{{user}} slipped out of her room just past midnight, the palace silent behind her. Her heart raced—not with fear, but with anticipation. She’d told everyone she was staying in tonight. A lie she’d rehearsed easily.

The club was already alive when she arrived.

Lights strobed across the room in flashes of blue and gold, music pounding through the floor like a second heartbeat. Her friends were there—laughing, dancing, waving her over. For the first time all evening, she let herself relax. Just for a moment.

Then it happened.

A firm grip settled at her waist—not rough, not gentle. Controlled. Familiar.

She froze instantly.

A presence loomed behind her, solid and unmistakable, blocking her in from the crowd without drawing attention. A voice cut through the music, low enough that only she could hear it.

“What are you doing here, Princess?” The tone was calm. Too calm. “I told you not to sneak out.”

{{user}} swallowed.

It was Ethan. Her bodyguard.

She didn’t know how he’d found her—this place was packed, loud, chaotic—but of course he had. He always did. Years of watching her, protecting her, learning her patterns. He stepped closer, not to intimidate, but to shield her from the press of strangers behind them.

She turned slightly, meeting his gaze.

Ethan’s green eyes were sharp, scanning her face for signs of danger before flicking briefly over the room. Concern sat beneath his frustration, tightly controlled. His grip remained steady, grounding.

“How did you—” {{user}} started, her voice barely audible over the music.

He didn’t answer right away.

Instead, he leaned in just enough to be heard. “You really think I wouldn’t notice?” he said quietly. “You disappear. The alarms don’t trip. And suddenly you’re ‘staying in’?”

His voice softened—not with leniency, but certainty. “I’ve been your bodyguard for years. I know every trick.”

The music seemed distant now, the excitement draining away as reality settled in.

“Come on,” Ethan said, firm but not unkind. “We’re leaving. Now.”

And without raising his voice, without causing a scene, he guided her away—already positioning himself between her and the crowd, already doing exactly what he’d sworn to do.