CHAPTER 2: UNWANTED GUARDIAN
1263 Words
The hospital room's stark white walls and the sharp scent of antiseptic made Eden feel
suffocated. She sat next to James's bed, observing as the nurses carefully changed the
bandage on his shoulder. Guilt churned in her stomach—he bore the bullet wound that
should have been hers.
"Quit looking at me like that," James said, forcing a smile despite his pale complexion. "I
always wanted to be the hero. Now I’ve got a cool scar to prove it."
Eden attempted to smile back, but it felt impossible. "You could have died, James."
"But I didn’t." He shifted in the hospital bed, grimacing slightly. "What I got was a front-row
seat to you dismantling one of the biggest cybercrime operations we’ve ever faced. The
news is going wild.”
Eden checked her phone. In the six hours since the shooting, her AI system Oracle had
uncovered evidence of corporate espionage, money laundering, and data theft involving
multiple tech companies. Victor Kane's company was at the heart of it all, and his stock had
plummeted forty percent in mere hours.
"The FBI has launched an official investigation," Eden said, scrolling through the flood of
messages. "Kane's board is demanding his resignation. But..."
"But now you're the target," James interjected.
Before Eden could reply, the hospital room door swung open. Five members of her
company's board entered, with Richard Morrison, the oldest board member who had known
her father, leading the group.
"Eden," Richard said, his expression serious. "We need to discuss security measures.”
Eden sat up straighter in her chair. She had anticipated this conversation, but she had hoped
to put it off a little longer. "I've already ramped up company security. We're putting new
protocols in place—"
"We're not discussing company security," Richard interrupted. "We're talking about your
personal protection. For you."
"I don’t need a babysitter."
"A board member was just shot in your office!" Richard's voice rose in urgency. "This isn’t a
game, Eden. They tried to kill you."
"And I'm in control," Eden retorted, standing up, her frustration bubbling to the surface.
"I’ve built this company from the ground up. I can handle this too."
Richard exchanged glances with the other board members before continuing. "We've called
an emergency vote. You either accept personal security, or we’ll have to temporarily remove
you as CEO.”
The room fell into an uneasy silence. Even James ceased his usual banter.
"You can’t do that," Eden's voice was low and edged with danger. "This is my company. I
built it."
"And as CEO, you have a responsibility to safeguard the company's interests," another
board member interjected. "You're our most valuable asset, Eden. If anything happens to
you, thousands of jobs are at stake. Stock prices would plummet."
Eden opened her mouth to retort when the hospital room door swung open once more. A
man entered, and the atmosphere shifted dramatically.
He stood at least six-foot-two, with broad shoulders and a commanding presence that
couldn't be overlooked. His dark hair was cut short, and his face would have been handsome
if not for the severe expression that dominated it.
He wore a black suit that couldn't fully conceal the gun holster hidden beneath his jacket.
"Ms. Chase," Richard motioned toward the man. "This is Marcus Stone. He’s your new head
of security."
Eden felt her blood pressure spike. "I haven’t agreed to anything."
Marcus Stone regarded her with a cold, professional gaze. His eyes swept over her in a swift
appraisal that made her feel as if she were being scrutinized for vulnerabilities.
"Mr. Stone comes highly recommended," Richard continued. "He has a background in
military intelligence, specializing in high-risk protection details. He’s managed security for
senators, tech billionaires, and foreign diplomats."
"How impressive," Eden replied, her tone laced with sarcasm. "And did any of them actually
want his protection?"
"No," Marcus interjected for the first time. His voice was deep and measured. "Most clients
don’t. Until they need it.”
Eden turned to face him fully. "Let me make this clear, Mr. Stone. I don’t need protection. I
need to run my company."
"Three attempts on your life in the past six hours suggest otherwise," Marcus replied, his
tone flat.
That made Eden pause. "Three? What are you talking about?"
"The sniper was only the beginning," Marcus stated, retrieving a tablet. "Your car's brake
lines were sabotaged while you were inside the building.”And the coffee delivered to your
office twenty minutes before the shooting was laced with poison."
Eden felt the color drain from her face. James cursed softly from his hospital bed.
"How do you know this?" Eden demanded.
"Because I’ve spent the last five hours doing what you should have done years
ago—analyzing your security vulnerabilities." Marcus's expression remained unchanged.
"You have nineteen different ways unauthorized personnel can access your office. Your
home security system hasn’t been updated in three years. And your sister’s apartment has
no protection at all.”
"Keep Maya out of this."
"Your enemies won't," Marcus shot back, his words striking hard. "The people you've
exposed? They don't play by the rules. They'll use anyone and anything to get to you."
The room fell silent once more. Eden could sense the weight of their gazes, all waiting for
her reaction. She glanced at James, noticing the concern etched in his features, and thought
about Maya alone in her apartment.
"The board vote is unanimous," Richard said softly. "We're not asking you to step down,
Eden. We're asking you to let us protect you."
Eden's phone buzzed with another message. This time, it was a photo – Maya entering her
art studio, clearly taken that morning. The message beneath it was chillingly familiar: "Next
time, we won't miss.”
Eden's hands trembled as she displayed the message to Marcus. His expression darkened
slightly – the first genuine emotion she'd witnessed from him.
"I have a team moving to secure your sister now," he said. "But you need to decide quickly,
Ms. Chase. The longer we wait, the more vulnerable you both are."
Eden glanced around the room – at James in his hospital bed, at the anxious board
members, at this unwanted guardian who had barged into her life with his cold facts and
even colder demeanor. She thought about Maya, about her company, about everything she
had worked tirelessly to build.
"Alright," she finally said, the word feeling heavy on her tongue. "But I have conditions."
"No, you don't," Marcus interrupted, striding toward the door. "You don’t have a choice, Ms.
Chase. I'm not asking for your permission to keep you alive.”
Before Eden could unleash her frustration at his arrogance, alarms began blaring in the
hospital corridor. Security guards rushed past the door.
"What’s going on?" Eden demanded.
Marcus was already in motion, his hand instinctively reaching for his gun. "Someone just
breached hospital security. They’re coming for this floor." He seized Eden's arm. "We need to
move."
"But James—"
"Has his own security detail," Marcus said, pulling her toward a service exit. "Right now,
you’re the target. We can’t stick around to give them another chance."
As Marcus guided her through the hospital's back corridors, Eden realized her life had
shifted dramatically. She was no longer just a CEO, no longer in control. She was a target,
and this cold-eyed stranger was now her only line of defense against whoever wanted her
dead.
The hardest truth? Deep down, she understood he was right. She didn’t have a choice.
Not if she wanted to survive.
- Writer
