I stepped out of a building filled with frenetic and thumping music, tightening my coat to cover my body that was swept away by the cold night wind. The clothes I wore were indeed a little revealing tonight. However, this was the aftermath of a party at a friend's house—an old friend, to be precise.
It wasn't late, so it shouldn't have been this quiet. However, it was only natural that some of the residents around the club didn't leave their homes after eight o'clock. Rumors had spread that there were gangs of criminals who did not hesitate to kill and even eat the victims they killed after raping their victims. They were not enough to rob.
It was definitely a big mistake for me to go to the nightclub when the party at Kay Lee's residence was enough to make my head spin from the magic drinks they concocted.
Contacting my fiancé or assistant was impossible, as they must have been busy with their respective jobs. Besides, I told them not to worry about me. My disguise must be good enough for no one to recognize me.
"Don't move, beautiful. Take off everything on that body of yours right now," said a man who didn't know where he came from. I didn't dare look back to see where the man was because there was an object pointed at my head.
I was sure it must be a gun, and I didn't want to die young. I took off the jewelry I was wearing and handed it to the man, still in my position.
"The one in your wallet!" he snapped again.
"What? No, sir. I have to go home, and I didn't bring anything but—hey! Take it off—"
DORR DORR!
I froze in my tracks as he fired his rifle into the air. I stumbled for a moment and then had to give up all the contents of my wallet for them to have. When they got it all, I thought that was it. But it wasn't.
One of them came over and took a look at the clothes I was wearing. I swear to God, I'll never forgive my driver for being late to pick me up. My palms began to break out in cold sweat and tremble.
"W-what are you going to do? You've got it all; please let me go. I won't report you to the police."
SLAP! BRUGH!
"Ah! Let go of me!" they pulled me hard and threw my body onto the street. The trio's laughter echoed through the empty and deserted streets, and I'm sure I'll never forget that horrible laughter because, in the next second, they made a mockery of me.
I struggled, but the three men clearly outmatched me. One of them held my arms, another held my legs, and another slapped and beat me mercilessly.
The man tore my dress and stared at me with a glint in his eye and a disgusting grin, like a dog drooling over a pile of meat in front of him.
"What are you going to do? Let go of me, you bastard! Help! Anyone, help me!"
It's useless. The locals won't hear my voice. What time is it? They were probably curled up under their blankets.
"Damon, help me," I whimpered, which would have been an outlet for their lust had a man not come along at that moment.
"Hey, let her go!" a man said in a deep voice. I froze for an instant, turning my head in the direction of the voice and seeing the man's silhouette. There was a light behind his back shining down on me.
"Who are you? Stay out of this!" one of them snarled. "Unless you want to enjoy her body. Haha..."
The man approached, revealing to me a grin with a flash of red in his eyes. To me, it was so creepy that I didn't dare look at him. However, without realizing it, there were already sounds of groans of pain and fisticuffs between them.
It happened so fast; it was as if time had stopped for me, and when I came to my senses, the three thugs were already lying helpless.
I tried to get up with the last of my strength, covered the exposed parts of my body due to the torn clothes, and then curled up against the wall of a building.
I, who initially dared not witness the incident, finally raised my face and stared into the blue eyes of the man who was now standing before me. The chiseled jawbone and sturdy posture made the man undeniably attractive. He had a charming aura that left me stunned for a moment.
Without looking away, he took off his jacket and put it on my trembling body. It covered my body, which was exposed due to the tattered clothes. The fabric felt warm and protected me, who was almost frozen.
He helped me up. His strong yet gentle bearing was a comfort in the midst of the chaos that nearly destroyed me. I looked up and gazed at his beauty that I could not resist.
"Are you okay?" asked the man with the deep, heavy baritone voice. I could feel the tenderness and care in his words. I nodded slowly as if time had slowed down. He then guided me to follow him to a place where he had parked his motorcycle.
"Hop on, I'll take you home," he said. I once again nodded and followed his orders. He rode his iron horse at full speed and cut through the crowded streets in the darkness of the night.
I was caught in a daydream during the ride. I was lost in emotion and the rush of adrenaline churning in my bloodstream. This man's aura was unwavering and managed to make me question his identity and character.
Before I knew it, the motorcycle I was riding stopped right in the courtyard of my mansion, and at that moment, I regained consciousness. Only, I still didn't dare to ask this man who he really was. How stupid I was!
"I hope you're okay. Immediately ask someone to help you clean and tend to your wounds. Next time, don't ever wander around alone, especially at night, because no one doesn't know you, Miss Sanchez," he said thoughtfully.
I just sighed heavily and nodded. And soon, the man's vehicle moved away from me and disappeared into the night. One foolish thing I did: I wasn't even able to say a simple thank you to the mysterious man who had saved my life.
***
"Oh my God, Vans! What happened to you?" squealed a girl with a worried look on her face. My face was now covered in bruises and bruises, and I was already desperate because I couldn't hide them with makeup.
She was one of my best friends, as well as a personal assistant. I trusted her for this job, and in the few years she had been my assistant, she had done an excellent job.
"Has someone done something bad to you?" she asked again. I just sighed.
"I'm fine now, Bri. Thanks for your concern."
"No, Vans! You should fire your bodyguard because he has repeatedly made this mistake! Where are your fiancée and her cousin? Don't they know you're like this?"
Not long after Brianna asked her question, I heard the sound of footsteps approaching my room. My fiancé and his cousin came together, as usual.
I never suspected anything because they were cousins, so I thought it was natural for them to be together everywhere. After all, they ran the same business, even partners who would know each other's wallets.
"I'm here. Did anyone miss me?" the woman said with a big smile. However, before we could answer, she and my fiancé both wide their eyes at my disheveled appearance. "Oh my God, Vans! What happened to you?"
The woman turned to my fiancé. "Don't you feel sorry for her? You should be less busy and pay more attention to her, Damon!" she added.
"Oh, please! There's no need for you guys to overreact. It's nothing."
The man who had been sitting far away from me got up and approached. He noticed the wounds on my face and some parts of my body. He then seemed to bend the veins of his face.
"Who's the asshole who dared to do this to you!? Let me teach him a lesson!" said Damon, furious. However, I just rubbed the back of his hand to calm him down.
"I'm fine, baby. This wound will definitely heal by itself," I replied with a smile. It should be impossible to smile because my whole body is crumpled up like a sledgehammer. However, things will only get worse if I show a face of pain.
My fiancé has a unique emotional management. He would definitely really teach a lesson to anyone who made me suffer. And that kind of thing had happened many times.
"No, Vans! I think you should have a personal bodyguard!" another exclaimed. "This is an incident that cannot be underestimated."
"I'm fine and just want to find one person, if possible. The one who saved me from those punks."
The others frowned when they heard my request.
As the others stared at me, Tatiana, Damon's cousin, showed me the screen of his cell phone. There was a clearly displayed identity and even a photo of someone who looked familiar. Unfortunately, due to the effects of the impact during the attack last night, I couldn't quite remember who the man in the picture was.
"What is this?" I asked, not understanding.
"Your future bodyguard. You can't refuse. His name is Jax, and I've contacted him to come this afternoon. So prepare yourself. I borrowed your fiancé. We'll be gone for a while." She got up from her seat and came over to me to give me a peck on the cheek.
"Where are you going?" I asked. Lately, my fiancé and his cousin have been going out together a lot. I shouldn't be jealous because their grandfathers were brothers. There was no way they were doing anything nefarious. Still, there was a feeling that often sneaked up on me and was hard to shake off.
"Organizing a fundraising event for cancer patients, of course. Did you forget? The hospital that Damon and I funded will be holding the event."
I turned to Damon, my fiancé, demanding an answer to his cousin's statement. "Why didn't I know about it at all?" I asked. The man didn't look at my face at all. What was going on this time? Is there something I don't know about?
"Never mind... you guys don't talk right now, okay? We'll be late if we don't leave soon. Besides, Jax is already on his way here."
"Do you know who Jax is?" I asked.
Everyone in the room shook their heads while Tatiana just shrugged and spluttered. "I just found him on a private bodyguard search platform. You won't be disappointed, as it was a recommendation from a friend," she replied. "Okay, everyone. We gotta go."
I just stared at their departure while Brianna stayed beside me and understood that I was in turmoil at the moment.
"Calm down, Vans. They can't be anything more than cousins. Damon wouldn't betray you."
"Yeah, I hope so."
A few hours passed, and a well-built man stood in front of me. I lifted my face from the sheet of paper that had initially occupied my attention. And when looking at men in black shirts and pants, I was wide-eyed. My heart almost jumped because of the mixed feelings of nervousness and excitement.
