Defender's Heartbeat

Chapter 1

Manuel Ramirez

When I was 17, I joined the army due to problems at home. My stepdad constantly bothered me with his verbal abuse, calling me names and belittling me at every opportunity. He ill-treated me, making me feel unwanted and neglected, and he always reminded me that I was just a burden to him. He refused to pay for my education, healthcare, or any necessities. When I was fifteen, my mother passed away, and my relationship with my stepdad became strained. He kept threatening to kick me out of the house as soon as I turned 18. So, before he could do that, I decided to join the military.

Joining the army seemed like the best option for me at that time.

When I was 19, he died while driving drunk in his old, beat-up car. Tragically, everyone in the accident died instantly at the scene. It's strange how life works sometimes. One minute, he was telling me to leave, and the next minute, he was gone forever. I didn't want things to end that way, but considering how badly he treated me, I wasn't too upset about it.

During army training, things didn't go as planned. Two officers singled me out and subjected me to constant abuse and assault. They humiliated me in front of the other recruits, physically attacked me during training exercises, and made my life a living hell. The relentless torment from these officers left me feeling broken and helpless, making me question my decision to join the army and consider running away. However, another officer offered me a way out. He said if I agreed to become a private bodyguard for a man named Gerardo Perez, he would help me get out of the army. It turned out that Gerardo needed a young man with army training to protect his son.

The deal was simple: I had to be his son's bodyguard for 24 hours, and in return, I would get three days off every three months. I would be receiving a significant amount of payment. The only condition was that I had to be willing to risk my life to save Gerardo's son if it came down to it.

At the time, all I could think about was getting out of the army and having some money. So, I thought it might be a good opportunity for me.

I met Gerardo Perez, a handsome man with dark eyes and black hair. He spoke in a friendly manner, but something about his eyes made me think there was more to the story. He already had two bodyguards with him. His secretary gave me some papers to sign, and after carefully reading them, I signed where I was supposed to.

"Mr. Manuel, you better not screw things up with the boss. No questions, no arguing. Whatever happens in their family stays there. Just make sure Mr. Perez doesn't end up killing you. You'll only get three days off per month. Anyway, congratulations on the new job. Oh, and your girlfriend will probably be happy to hear you've got a job," the mean secretary said with a smile that seemed more like a warning. I had a bad feeling that I might have made a mistake.

Initially, I was confused by Mr. Garcia's warning, but when I realized my mistake in accepting the job, it was too late to change my mind. The only thing I could do was face whatever was coming my way. I wondered how he knew about my personal life. I started to feel a little scared about my new job.

The next day, I visited Gerardo's mansion. From the outside, it looked old-fashioned, but inside, it was modern and filled with fancy things. The house had two floors and a lot of space. The area was segmented into various parts to accommodate individual family members.

Gerardo's section, which included his room, office, and library, occupied the front of the house. He had a separate living room, distinct from the main one. Adjacent to his section was the area that had belonged to his late wife, now standing empty. A spacious living room, a TV room, and a dining room formed the heart of the house. The children's areas lay across from these three rooms.

Gerardo's 10-year-old daughter, Juana, had her own space in the middle part at the back. Her part included a bedroom, a small living room with a TV, and a study room. All of Juana's space was on the second floor.

When one entered the house through the enormous main door, there was a large staircase to the second floor on the right side. Downstairs, there were two rooms for the two older sons: Pedro, who was 15, and Louis, who was 13. Each son had a living room with a TV and a study room.

Around the house was a beautiful garden with trees, bushes, flower beds, and a pond. There was even a grass field for sports. There was also an indoor garden. The kitchen was in the far corner of the house, and there were a cook and servants to take care of things.

The butler came to greet me and took me to my new employer's room. We ascended the large staircase situated to the right of the main entrance. At the top, on the right side, there was a spacious room. Next to it, on the left side, there was another room. On the left side of the staircase, there was one more room. I assumed it was my employer's living room and study room. I didn't even know my employer's age. I thought he might be a teenager. I hoped he wouldn't be a spoiled child.

We entered the room to the right, and it was impressively spacious.