It was about the murder case in New York.
The suspect was a wealthy Alpha, and coincidentally, his reputation wasn't exactly stellar. People with money and power make enemies easily. And if the suspect is an arrogant Alpha and the victim a powerless Omega-all the more so.
But what really had people stirred up wasn't the crime it was the prosecutor handling the case.
With a breath of admiration, Rose set the cup in front of him. Josh gave a brief thanks and brought the coffee to his lips when Rose, still unable to take her eyes off the photo, spoke. "Do you think he's an Alpha or an Omega?"
"Hard to say..."
Alphas and Omegas who manifested in their teens-not those rare, late-blooming cases from Beta were usually strikingly attractive. There were exceptions, of course, but most of the time, you could guess it from looks alone. If not the pheromones, then just by appearance, you could often peg someone as either an Alpha or at least an Omega.
Even among those, someone this handsome was rare. Even Josh had momentarily been distracted when he first saw the man's photo. And that was with a low-res newspaper print how good-looking must he be in person?
Thinking that far, Josh hesitated. Calling this man "handsome" didn't quite fit, he was beautiful, and calling him beautiful felt inadequate too. Whatever the case, the photo alone was enough to make it clear he was stunning. "He's probably not a Beta, right? Well, I guess it's not impossible."
It wasn't just Josh who couldn't quite decide. Rose glanced at him and mumbled uncertainly. There were, very rarely, some betas with exceptional looks. That's what had let Josh keep his identity hidden all this time. He offered her a vague smile again, and she quickly latched onto it, sitting down beside him with gleaming eyes.
"I was so surprised when I found out a guy as gorgeous as you was a Beta. I really thought you had to be an Alpha."
She spoke in a tone that was hard to interpret-maybe disappointment, maybe intrigue. Josh had heard that kind of comment countless times in his life. "You look like an Alpha," or "Can't believe a Beta looks like you." Too bad they were both wrong.
Josh was an Omega. One who carried a mark etched into his ear. If it weren't for his job, he wouldn't have to hide it. But unfortunately, no one hire omegas as bodyguards. So from the very beginning of this line of work, he had always pretended to be a Beta.
It wasn't hard to hide. People constantly mistook him for an Alpha anyway, and his pheromones were weak. During his heat cycles, the scent inevitably got stronger, so he had to take suppressants-but even that had lessened since being marked.
He was confident he could go his entire life without being discovered.
Josh nearly touched his ear out of habit but caught himself just in time. If anyone saw the mark, it would be a disaster. Pretending to be an Alpha was another option, but if he did that, he'd have to come up with another whole story to explain why he'd been acting like a Beta all this time. Eventually, the truth that he was an Omega would come out All he could do was keep hiding it with everything he had. Even when he wasn't working, he wore bodyguard earpieces or found other ways to keep his ears covered.
If anyone finds out... I could lose my job. The cold realization sent a chill down his spine. Josh avoided her gaze by pretending to sip his coffee. Clueless about the anxiety churning inside him, Rose gave him a concerned look and asked gently, "How old is Pete this year? Isn't it hard, raising a kid alone?"
"It's manageable"
Everyone in the office assumed Pete's mother had abandoned them and left him to raise the boy alone. Given the nature of their work, it wasn't an unusual situation, and Josh didn't need to invent any stories. A faint smile was enough, and people filled in the blanks on their own. Until recently, It had worked fine.
Rose's sympathy for the "poor single father had shifted into interest a few months ago right after she'd gone through a divorce. Unfortunately for Josh, that wasn't a welcome development. She ignored every subtle rejection and leaned in closer.
"But don't you think a child needs a mother? Poor thing, he's at that age when he must miss her... You haven't heard anything from the mother, right?"
Josh's brow twitched ever so slightly. A casual fling was one thing but whatever direction Rose was hoping this would go, he couldn't give it to her.
"Rose you're standing a little too close."
His warning didn't work. Rose learned in even more, puckering her lips and closing her eyes. She was definitely going for a kiss. Josh raised a hand and blocked her lips just before they touched him.
Startled, Rose opened her eyes wide. Their gazes met, barely an inch apart, as Josh smiled gently.
"Rose. I really don't want to see you fighting with her over me."
That soft tone made her freeze for a second before narrowing her eyes.
"There is no 'her,"
"Well, who knows? She might suddenly show up right in front of us."
"You're teasing me now, aren't you?"
As her brows furrowed, Josh whispered with a sly grin,
"Listen. I think I hear footsteps coming this way. Maybe it's her?"
"What are you talking about?"
Though clearly skeptical, Rose glanced back toward the door. And right then-It flew open.
"What the hell are you two doing first thing in the morning?"
"Ah!"
With his usual rough greeting, the boss stormed in. Rose jumped in surprise and quickly stood up. Josh also stood, acting like nothing was amiss.
"Morning, Mark."
"You been waiting for me?"
Mark glanced at Rose, who turned hastily to fix her clothes, then headed straight into his office. Josh followed close behind and shut the door behind them.
"Whew"
He let out a dramatic sigh, Mark, rounding his desk, gave him a sidelong glance.
"Why don't you just give in already? Raising a kid alone's gotta be rough."
Josh heard the same line from Mark that he'd just heard from Rose. He repeated the lie he'd told countless times before.
"She'll come back after finishing school"
"Ah. Right."
Mark didn't seem to care either way as he pulled out a cigarette. Josh had quit smoking when he got pregnant with Pete, and he still hadn't touched one since. To avoid the smell, he stepped back a bit and spoke
"Mark, can I get an advance on my pay?"
"Advance? How much?"
"Ten thousand."
'Cough!'
Mark suddenly burst into a fit of coughing. Josh, for a split second, went over CPR protocol in his mind in case he stopped breathing. Finally recovering, Mark gave him a suspicious look
"You gambling or something?"
"No."
Josh shook his head and replied honestly. "My mom's sick. I need some money." "She had a condition, right? Is it her blood pressure?"
"Yes. Her kidneys too... a few things."
His tone was flat, devoid of emotion. He didn't want to make it sound like he was begging for sympathy, so he delivered the explanation as clinically as possible.
"There are some hospital bills that've piled up. I've got some savings, but it's not nearly enough. So, I was wondering... Is there any way?"
Mark didn't answer. He just smoked, dragging hard on his cigarette. Could a small security company like this even afford to front that kind of money? He seemed to be seriously weighing the question. After a long pause, he finally exhaled and spoke.
"I'll think about it."
He hadn't said no. But he looked deeply troubled. Josh wanted to ask why, but he doubted he'd get a real answer.
"I'll take anything. Any kind of job, even low-level security."
He added one more plea before leaving.
Mark muttered under his breath.
"You think you're gonna earn ten grand just doing guard duty? Be realistic."
Josh gave a strained laugh and left the office. Behind him, Mark was still puffing smoke, wearing a grim expression.
*
"Daddy, you smell like cigarettes."
The moment Pete saw Josh, he lit up with joy-then scrunched his nose and scolded him, pinching his nose shut. Josh quickly brushed off his clothes in a fluster. Once Pete judged he was "ready," the boy held out both hands. Josh scooped him up high and rubbed his lips against Pete's chubby cheek.
"Kyahaha!"
Josh made a silly buzzing sound, and Pete squirmed in laughter. It looked like Mrs.
Roberts had gifted Pete a new toy while he was gone. A tiny toy car-one Josh hadn't seen before was clutched tightly in the boy's little hands. Catching his glance, Mrs. Roberts smiled. "I just picked it up while I was out thought of Pete"
Josh returned a grateful smile, not wanting to reject her kindness, and made sure Pete thanked her properly. "Was everything alright? I hope he didn't cause trouble."
"Pete's always sweet. You could've taken longer-honestly, I love the time I get to spend with him. He's welcome anytime, don't worry."
Her gentle smile was warm and genuine.Seeing how she'd bought Pete a gift out of affection, Josh felt a growing sense of responsibility to repay her somehow.
She did mention the bathroom light was out, didn't she?
He subtly glanced toward the back of the house, then shifted the subject.
"Is there anything that needs fixing around here? I've got the day off, so I have a bit of time."
Mrs. Roberts beamed.
"Would you? Then-well, there's the light in the bathroom... and, ah, the sink too. It's draining really slow"
"I got it. I'll go grab my tools."
With Pete cradled in one arm so he wouldn't cry, Josh returned home to get his toolbox. By the time he came back, Mrs. Roberts was already prepping to bake cookies.
This is going to turn into an all-day thing...
He thought it, but couldn't find the heart to refuse. In the end, the repair job that began with the bathroom light ended with him fixing a chair in the living room. While Josh worked, Pete watched curiously-until eventually he got bored and fell asleep.
*
By the time Josh came home with Pete in his arms, it was nearly dinnertime. Mrs. Roberts invited them to stay and eat, but Josh politely declined. He had a feeling it really would never end otherwise. Instead, she sent them off with a big batch of freshly baked cookies. Just as they stepped through the door, Pete woke and reached out for a cookie. Josh quickly swiped it away from his hand.
"Nope. Dinner first."
Pete watched the cookie move out of reach with mournful eyes. That face-oh, that face. When Pete looked up at him with a heartbroken expression, Josh groaned in surrender.
"Ugh..."
How could his kid be this adorable?
Clutching his chest like it physically hurt, he finally gave Pete one cookie. The boy bounced excitedly in place, clutching the prize. When Josh saw drool welling at the corner of Pete's lips, he wiped it away with his thumb and hurried off to start dinner.
When is Mark going to call me back?
Even as he fed Pete, that question dominated Josh's mind. He kept cycling through calculations-what savings were left, if he could get a loan anywhere else. He was so distracted that he missed Pete dropping his spoon twice and had to fetch a new one each time.
The doorbell rang just as they were finishing dinner-nearly two hours later.
"Hey. Sorry I'm late."
Mark stepped inside without waiting, brushing past Josh. His sudden visit made Josh tense; it was sooner than expected. Pete, who was dipping cookies in milk from his toddler-sized high chair, blinked in surprise at the unfamiliar guest. Josh rushed over and kissed Pete on the head to keep him calm.
"Pete, it's Uncle Mark. Say hello."
"Hewwo."
Pete mumbled a soft greeting. Mark gave a grunt and tousled the boy's hair absently, then turned serious.
"Let's talk."
Josh followed him into the living room, asking, "Did you eat dinner?"
"I did. You?"
" It's fine, I was just about to."
He had planned to eat while Pete finished his cookies, but this clearly came first. Mark showing up at his house-especially at this hour-wasn't a good sign. And with what happened earlier that day, Josh couldn't help but feel nervous. He encouraged Pete to finish on his own and followed Mark into the living room. "Phew."
Even seated on the sofa, Mark took his time. Josh sat a short distance away, waiting. The pause dragged on, but he didn't dare rush it.
He glanced at Pete occasionally while keeping silent. At last, Mark sighed again and finally spoke.
"About that job."
Another sigh. Then:
"There's something. The pay's good, the terms aren't bad. Actually, they're great. You'd get the full amount up front, in one lump sum. It's part of the contract. Once the job's done, there's more coming too. Payment is staggered, but it's a solid offer. No downside, really. The only issue... is who the client is."
Who the hell could it be that even Mark is hesitating this much?
Josh waited, eyes fixed on his boss's lips. The moment Mark finally said the name, everything made sense.
"It's Chase C. Miller.... You remember him, don't you?"
The second he heard that name, Josh forgot how to breathe.
Chase C. Miller.
How could he forget?
Those chilling violet eyes staring down at him. The dazzling gold hair that glowed under sunlight. The sharply defined,
Impossibly gorgeous face. That lean, long, elegant body that always made Josh feel like he couldn't breathe. Hollywood's top leading man, year after year, voted the sexiest man alive without fail.
The extreme Alpha who left a mark on Josh.
The man who had impregnated him with Pete.