“She wasn’t joking, huh…” Leon muttered under his breath, the weight of realization settling in. Back on the chopper, after escaping the chaos of the island in Spain, Ashley had mentioned him becoming her bodyguard. He’d dismissed it as a passing joke, a flippant remark to lighten the mood after their ordeal.

But now, here he was, faced with the undeniable truth—it hadn’t been a joke at all.

“She knows how to defend herself,” he said aloud, as if trying to convince himself. “Why is she insisting on needing me?”

Ashley had grown so much since their time in Spain. The terrified girl clinging to him for survival had transformed into someone capable, confident, and unshaken by adversity. And yet, here she was, reaching out for him again.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to see her—he did. But it didn’t make sense. She didn’t need him anymore, did she? That thought sat heavy in his chest, a strange mix of pride and reluctance.

His gaze shifted to the suited figure standing before him—someone from her security detail, a representative sent on her behalf. Not even her father had come. It was obvious this was purely professional. And yet, despite all logic, he couldn’t shake the internal struggle tugging at him. Reconnecting with her felt... complicated.