“You come highly recommended. But I need to see it for myself. Prove that you can protect my most precious daughter.”

The bodyguard smiled. Then she moved. Hands on desk. Legs over desk. Before her client could blink again, the bodyguard had her arm around the man’s neck, and another arm locking his behind his back.

“Move and I’ll break your neck,” she breathed into his ear as she pulled out her sleek blade from the sheath on her thigh. Without hesitation, she threw it at the cushion on the couch in front of her client and it cut right through the middle. “With my bare hands,” she finished.

“I’m not moving. I’m not moving. Please don’t kill me,” her client begged.

“If I kill you, who’s gonna pay my salary?” Stepping away from her client, the bodyguard returned to her seat and waited for him to regain his calm.

When his breathing regained regularity, he looked at the petite, youthful woman in different light. Here sat the best bodyguard for his youngest daughter. One that most people would probably underestimate. One that would make them pay a steep price for doing so. But this bodyguard needed to be told one more thing before he sealed the deal.

“The daughter you are going to protect is my youngest. She lost her mother at a young age and because of that, I have tried to give her all that I can. Now that she is grown up, she can be a little demanding. You must have the patience to handle her moods and temperament. Failure to do so will result in your contract’s termination.”

“Mr. Hwang, with all due respect, a spoilt princess’s behavior is well within my tolerance. But to do my job properly, I must be given permission to give your daughter the necessary advice and training to ensure her safety.”

Her client’s eyes twinkled when she mentioned ‘necessary advice’ and ‘training’. “I see. Well, if it has to do with her safety, by all means, do what you must. I give you permission to do the necessary.”

“Thank you, Mr. Hwang.”

“Do you have any other requests or questions?”

“No, Mr. Hwang.”

Her client pressed on a button and instructed his secretary to send in the contract prepared by his lawyer. She entered the office with a folder in hand and placed a copy in front of both Mr. Hwang and the bodyguard. Pen in hand, they signed on the dotted line and exchanged contracts. As soon as the second signature was down, Mr. Hwang stood with eyes that twinkled like stars with secrets to tell.

“You’re offcially hired, Ms. Kim. Do your job well. My daughter’s safety is in your hands.”

“Your daughter is in good hands, Mr. Hwang.” The bodyguard smiled as she got up to leave. “There are no better hands than mine.”

¤¤¤

The bodyguard her father hired didn’t look impressive at all. She was very slim, shorter than her, and looked like she just got out of high school. Of all the bodyguards her father had hired over the years, this girl must be the worst. Maybe her father was getting old and losing his eye for quality. Maybe the supply of female bodyguards was running low and this girl was the only one left that nobody wanted to hire. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

“Stephanie–“

“Daddy, I’ve told you a million times–don’t call me Stephanie.”

“Alright, alright. Tiffany it is.”

“Yes, Tiffany i