Daren walked into the mansion after the servants opened the door for him. From behind the door, Mike immediately greeted his employer and childhood friend.
"Welcome home, young master. How about some coffee?" asked the ever-friendly Mike.
However, Daren looked annoyed and didn't answer the man's question. He simply entered the elevator and left, even as Mike tried to catch up with him and ask what was going on.
"What's wrong with him?" he muttered in confusion.
The ginger-haired man then looked back, and saw Axel who had just entered. He immediately ran over to the Alpha who worked as their young master's bodyguard.
"Mr. Axel!" he called out. "What's wrong with the young master? Why does he look so angry? He's even ignoring me," he continued to ask.
However, Mike also noticed the angry expression on the man's face. Axel explained that he and Daren had a little argument on the street about Noah. He recounted what the actor guy had done to Daren.
"You're also an Alpha, if you were in my shoes and met him, you could tell if your instict felt something strange from another Alpha," Axel explained.
"I see, but sometimes it could just be jealousy? Or a collision of pheromones with each other that causes us to feel incompatible with another Alpha," said Mike trying to calm Axel down.
The man knew that what Mike said could happen. But Axel was sure of his instincts and he knew something was wrong with Noah.
"Then go rest, I'll talk to the young master. After dinner, you can look after him as usual."
He nodded and left for the stairs to go to the second floor. Mike sighed softly.
"I really hope nothing happens to you, Daren."
Later that night when Daren was asleep, Axel entered the man's room and walked over to him. He looked at the innocent face of the Omega who was fast asleep, making him remember what happened this afternoon which made him feel annoyed again.
His brown eyes then glanced at Daren's cell phone on the bedside table. He picked up the phone and picked up his own.
Axel seemed to be doing something with Daren's phone and his own for a few minutes, until he finally put the young master's phone back on the table and left the room.
*****
After the commotion between Daren and Axel, they didn't speak to each other for two days. Daren felt that Axel was taking too much care of him, his overprotective nature made him uncomfortable.
"I just wanted to be close friends with him, but he told me not to! He scolded me and told me to stay away from Noah! Don't you think he's overreacting?" Daren asked Ivan over the phone.
"Maybe Axel has his own thoughts as a bodyguard, but I don't understand anything about Alpha or anything. Maybe you could listen to him a bit?" Ivan suggested to Daren.
But Daren didn't think Noah was a bad Alpha. His reputation as an actor was always good, there were no scandals around him and he treated everyone well.
"Do you think Axel is just jealous like he said? But it's strange that he would feel that way."
"I... Not sure, Daren. But I think it's just related to his job. There's no way he'd involve his feelings in his work, right?"
Daren knew that it wasn't possible, especially since Axel was always cold and grumpy with him. It was highly unlikely that a man like Axel would easily like someone, let alone an Omega who always annoyed him.
"I heard that he also hates an Omega. I don't know what the reason is, but this could be evidence that he's just doing his job, right?"
"Maybe you're right. I think I'm just overreacting. Maybe I--"
BRAK!
Suddenly, the door to the room opened with a bang, making Daren, who was on the phone with Ivan, flinch and turn his head toward the door.
"Daren!" The father yelled at his son while carrying something in his hand.
"Daren, what's wrong?" asked Ivan who was worried when he heard Barney, Daren's father, yelling like that.
"I-I don't know, I'll call you later, bye!" He turned off the phone and walked over to his father. "What's wrong, Dad?"
CRACK!
The middle-aged man threw a newspaper at Daren which made the Omega flinch once again. Mike, who was behind Barney, was also surprised to see it.
"What the hell are you doing?! Are you trying to cause a scene out there!"
"A commotion?" Daren looked at the newspaper and he was stunned to see a picture of himself being kissed by Noah, two days ago.
"D-dad is... I can explain. He only kissed my cheek, but the photo looks like we kissed. I myself was surprised when he suddenly kissed me, I..."
He had no idea that the incident was caught on camera and is now going viral all over the media with a very attention-grabbing headline. "A famous actor has a secret relationship with the heir of the Wyne Family"
'We were careful and the kiss was not that long, just a few seconds. But how come...'
"I don't want you to have a relationship with someone outside of my knowledge! Especially with an actor who won't be able to replace me holding Marabella one day!" Barney scolded Daren.
Hearing his father continue to scold him, Daren became very upset and finally returned his parents' words.
"You're always thinking about Marabella, Marabella and Marabella! It's only the company you think about but not what I feel and what I want! You're always like that, even thinking that you love the company more than your own son!" replied Daren.
However, Barney's reply hurt Daren's feelings.
"You're just an Omega, your feelings aren't more important than the company I worked so hard to build. You think you alone can hold that company in your hands? Do you think I'd just give up my hard work for someone who isn't qualified?"
Daren's hands clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white when he heard that. No matter how hard he tried, in his father's eyes he was still an Omega who could do nothing.
"I see, it's just because I'm an Omega?"
He laughed sadly as he was reminded of all that. In fact, he was sure that it was not just because he was an Omega, but because he was born to parents who cared more about wealth than their children.
"I should have just died with Aldrich back then, I didn't expect to be saved if things turned out like this," he said as he glared at his father.
Daren's words made Barney's blood boil, he was furious every time Daren brought up that name.
"You--!!!"
PLAK!