Desire Me If You Can Chapter 38

Beyond that, Grayson was a reasonably decent companion. He knew how to say pleasant things at the right time and was sharp enough never to hurt her feelings. It was one day that shattered the illusions of Naomi, who had maintained their acquaintance thinking he was a decent man to have as a friend, even if he wasn’t a serious partner.

“They say the co-star is Chase Miller. Should I go ahead and devour him?”

When she was cast in a movie with Grayson’s younger brother, Chase, Naomi asked that question half-jokingly.

“Please, do it.”

Grayson laughed, genuinely amused. He added, “I’m glad you’re a Beta,” and explained why: “Because it would be troublesome if you left a mark.”

“Why is that?”

She shouldn’t have asked that question. At the time, Naomi was overflowing with affection for that piece of trash, so she let her guard down. She knew all too well that men were always lurking, looking for opportunities to stab you in the back.

Grayson burst into loud laughter and said:

“You have to distinguish between the person you sleep with and the person you marry.”

The sensation of her blood running cold back then is still vivid today. The meaning of Grayson’s words was crystal clear. It meant Naomi was someone to sleep with, but never a woman to be taken seriously as a marriage partner. What an arrogant man. Whether the source of that confidence was his noble ‘Peak Alpha’ lineage or because his family background was just that impressive, she didn’t care. Naomi never forgave those who deeply wounded her high pride.

I will make sure to see that bastard crying, wailing, and suffering.

How many years had she spent gnashing her teeth like that? Grayson had started on his talk about a ‘soulmate’ again. It was news as joyful and exciting as when she was nominated for Best Actress. And Naomi had eventually won that award. It was the same this time. Could there be any prize more joyful than seeing Grayson Miller’s devastatingly wounded appearance?

A thrilling joy swept through her entire body. She clenched both fists and trembled, then hurriedly began rummaging for her cell phone. Now it was time to find out where Grayson was currently misstepping. She pressed the speed dial, and after a few rings, her assistant answered with a sleepy voice.

“Yeah, it’s me. Sorry for the late call. There’s someone I need to find urgently. They say he became a firefighter, but I don’t know which station. Could you find out for me as soon as the sun rises?”

Naomi waited quietly while the assistant found a pen and paper. When the assistant finally said they were ready, she took a deep breath and finally brought out the name.

“Grayson Miller.”

She felt the assistant pause upon hearing the name. Naomi smiled brightly and added:

“Yes, that’s right. The second son of the Miller family, that very Grayson Miller.”

The assistant, who had been nodding, asked her:

“Do you just need me to locate him?”

“Yes, I’ll handle the rest.”

Naomi added a sweet farewell.

“Sorry for always being so demanding, and thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be billing you for a special bonus.”

The assistant, who spoke the truth as if it were a joke, hung up. Naomi laughed and took out her checkbook to write the check for the assistant. When she finally signed her name, her face was glowing brighter than ever with anticipation for what was to come.

∞ ∞ ∞

At the same time, in another location, another Miller was talking about this very incident.

“A firefighter? Grayson? Your brother Grayson Miller? He became a firefighter?”

It was around then that Joshua Bailey received a call from his partner, Chase Miller. Since Joshua was staying in another state for work, they frequently confirmed their affection for each other over the phone, but this day had a special purpose: news about Chase’s brother, Grayson Miller.

He had gotten a job, and at a fire station, of all places.

As soon as he heard Chase, Joshua couldn’t believe it, and his voice involuntarily rose as he asked repeatedly. On the other end of the phone, Chase replied in a heavily twisted tone:

Yes, that bastard. What on earth is he thinking? The most selfish man in the world wants to take the most altruistic job in the world—doesn’t it sound like he’s gone insane? That’s right, he must have lost his mind because of his pheromones. It’s for sure.

Listening to the vitriol poured out with such emotion, Joshua was thinking something completely different. A firefighter, of all things… is this fate?

“Do you know which fire station it is?”

At Joshua’s question, Chase searched his memory and recalled what Koi had said. After hearing the answer, Joshua became convinced. This had to be a revelation.

“Chase.”

Taking advantage of the silence on the other end, he called his name, then lowered his voice meaningfully and asked:

“I just had an interesting thought, what do you think? Want to hear it?”

What kind of thought?

To the still-sulky voice, Joshua threw out another question:

“Do you remember the promise I made a long time ago? When I said that if you wanted, I would kidnap that guy for you.”

A sudden silence fell. Joshua smiled, naturally picturing Chase frowning and holding his breath.

“Yes, that’s right. The time has come.”

Joshua deliberately paused before adding:

“The time to pay back all our debts.”

He could hear a sharp intake of breath from the other end. After a tense silence, Chase finally opened his mouth:

So, what do we do first?

Hearing his voice trembling faintly with anticipation, Joshua smiled with satisfaction and spoke:

“The first thing we need to do is find an accomplice.”

An accomplice?

“Yes.”

To the word Chase repeated, Joshua nodded and said:

“I know a firefighter.”

∞ ∞ ∞

The branches of a high tree swayed briefly. Dane Striker moved slowly onto the ladder, then stopped his movements and surveyed the situation. After confirming the tree had gone quiet again, he moved forward once more. At the end of a precarious branch that looked as if it would snap at any moment, a bruised cat—crouched down as low as it could go—was glaring at him with its fur standing entirely on end.

“It’s okay, you’re a good cat. Come here.”

Whatever the reason, the cat had climbed up high but couldn’t find its way down. The voice Dane used to persuade the cat was filled with gentleness. As he approached the cat, clicking his tongue and making cooing noises, the team members watching from under the tree began to talk.

“It’s so strange. A guy as cynical as him is incredibly tender toward animals.”

To someone’s comment, the person next to them nodded in agreement.

“Even if he beats up people, he doesn’t hit animals, you know.”

“Is that all? Last time, he almost went to jail for beating a guy half-to-death—the owner who left his dog inside and set the house on fire.”

“It’s a good thing he got away with just a fine. I don’t think he would’ve beaten him that hard if there were only people inside.”

“No, he might have beaten him just for being a nuisance. That’s the kind of guy he is.”

“Who knows? Well… I doubt he’d want to go to jail. There’s a cat to look after, after all.”

Standing at some distance from his colleagues, who were trading such idle chatter as they pleased, Grayson was watching Dane with a scowling face.

What is that guy doing now?