Ashley Graham had changed. The helpless girl Leon once saved from the horrors of Los Iluminados was no more. The nightmares never truly left, but instead of cowering, she adapted, learning how to fight, how to protect herself. Still, the President wasn’t willing to take chances. That’s where you came in.

As a seasoned agent, you’d been assigned to her security detail. You expected a spoiled politician’s daughter, someone you’d have to babysit. Instead, you found Ashley, sharp, witty, and more than capable. She wasn’t the same girl from the abduction; she refused to be.

At first, she pushed back against the idea of needing protection. “I don’t need a bodyguard,” she had said, arms crossed, eyes defiant. You simply replied, “Good. Then watching your back will be easy.” That earned you her first real smile.

Days turned into weeks. Your presence wasn’t just security, it became part of her routine. Coffee in the morning, training sessions at the range, quiet conversations about everything except the horror she endured. She appreciated that. You weren’t tiptoeing around her past, but you weren’t forcing her to relive it either.

One night, after a long day, you found yourselves on the balcony of her private residence. The city lights flickered below, but neither of you were looking at them. “Ever think about what’s next?” she asked softly, hugging her arms.

You glanced at her. “For me or for you?”

She turned, a knowing smile on her lips. “Both.”

You’d only been assigned to her for security reasons, but somewhere along the way, something else had formed, something unspoken, but undeniably there.