Me? Get a bodyguard? Not a regular one, but that suits fan—James?

"What?!" everybody exclaimed with me.

James' mouth hung open as a clear indication that he was twice as surprised as I was. "But I... I can't..."

You wouldn't be able to because I didn't want you to, that was for sure!

"Yes, you can," Sir Khan said. "You had special training in the academy."

James blinked fast and his lips trembled a bit. "No, I know. But what I meant to say is..."

Silence filled in the rest of his sentence.

"The wheelchair," Sir Khan said. "Do you think it's an impediment to do your job, young man?"

He clenched his fists. "Yes."

"The roadblock is only in your mind, son," Sir Khan replied.

James frowned and said as he glared at his father, "Then why did my father fire me right after the accident?"

Wow. I didn't see that coming.

Lady Melnik stole my attention with her badly concealed sly smile aimed at James. What was that supposed to mean?

Sir Khan stared at his friend, the Lord Commander, with weary eyes, as if they had had this conversation before.

Patrick was silent and serious as he stared at the others like I did.

Lord Commander Melnik sighed. A moment of hesitation later, he nodded. "Fine. You will be her bodyguard for as long as she needs protection."

"Great," Sir Khan added.

"With all due respect, my lord," I said in a hurry, "why him? You mentioned you prohibited him from getting a suit. I assume he would love to become one of them. What makes you think that I'll be safe with him?"

The Lord Commander said, "He's honest and brave. He used to be a captain astroguard. I think–"

"If he likes suits, he could tip off Suit Robotics. He could sell the knowledge of my whereabouts to them in exchange for the suit he wants."

What I said was a bitter pill to swallow, but I needed to look out for myself.

"I would never do such a dishonest thing, Miss Tan," he said in a husky voice that sent a cold sweat running down my spine. His glare aimed at my eyes with the fury of a thunderstorm.

I guessed I touched a nerve.

"I despise traitors with all my heart," he added with bitterness. "I had the accident that left me in a wheelchair because of one."

His intense brown eyes, windows to a complex soul, held stories untold and emotions concealed. A thick neck supported a square jaw, adding an air of stoic determination to his countenance. The badly shaved, two-day beard only enhanced the rugged charm that clung to him, a subtle hint of vulnerability beneath the disciplined exterior. Thick eyebrows, furrowed in a moment of contemplation, drew my attention to the depth of his thoughts and the weight he carried.

"My honour is sacred to me, but you're under no obligation to trust me, of course," he said with poison in his voice, his fists clenched around the wheels of his wheelchair. The skin turned whiter and whiter with every word. "Besides, I know about the behaviour-monitoring security chip in the suits' design. I know I'd become a slave... unless I managed to tinker with the suit's design before I got in it, to secure my freedom."

"Again, son, nobody has ever tried that," the Lord Commander said in a foul mood.

"That we know of," James replied with a hopeful glint in his eyes.

I knew that kind of hope. She danced on the dancefloor in a hectic rhythm with desperation as a partner. I had seen it in my father's eyes right before I left Purple Rock and my nightmarish life on the run started.

"I wouldn't put my faith in such a wild idea, James," Sir Khan said with a fatherly attitude. He put a hand gently over the young man's shoulder. "We'll find a way for you to walk again, I promise."

Okay, I might've been rash to judge him. He wasn't a suits fan—he was desperate to walk again. He lost his job on account of it. His superior, the Lord Commander, had to fire him. Despite being father and son, the rules are the rules. I guess Lord Commander Melnik had no other choice.

Maybe James would be a good bodyguard, then. I needed to correct the wrong I had just done.

"I apologise for my behaviour just now," I said. "I didn't know that you–"

"It's okay, Miss Tan," he said as his eyebrows and fists softened thanks to my apology, but there was a bitter touch to his soft smile and bright eyes then. "I understand your predicament."

James, with his short curly dark brown hair that seemed to defy order, possessed an allure that spoke of a similar untamed resilience of his soul. There was an undeniable attractiveness in the way he wore his veteran astroguard skin-tight suit, black and brown merging seamlessly to accentuate the contours of his well-built physique, especially his arms and chest. Yet, despite the allure, a sense of loneliness and taciturnity seemed to envelop him, creating an irresistible pull.

It made me want to scratch the surface to dig deep into his secrets.

"Great!" Sir Khan exclaimed as he exchanged a friendly smile towards both of us, one at a time. "Then, it's settled. James, you'll become her bodyguard. And Miss Tan can pay him back with her expertise in rehabilitation. I'm sure that she might be able to provide the special care he needs to regain his mobility."

"Oh, hum..." I hesitated, but smiled when a couple of ideas popped into my brain. "Sure. I'd be honoured. When I was in an OR at Mercy Hospital in Purple Rock during my residence, I assisted in a similar case. Even though I'm not a certified surgeon, I could provide a couple of ideas to a surgeon of your choice here. I'd need to run a few tests first, though."

Lady Melnik was driving me crazy with her passive-aggressive cues. Her hands betrayed her agitation as they clenched and unclenched. The subtle arch of her eyebrows contorted into a sharp furrow, a visual echo of the disapproval. The clenching of her jaw was palpable, teeth grinding with a quiet intensity. Her eyes sparked with a fiery intensity, a reflection of the anger that simmered just beneath the forcefully controlled exterior.

Okay, that was more than enough to tell me she hated the young man's guts, and she didn't like to see him get cured and be happy for some reason.

"What?" James replied in a hesitant whisper. His eyes went open wide as he stared at me with amazement.

"She's not one of our healers, but she's as straightforward and passionate as any of them," Sir Khan said. He turned to me and added, "I'm sure you've got a far more advanced, technology-oriented training and knowledge. Who knows? Maybe you're the key to restoring the mobility in James' legs."

James and I stared at each other. As the thought that we'd be saving each other's lives dawned on me, the stillness in the room ceased to be uncomfortable.

The renewed hope in the sudden brightness in his eyes took my breath away.

He leaned forward, a subtle shift in his pose, as if eager to grasp the future I could provide him with. A slight tremor conquered the former firmness of his fingers. He let go of the wheels. A soft blush blossomed on his cheeks. The arch of his eyebrows mirrored the incredulity that blossomed within. The clenching of his jaw, a habitual response to adversity, softened, allowing a glimmer of vulnerability to surface, as if he dared to believe in the prospect of regaining what had seemed irretrievably lost.

"Good," Lord Commander Melnik said, "now why don't you start by showing her Savanah's room?"

Lady Melnik sucked in some air. Her sour, pressed lips told me she was taken aback by such an idea as she glared at her husband.

I turned to him with an arched eyebrow. Who was Savanah?

"Savanah's my eldest daughter," he explained as he put his left hand gently over hers to appease her. "She married a year ago, so her room is not used anymore."

"Why Savanah's room? Why not send her to a hotel or...?" James asked.

"Because Savanah's room is right in front of yours, James. That way is more practical in case there's an emergency. Besides, our mansion boasts of a state-of-the-art security system, so it is a far safer place than a hotel—or even your home. I'm glad that, after the accident, you came to live here with us again, son."

Lord Commander Melnik's wife frowned. Her fists turned white as she threw daggers at James with her eyes.

I was dying to know what was wrong with her.

"You forced me to," James whispered in an icy voice.

I arched an eyebrow. So, he had lived on his own, and after the accident, Lord Commander Melnik had him move back in? Why?

His father used a severe voice to reply, "Don't be grumpy like when you were a teenager, James."

The younger man sighed with discomfort and looked away, clenching his teeth.

That family was emotionally complex, and I sure didn't want to get involved in their mess, but I had no choice.

I said with a cheerful voice, "I humbly thank you for welcoming me into your home, my lord, although I don't deserve such attention and privilege."

"You do deserve my attention. Besides, living with us is no privilege," Lord Commander Melnik replied with a smile. "We'll love to have you around."

Patrick's penetrating gaze turned to me. He had the looks of a model and the body of a demigod with those well-built arms and chest. The brotherly genetic link was clear.

Lord Commander Melnik then asked me, "Don't you think I'd get interested in someone who cares about the children in my colony, and cures them despite not knowing them at all? She belongs to a poor family, you know. She wouldn't've been able to pay you for your services."

"I never treat people differently, my lord," I promptly replied, "Young or old. Rich or poor. Men or women. Neighbours or foreign people. They're all equal to me. That's what my father taught me."

The Lord Commander chuckled. "Are we all equal, Miss Tan? Am I to understand that you're defying the nobility of Sothis?"

"Is that the impression that I've given you so far, Lord Commander Melnik?" I asked as calmly as she could, raising an eyebrow. "Do illnesses or wounds treat you differently from the rest of the mortals, my lord?" I made a crucial pause, only to go on in an icy whisper, "Or death, for that matter?"

Silence reigned in the room, then.

I didn't mean trouble, although my mind and tongue were sharp like a blade. I wasn't defying the concept of nobility; I was just telling him I didn't mind curing those who were poor or unknown to me.

James was still staring at me with a passion that knew no bounds.

"Your father is a very wise man," he replied with a warm smile.

How much did I start to like him then? A lot. When confronted, many people turn a deaf ear or reply with aggressiveness. But that wasn't like the Lord Commander of Two Dawns. He was a level-headed kind of man. I admired that.

"I apologise if I have been rude to you, Miss Tan," he added, which only cemented my loyalty and admiration for him even more. "I never meant to say anything which would bother such a brave, young lady like you. I praise you for being able to pursue your mission despite the murder threat hanging on your head."

James' intense brown eyes, usually guarded, softened into a gaze of admiration, tracing the contours of my body. As he observed me, a subtle parting of his lips revealed his breathlessness. His broad chest, the bastion of his stoic demeanour, subtly expanded with each inhale. There was a gentle surrender in his pose, a subtle lean that mirrored some sort of gravitational pull toward me.

His body language betrayed the enchantment that captivated him... which mirrored my own bewitching.

I found such attention flattering, but I couldn't allow any romantic fantasies to cloud my mind. I had a mission to carry out.

I shook my head.

"Thank you." I smiled broadly. "I apologise if I have been rude to you too, my lord. I'd love to further express my gratitude for having me in your home. I've never been treated with so much kindness and generosity. I... I have no words to fully express my gratitude further right now."

"You may express your gratitude by developing a cure for that mysterious illness," he replied, "and taking care of my son, James."

Hello, my sugar cubes!

How do you feel about James? Will he do a good job?
How do you feel about Mia? Will she find a cure for that illness... and restore James' mobility?

Stay tuned!

XOXO

Mar