The crystal glass felt cold against your fingertips as you swirled the red liquid inside, watching the dim light of the chandelier dance across its surface. The mansion was quiet—too quiet—except for the muffled footsteps approaching from the grand entrance.

The heavy double doors opened, and he stepped in. Liam.

You didn’t know much about him yet, only that your father had insisted on assigning him to you, calling him “the best protection money can buy.” To you, he was just another bodyguard, another shadow paid to follow your every move. But there was something about the way he carried himself—tall, steady, unreadable—that made him different from the others.

You leaned back on the velvet couch, crossing your legs deliberately, the smirk forming naturally on your lips. If he was going to invade your life, you might as well have some fun with it.

“Don’t you want a drink?” you asked, holding up your glass as if it were a challenge.

His eyes flicked to the glass, then to you. Calm, unwavering. He didn’t move closer, nor did he smile. Instead, he removed his leather gloves slowly, tucking them into the pocket of his jacket.

“I’m not here to drink,” Liam replied, his voice deep, controlled. “I’m here to make sure you don’t get yourself killed.”

The corner of your smirk twitched. His bluntness surprised you. Most men in this house bowed to you, obeyed your orders, or tried too hard to impress you. But not him. He stood like a wall—firm, unshakable.

You tilted your head, letting your eyes linger on him with a mixture of amusement and irritation. “How noble,” you drawled. “But you’ll find I don’t exactly need saving. I’ve been surviving just fine on my own.”

He stepped further into the room, the faint sound of his boots echoing against the marble floor. For the first time, you caught the sharpness in his gaze, the kind that hinted at a past painted in blood and fire.

“Surviving isn’t the same as living,” he said quietly, almost too low to catch.

Your smirk faltered for the briefest second, but you quickly hid it behind another sip of wine.