusion, and Seth shrugged.

“You really like the kid that much?”

Seth had been living with his partner for years, but they hadn’t talked about marriage yet, and having kids was not in the plans. Josh smiled and lightly patted Seth’s shoulder.

“You’ll understand when you have your own.”

Seth still looked unconvinced but shrugged his shoulders, picking up an empty plate from the counter and heading toward the stack of pancakes for breakfast. Josh turned and walked out. He planned to make a round of the mansion and surrounding areas.

The security here was somewhat formal. Even if you somehow managed to pass through the main gate with the automatic security system working, it was impossible to go unnoticed while crossing the vast garden and approaching the mansion. As long as Chase didn’t leave, the security within the mansion was relatively easy. Plus, the pay was excellent.

The problem was, however, finding someone willing to do the job.

Josh was grateful to have the work, but he couldn’t help feeling a little bitter about it. He carefully surveyed the large mansion, the private beach stretching behind the twelve-bedroom estate. There was a spiral staircase leading down to the sand, which was always empty. Today was no different. As Josh scanned the area, he turned around and made his way back toward the garden.

The back garden, unlike the manicured front, was quite barren. The large helipad, with a helicopter just sitting there, hadn’t been used in a while. Josh made his way through the training facility and basketball court, even the arcade, but found no sign of anyone there either. It was eerily silent, like the place was dead.

...Huh?

It was in the back garden that Josh finally spotted Chase. He was lying on a beach chair, soaking up the sun. He looked more relaxed than ever, his chest gently rising and falling. For a moment, Josh thought he might have dozed off.

But when Josh saw what Chase was wearing, his eyes went wide. He was only wearing sunglasses and a pair of swimming trunks, barely covering anything.

Suddenly, Josh felt a sharp sting in his head. Without realizing it, he took a step back. Chase, it seemed, had yet to notice his presence. Josh stepped behind a tree, realizing he had hidden himself.

The only choice left now was to leave without being seen. The last thing Josh wanted was another beating.

Josh cautiously peeked his head out again. Chase was still there. Unfortunately, his presence was impossible to ignore.

Josh sighed to himself. How could this man be the perfect type for me?

Josh wondered how much it would cost to make a wax figure of Chase, his body molded exactly as it was. But before he could get too lost in the thought, Chase suddenly sat up.

Josh immediately retreated, startled. He hadn’t been ready for it. He recalled his time in the military, the moments when he and his comrades had faced death together.

Ah, speaking of which, wasn’t that guy in the same state?

As Josh recalled his old comrade, he heard a loud splash behind him. He froze instinctively but didn’t stand up. He stayed low, scanning the surroundings. Whoever was about to jump in was clearly visible.

However, to Josh’s surprise, the water noise ceased, leaving only a heavy silence. Josh waited, his body tensed. He wasn’t sure what was coming, but he had a bad feeling.

Finally, unable to take it anymore, Josh carefully stuck his head out. His heart dropped when he realized that Chase was no longer where he had been lying.

What happened?

Josh froze for a moment, then quickly looked around. He heard another splash, possibly someone diving. He turned his gaze back toward Chase’s beach chair, which was now empty. Panic began to set in.

Chase was in the water.

It could have been a dive, but Chase wasn’t moving. His face was turned downward, and his body remained perfectly still. Josh had seen this before – it was the position someone would be in just before drowning.

“Miller!” Josh shouted in panic, rushing out from behind his hiding place. He didn’t get a response. He called out his name again, louder this time, but Chase didn’t react. Josh was certain now that Chase had lost consciousness.

At that moment, Josh’s survival instincts kicked in. Without thinking, he jumped into the pool without taking off his shoes. The water splashed violently as he swam toward the middle of the pool where Chase lay motionless.

A few strokes later, Josh finally reached Chase, who was still unresponsive. He quickly grabbed him, pulling him toward the surface.

Just as Josh was about to pull Chase’s head above water, Chase’s eyes shot open, and the two locked eyes. Josh blinked, taken by surprise. Hadn’t he just been drowning?

Chase wasn’t even gasping for air. His expression was annoyed, his forehead furrowed as if Josh was an inconvenience.

Josh, flustered, quickly let go.

“I-I’m sorry,” he stammered.

Chase didn’t respond, only staring at him. Josh, feeling embarrassed, tried to brush the wet hair out of his face. Both of them floated in the water, staring at each other. Josh’s wet clothes began to feel heavy, and he thought it was time to leave.

“Well, I’ll... just go now.” He smiled awkwardly.

Chase squinted at him, and Josh didn’t understand the expression on his face. Was he allowed to leave?

Before Josh could even blink, Chase spoke.

“You really want to die this badly?”

“What?”

Josh couldn’t understand the meaning of the question at first. But then, suddenly, Chase reached out.

Before Josh could even scream, Chase grabbed his head and shoved it underwater.

“...!”

The sound of water splashing filled the air as Josh struggled, gulping in water. His head ached as the intense California sunlight refracted through the water, blinding him. But worse than the light was the heavy hand pushing his head down.

Chase’s strength was overwhelming. Josh tried to push himself free, but it was impossible. His body grew weaker as he fought for air.

Desperation set in. He finally managed to grab Chase’s wrist, but it didn’t faze him. Josh squeezed harder, and slowly, Chase’s grip weakened. With one last effort, Josh managed to pull himself above the water, gasping for air.

“Phew!”

He barely managed to free himself, but as he tried to escape, Chase reached for him again. Before Josh could take another stroke, Chase grabbed his hair and pulled him back into the water.

The sensation of drowning again overwhelmed Josh. Fear gripped him as his lungs burned. But when he thought he might truly die, an image of Pete flashed before his eyes. Fueled by a sudden surge of strength, Josh grabbed Chase’s wrist again, this time with more power.

Although Chase didn’t budge, Josh kept squeezing, and finally, his grip weakened. Josh pulled himself up again, this time managing to swim to the edge of the pool.

Chase was still submerged, but the bright sunlight and clear water made it easy to track his movements. Josh panicked when he saw Chase coming for him.

This crazy bastard again.

Josh swam faster than he had ever swum before, pushing himself to the edge of the pool. As soon as his hands touched the bottom, he pushed himself out of the water and ran, his wet shoes squelching beneath him.

No sounds came from behind. Josh didn’t care what expression Chase had or what he was doing. He just wanted to get far away from him.

Josh continued walking, grinding his teeth, wishing he could leave this place and never return.

“Didn’t I tell you to stay out of trouble and be careful with your body?”

Mark immediately erupted in frustration when he saw Josh drenched. Isaac, looking worried, asked,

“Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

Josh only nodded silently, feeling nauseous from how much water he had swallowed. He almost threw up again, gagging as he did. Isaac quickly handed him the trash can.

“Thanks.”

Josh wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and muttered his thanks. Isaac, still with a worried look, said in a quiet voice, “You should be more careful.”

Seth, who had been silently watching Josh dry his hair with a towel, spoke up.

“Was there anything in the contract about assaulting the bodyguard?”

None of them had been expecting Seth to bring that up, but Seth, being meticulous, would have read the contract word for word. Everyone turned their eyes to him, waiting for his response. Mark finally spoke.

“It says that any accidents occurring during the security work are considered the bodyguard’s responsibility.”

“Hah.”

Seth let out a short sigh. Was this one of those ‘accidents’? Josh couldn’t know for sure, but if Chase’s lawyers got involved, they’d find a way to talk their way out of it.

He shouldn’t have even signed the contract in the first place.

As the same thought crossed everyone’s mind, Henry walked in.@@novelbin@@

“What the hell did you do to end up like that?”

Clicking his tongue, Henry sat down with a smug grin. No one responded to him. He looked pleased with himself, then nonchalantly leaned back in his chair.

“You’ve got to take care of yourself. The reason they’re paying us this much is pretty obvious, right?”

Now all eyes were on Henry, who looked unusually pleased with himself. Isaac, in a quiet voice, asked,

“...Did you win money?”

Henry smirked, pulling out several hundred-dollar bills from his back pocket.

“Today, my cards were on fire.”

“Mmm.”

Mark cleared his throat and focused everyone’s attention on him.

“We’ve got something important to discuss. It’s about Chase’s schedule.”

The mood immediately turned serious. Mark looked around at his team and continued.

“Next week, he’s going out.”

“Out?”

Seth repeated, looking confused. Mark rubbed his forehead, clearly irritated, and explained.

“Yeah, it’s not a sudden schedule. He needs to go for a fitting for his clothes. Apparently, it’s for a movie he’s shooting soon.”

Josh vaguely remembered hearing about this. The movie had a massive budget, and it was based on a long-running book series with a huge fanbase. Initially, Chase was supposed to play the hero, but he ended up taking the role of the antihero.

“If that’s the case, we’ll need to focus even more on security,” Seth mumbled.

Everyone agreed. Inside the mansion, they had the benefit of cameras and other security equipment, but once they went outside, they would be exposed, and it would be up to them to cover every situation.

The biggest issue was Chase Miller himself. Given the kind of craziness they had witnessed from him, it was chilling to think about.

“There’s been an incident recently, actually,” Mark said, sounding troubled.

“They say the attacker was part of a religious group who’s hostile toward extreme alphas. Keith Pittman was attacked.”

“P Entertainment’s president?”

Keith Pittman was the head of the production company for the movie Chase was involved in, and he was also an extreme alpha. He was the one who had assigned Chase the role of the antihero. Mark nodded when Seth asked.

“It’s not just talk that Chase is being targeted. There was also an incident where fans broke into the broadcast station during his appearance.”

“...Should we start assembling a security team?”

Isaac asked hesitantly, but Henry immediately cut in.

“Shut up and stay quiet, you idiot.”

Although Isaac didn’t really deserve such harsh words, he had been a bit too oblivious, so Josh didn’t bother comforting him. Seth ignored him as well. Mark sighed and said,

“Let’s decide who’ll be on the patrol team while we’re working. The rest of you can work on securing the routes.”

“I’ll survey the surroundings.”

Josh immediately raised his hand, not wanting to miss a chance. Mark nodded and divided the team into two groups. Josh, Isaac, and Mark were assigned to the reconnaissance team, while Seth and Henry were assigned to Chase’s close security.

“Mark, are you messing with me right now?”

Henry immediately protested, but no one responded. Someone had to do the job, and as long as it wasn’t him, Henry had no choice but to accept the assignment, though he was clearly annoyed.