My bodyguard

Hazel tugged her black raincoat tighter around her, the downpour soaking the edges of her hem as she hurried into the hotel lobby. She kept her head low, the brim of her rain hat pulled down to shield her face. A group of well-dressed guests walked past her, their whispers sharp as blades.

"Did you hear? Hazel Martinez, the once-glorious heiress, got married today. To a servant, no less."

"Unbelievable. She used to be so beautiful and untouchable. Now, she's just... nothing."

"Well, her parents' deaths ruined everything. With her uncle in charge, she's barely above a servant herself."

Hazel didn't flinch, though their words stung like nettles. Instead, she moved silently, her lashes hiding the flicker of pain in her eyes. Since her parents' death a year ago, her life had become a cruel shadow of what it once was. Her uncle and grandmother had taken everything-her home, her inheritance, even her dignity. Now, they were forcing her to marry a bodyguard, a man they considered unworthy, as the final nail in her coffin.

The only bargaining chip she had left was her parents' burial rights in the ancestral tomb-a privilege her uncle dangled cruelly over her head. She had no choice but to obey.

When the group moved on, Hazel finally reached the hotel room Ryan had asked her to meet him in. She knocked twice. The door opened quickly, and there he was: Ryan, her ex-boyfriend, his expression equal parts anxious and calculating.

Hazel stepped inside and held out her hand, her tone cold. "Ryan, you said you had my father's heirloom. Where is it?"

Ryan hesitated, then sighed. "Hazel, I lied. I just wanted to see you."

Her jaw tightened, and she turned to leave, but his voice stopped her mid-step.

"Hazel...elope with me."

She froze, her hand on the doorframe. Slowly, she turned, her eyes narrowing in disbelief. "Elope? You proposed to my cousin last week, Ryan. Or did you forget?"

His face flushed, but he pressed on, desperation leaking into his tone. "I'm marrying her, yes, but only for my family's approval. Hazel, I still care about you. Come with me to another city. I'll protect you."

Hazel's stomach twisted in disgust. "You want me to be your mistress, is that it?"

Ryan adjusted his glasses and shrugged nonchalantly, as if his request were reasonable. "It's not uncommon. Men used to have wives and concubines. I'm just asking you to be discreet. My wife doesn't need to know."

The audacity of his words burned through her like fire. "Discreet?" she echoed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "And what would this arrangement look like?"

Ryan mistook her tone for curiosity and smiled, oblivious. "Simple. You'd live comfortably, with no need to work. Don't call me during the day, and I'll visit you whenever I can. If you get pregnant, we'll deal with it-quietly. Of course, I'll cover the expenses." He paused, then added casually, "But if it's a son, we might keep him. A daughter? No need."