The Moment of Realization
Chase recognized him first.
His eyes widened.
“You’re... Joshua? The bodyguard?”
Josh’s memory clicked.
This was Yeonwoo—the man from Pitman’s party.
Josh’s face brightened as he sat beside him.
The last time they met, Yeonwoo had looked unwell.
...Just like now.
But the real surprise came when Yeonwoo recognized Pete.
“I... work at the same company as Emma.”
Josh barely had time to process the coincidence before Yeonwoo hesitated.
“...Emma told me you had a child.”
Josh’s mind flashed to Emma’s message.
[Need to talk. Call me.]
...So this was what she wanted to say?
At least it wasn’t about her.
Josh let out a quiet sigh of relief and spoke.
“I had no idea... But I guess it doesn’t change anything.”
Emma had personally reached out to him about this.
And now—he had run into Yeonwoo twice.
It felt wrong to ignore it.
So Josh offered what advice he could.
Then, he fell silent—giving Yeonwoo time to process.
But as he sat there, something occurred to him.
“Wait.”
Josh turned to him.
“You said you work at Emma’s company, right?”
“...Yes?”
“Can I ask you something?”
Yeonwoo nodded.
Josh didn’t hesitate.
“How many men work in your office?”
Yeonwoo blinked.
“...Just me. I’m the team leader. The rest are women—including Emma.”
Josh’s face darkened instantly.
Emma’s string of terrible crushes flashed through his mind.
And now—this guy.
Josh’s Frustration
Her taste in men is absolute shit.
Josh gritted his teeth as he drove down the empty road.
Emma had never had a successful relationship.
Why?
Because she had the worst taste in men.
He should’ve known the moment she said, “This time, it’s different.”
He should’ve realized.
Thinking about it—Yeonwoo was Emma’s type.
Too perfect.
It was only natural that she fell for him.
But.
Did Yeonwoo even realize?!
Josh remembered his clueless expression.
His innocent face.
His complete lack of awareness.
Josh felt his blood boil.
Seriously? You fell for this kind of guy?!
And to make it worse—
She had texted him for advice, after getting rejected.
Josh nearly punched the steering wheel.
If Yeonwoo hadn’t mentioned he was pregnant—
Josh would’ve actually hit him.
“Fucking hell.”
He slammed his fist against the dashboard.
Pete, asleep in his car seat, stirred slightly but didn’t wake.
Josh exhaled sharply.
...It wasn’t Yeonwoo’s fault.
This was all Emma’s fault.
She had no standards.
Josh clenched the wheel.
How does she keep finding the worst ones?!
He resisted the urge to slam his head against it instead.
And pressed the gas pedal to the limit.
Returning to Work
Even after returning, Josh’s anger didn’t fade.
He had planned to confront Emma at dinner.
But she didn’t show up.
[“She said she’s busy.”]
Their mother sighed.
Josh was seething.
He had nowhere to direct his rage.
After putting Pete to bed, he sped toward Chase’s mansion.
By the time he arrived—
It was late at night.
Josh parked in his usual spot and went to find Mark.
Mark brightened at the sight of him.
“How’s the injury? Are you fit for duty?”
“This?”
Josh rolled his bandaged arm.
“It’s nothing.”
Mark let out a relieved sigh.
“...I wanted to let you rest longer, but—”
“I understand.”
Mark nodded.
Josh had no complaints.
This level of injury was nothing to him.
“By the way, has Seth returned?”
“Yeah, he came back today. Asked about you, too.”
Josh smiled.
“Glad to hear.”
Mark then paused.
“...Oh, right.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose.
Josh raised an eyebrow.
“Before you go to bed—”
“Check in with Miller?”
Mark sighed.
“Yeah. He’s pissed I let you take a leave.”
Josh froze.
“...What?”
“He’s fucking furious.”
Mark rubbed his temples.
“I’m the one who schedules leave. But apparently, I need to report everything to him now?”
Mark looked exhausted.
“So, just go see him real quick. Maybe it’ll calm him down.”
Josh hesitated.
Then sighed.
“...Alright.”
Late-Night Chaos
Josh walked into his shared room—but Seth wasn’t there.
“...Guess I’ll shower first.”
By the time he finished, Seth had returned.
They greeted each other with a firm handshake and a brief hug.
“How’s the injury?”
Seth asked.
Josh smirked.
“This?”
He gestured at his bandaged arm.
“This is nothing. What about your gunshot wound?”
Seth mimicked him.
“This? This is nothing.”
Josh chuckled.
Then—
“...By the way.”
Seth’s expression turned serious.
“You were alone with an Extreme Alpha.”
Josh immediately understood.
“You’re worried?”
Seth didn’t deny it.
“...Did anything happen?”
Josh smiled.
“No.”
“...You sure?”
Josh laughed.
“Honestly, I was more worried about the coyotes.”
Seth studied him.
“...You were bitten, right? Did you get a rabies shot?”
“Yeah.”
Josh nodded.
Seth exhaled.
“Good.”
Then—Seth suddenly leaned in.
“Hey—”
Josh flinched.
“...The hell?”
“Hold still.”
Seth sniffed.
Josh shoved him away.
“Quit it, asshole.”
“Relax. Just checking.”
Seth frowned.
“...You really don’t have much scent.”
Josh rolled his eyes.
“Yeah. No shit.”
Then—
“...What the fuck are you two doing?”
A sharp voice cut in.
Josh and Seth froze.
They turned.
Isaac was standing at the door.
His expression was unreadable.
But his voice was tense.
“...Why are you two alone?”
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Josh blinked.
“We were talking?”
Isaac’s gaze narrowed.
“...I saw you. Seth. You kissed Josh’s neck.”
“...What?”
Josh was stunned.
Seth, meanwhile, sighed.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”
Then—
“You like Josh.”
Seth spoke bluntly.
“That’s why you’re freaking out.”
Josh’s mind went blank.
Isaac’s face flushed red.
“I—”
Suddenly—
A sharp slap echoed through the room.
Henry had punched Isaac across the face.
Everyone froze.
Isaac staggered.
Henry, trembling, grabbed him by the collar—
Then suddenly let go.
Without a word, he stormed out.
Seth whistled.
“...Damn.”
Josh was still processing.
What the fuck just happened?
The Aftermath of Chaos
Josh was still processing the sudden outburst. His mind was trying to catch up with everything that had just happened. He turned to Seth, who was still as calm as ever.
“Damn. That escalated quickly,” Seth said, sounding almost casual about it.
Josh blinked in confusion, trying to figure out what had just transpired. The scene played in his mind over and over—Isaac’s sudden fury, Henry’s uncharacteristic slap, and the strange tension that followed.
Isaac had looked so angry—something was definitely going on with him, but Josh wasn’t sure what. The entire situation had been chaotic, and it left him feeling unsettled.
Seth seemed to sense Josh’s confusion and offered a dry chuckle. “You’re not the only one caught off guard, man.”
Josh, still trying to wrap his head around the situation, let out a sigh. “I didn’t expect any of this tonight.”
Seth shrugged. “It’s Isaac. He’s always been like that. He’s not exactly... subtle with his feelings.”
Josh looked at him, his brow furrowed. “So, he... really likes me?”
Seth gave a small, half-smile. “Well, it’s not like he’s been shy about it.”
The revelation hit Josh like a ton of bricks. Isaac, of all people, had feelings for him. That wasn’t something he’d ever expected, and the knowledge made him feel a strange mix of emotions—surprise, confusion, and a bit of disbelief.
Before he could say anything more, the sound of footsteps interrupted his thoughts. Henry was already gone, but Josh could feel the tension still hanging in the air.
“Whatever it is, you should probably talk to Isaac,” Seth said, more serious now. “He’s not gonna make things easy if you don’t.”
Josh nodded slowly. He wasn’t sure how to approach the situation yet, but he knew one thing for sure—things weren’t going to be the same anymore. The dynamics within their group were shifting in ways he hadn’t anticipated.
As Josh stood there, still trying to make sense of it all, Seth clapped him on the back. “Don’t worry too much, man. It’s just Isaac being Isaac.”
Josh gave a small, uncertain smile. “Yeah, just Isaac...” But deep down, he knew things were far more complicated than that.
He needed to figure out what was going on with Isaac, and fast.