Chapter 28 Her Personal Bodyguard

Chapter 28 Her Personal Bodyguard
Darius had no intention of getting angry—but he never hesitated to explode when it was necessary, especially when someone toyed with his pride.

He strode forward and grabbed James by the collar, almost lifting the young man off the ground, yet he didn’t treat it as a danger.

“How dare you speak to me like that? And what the hell is Noah thinking? Hiring an outsider to guard his girl, when there are plenty of experienced bodyguards here?”

“They’d all submit because you’re the Don’s son. You’re known for abusing your authority.”

“Watch your mouth.”

“I’m just stating facts—data I gathered before coming here.” James gave a dry smile and brushed Darius’s hand off his collar. “The Don won’t do anything to me as long as I’m under the Consigliere’s orders, so I suggest you cooperate, Young Master.”

Darius scoffed. “You think Noah can save you? You’re seriously underestimating Maison Ze.”

James didn’t turn around. He only glanced slightly to the side, then looking at the grand building in front of him—as if weighing something, though not really. When he spoke, there was no hesitation.

“The Consigliere’s protection is the last option I have. And after seeing you, I’m not even sure I’ll need to use it.”

James led Elodie back inside, while Darius clenched his fists so hard his knuckles turned white. His teeth grinding together, jaw stiff with rage. He hadn’t expected to be humiliated in front of so many Sanz Egale members—especially his lowers— by a rogue who was far younger than him.

“Where did Noah even find that kid? He found someone just as cocky as himself.”



James brought Elodie back to her room, but said nothing, as if there was nothing need to explain.

“You can do whatever you want, Miss. Just ignore me,” James said when Elodie turned to face him instead of heading for the bed. “I won’t do anything except keep you safe, but let me sleep for a bit, okay? I swear a minute of sleep would mean so much for me.”

He lay down on the wide sofa and closed his eyes immediately. Elodie, meanwhile, was still standing in front of him. His eyes stayed shut so calmly but then when he peeked with one eye open, he found her still staring—brows drawn together, eyes full of questions.

“Oh, c’mon…” James sat up lazily, a slight pout on his face. “So, what do you want to ask?”

“What I want to ask? That’s not something I do because you’re willing to answer. It’s something I should do, I deserve some explanation.” Elodie sounded irritated; James’s laid-back attitude toward her worry felt out of place—too contrast for such a serious world like this.

She sat on a single sofa next to James'. “Where’s Noah? Did you meet him before you came here? And why are you taking orders from him?”

“Okay, lady, calm down. I’ll answer one by one. I don’t know where the Consigliere is, and the last time I saw him was a week ago—when he forced me to become your personal bodyguard. And why he can order me around? Simple. Money, and a bit of a game.”

“A bit of a game?”

“It’s not important.”

James looked around the room. A house that stirred a strange sense of nostalgia—because it reminded him of what it felt like to have a home that never truly felt like one.

“This place is pretty big for a cage,” he remarked. Elodie glanced at him, clearly demanding an explanation. “I mean, while you’re waiting for your lover's return, you can do a lot in here. You could dance around this huge space, read a book, watch TV. Or if you want to go out, I’ll always be with you.”

Elodie kept staring at him, her eyes full of distrust, but the situation forced her to rely on James until Noah returned. It was slightly ironic—James wasn’t even from the Sanz Egale house, yet he was the only person Elodie could depend on.

“If you didn’t meet Noah, how do you have his coat?” Elodie asked. Only then did James remember the thing he was wearing. He took it off and handed it to her.

“We can ‘meet’ anywhere without seeing each other face to face. Besides, I’m pretty professional when it comes to holding onto people’s belongings, sending things, like that—you know.”

No, she didn't.

"Here—maybe he left it with me because he wanted it to be cleaned. It smells strongly of blood.”

Elodie opened the coat, inside and out, but there were no bloodstains, and the scent was clean—distinctly Noah. She was slightly puzzled by James’s comment.

Elodie let out a breath, her shoulders dropping a little, her eyes still fixed on Noah’s coat as if she missed him. James noticed, but didn’t say anything. He was about to lie down again when Elodie stopped him.

“What about my brother?”

James swallowed the curse at the tip of his tongue and sat back up.

“You only remember your brother now? You didn’t ask about him yesterday.”

“Yesterday I was still in shock—from the attack, and from you suddenly showing up. Who wouldn’t be shaken after seeing a man’s head practically explode right in front of them?”

“If I hadn’t done it, your head would’ve been the one on the line.”

Elodie couldn’t argue with that. She also knew that in Noah’s world, every second was a hunt for survival—hunt first or be hunted, kill first or end up killed.

She just needed to learn how to get used to it.

“So, where is my brother? Do you know where he is, since you were ordered to give me those bloody buttons?”

James looked at Elodie, his expression turning cold serious, and the tense silence made it impossible for her to guess what kind of answer he was about to give.

“About your brother…”

Elodie didn’t even realize she was holding her breath, bracing herself to hear the most truthful answer about Ethan Easton’s whereabouts.

“…he…”