A Knife on His Lap|| Bodyguard AU

Failure

~Alexie Ivanov~

I paced the halls of my house, my gaze repeatedly drawn to the closed doors. Again and again, I checked the grand clock that ticked away, growing more nervous with each passing moment. It had been two hours since I brought Nari home and met with Doctor Jeon, an acquaintance of mine. While I trusted the woman enough to entrust Nari into her care, I couldn't shake the unease of leaving them alone for such an extended period. She had assured me that Mr. Patel's daughter was as precious to her as she was to me. Still, doubt lingered in my mind; she didn't share the same indebtedness to the man, nor did she hold the same level of respect that I did.

In fact, it baffled me when a week and a half ago, he had contacted me from his side. I had hoped that finally, the man had come around to his senses and accepted my offer of help to bring him out of that terrible situation. However, he wanted no help for himself—just for his daughter, just for a year. What an absurd man, I thought, to entrust someone like me with his precious daughter. But I could sense his desperation. After the death of his wife, the man I had looked up to as a brilliant mind spiraled down the path of gambling and addiction. And when a man like him falls, so do most of his "trusted ones." He had brushed with the authorities many times, and I used my connections to help him, unbeknownst to him, as he wouldn't accept my help directly. Many times, I had approached him with offers of finance, resources, connections—everything at the tip of my fingers. Yet, he kept refusing. Until finally, he cut off all ties with me. And oh, tracking him was still a challenge for me; after all, he was once my teacher, and I, his best disciple.

A turn of the knob brought me back to the present as I watched Dr. Jeon pace out of the room, carefully shutting the door behind her. The silence hung between us, and I gestured for her to move to the sitting area so we could talk. Offering the tired woman on my couch a cold beer, I waited for her diagnosis.

Mr. Patel had assured me that Nari would approach me on her own, acknowledging that she might take time. Being a strong-willed woman like her mother, asking for help or trusting strangers was especially harder for her, given the past circumstances. The girl had gone through betrayal and experienced cold shoulders from people she considered friends. According to her father, Nari, who until now had lived a sheltered life, was abruptly forced into adulthood. Sometimes he couldn't even recognize his little girl anymore.

I felt ashamed and angry at myself. If only I had not waited for her will, if only I had not waited for her to come running to me in distress. I never imagined her to be so stubborn that she wouldn't even contact me. The only task my mentor had asked of me, to protect her, I had miserably failed.

"Nariya..." Dr. Jeon started, her voice monotone. "She is in no immediate danger. There are scratches and wounds, but they are not of much concern." She trailed off before adding, "However, one of the bones in her leg has shifted slightly from its place. It will take a few weeks or less to heal, depending upon her condition. Keep her in observation, for I have given her some strong sedatives to ease the pain. She might go in and out of consciousness, maybe for a day or two. If anything were to happen, immediately contact me." With that, she gulped down her beer before standing up. I escorted her out, thanking her for her help, and went back inside.

Peeking into her room, I saw her small frame slowly but steadily breathing. Sitting beside her, I checked the clock; it was almost going to be dawn, but sleep felt like the last thing on my plate. A ping notification of a message brought my attention to my phone. I checked the message from the Handler.

'Job done. Rest payment in the same account.' Attached to it was the squeaky clean picture of the alleyway we were just in hours ago. Clicking a few buttons, I replied, 'Done,' before pushing my phone back into my pocket.

I sighed as I looked at her peaceful face, noticing the tangled mess her curly hair had turned into. Getting up, I went to her wardrobe, picked up a hairbrush, and returned to carefully untangle all the grime of the day from small sections of her hair. I had prepared every necessity I thought a girl her age would require after Mr. Patel had called. For half a week, I wondered what she would like or dislike, with my reference only from our past meeting.

Mr. Patel had disappeared flawlessly; this time, even I couldn't find him, no matter how much I looked. I knew the man would not be found unless he wanted to be, so I focused on Nari. I tracked everything, from the time she left her apartment to her arrival at school, her time in school, and then to her part-time jobs. I waited and hoped every day, secretly following her, that today would be the day she would give him a call. Later, looking at her religious routine, it became clear to me that she hadn't even bothered to save my number.

One morning, I reached my limits; I could no longer be patient as I heard that Nari was going to be evicted. The bank officials were going to seize the property, taking out whatever they could recover from it, and making her homeless in the process. Were these white-collared workers or just street thugs, I wondered, as I went to her school to approach her.