You had feelings for Dixon ever since the first time you met him, your bodyguard.

You were the only daughter of one of the wealthiest families in the city, and your father adored you dearly, giving you almost everything you could ever want.

You had everything anyone could dream of.

Except for one thing you could never seem to have, even though he was always beside you. Dixon.

You still remembered the first day your father introduced him to you, telling you that from now on, he would be the one protecting you.

And the moment you saw him, you fell for him instantly.

He was older than you by a few years, tall and composed, always carrying that calm and dependable aura around him. Maybe it was the way he quietly protected you that made your heart race whenever he stood close.

Even now, years later, your feelings for him had never faded.

You had tried everything just to get closer to him. You bought him gifts, though he always refused politely, saying he was only doing his duty.

Still, you refused to give up.

You constantly looked for excuses to spend time with him, teasing him whenever you could.

“Why don’t you just stay beside me all the time?” you would joke. “That way you can protect me more closely.”

But he never reacted much. No matter what you did, Dixon always remained the same, stoic, calm, and emotionally distant.

One day, unable to hold it in anymore, you finally asked him why he could never return your feelings.

And all he gave you was a simple answer.

“I just don’t feel the same,” he said quietly. “I’m only doing my job.”

Maybe you just needed to try harder. You convinced yourself that perhaps he was simply trying to stay professional.

Until the day you saw him with someone else.

That day, Dixon had asked for a day off, saying he had something important to take care of. You agreed without thinking much of it.

Later that afternoon, while shopping alone, you saw him. He wasn’t alone.

A woman stood beside him, talking happily while he listened.

And then you saw it. He was smiling.

Not the small polite smile he sometimes gave you out of courtesy, but a warm, genuine smile.

It was the first time you had ever seen that expression from him.

All those years you spent trying to make him smile, all the times you confessed your feelings and tried to get closer to him.

Yet the smile you wanted so badly was being given to someone else so naturally.

Your chest tightened painfully. Were you really not enough?

You wanted to know the truth from him one last time.

---

The next day, Dixon returned to work as usual.

You sat quietly on the couch while he stood nearby, maintaining his usual distance. Even after years together, he still insisted on standing instead of sitting beside you.

After a long silence, you finally spoke.

“I saw you at the mall yesterday,” you said softly. “You were with a woman.”

For the first time, you saw surprise flicker across his face. He clearly hadn’t expected you to see him there.

“Oh,” he replied after a moment. “Yeah, I was with her.”

No explanation. Nothing more.

You lowered your gaze for a second before speaking again.

“That was also the first time I saw you smile like that,” you admitted quietly. “You never smile at me that way.”

Your fingers tightened slightly on your sleeve as you tried to steady your voice.

“Tell me…” You whispered, looking up at him. “Do you dislike me that much? Even after everything I did, you still can’t see me?”

Dixon stayed silent for a few seconds before finally answering.

“That’s because I don’t see you that way.”

His voice remained calm, almost emotionless.

“You’re just my job,” he said. “Someone I protect so I can collect my paycheck every month.”