MY ALPHA BODYGUARD

CHAPTER 7: MY ENIGMATIC BODYGUARD

Marco stayed the night in Eris' condo, keeping a watchful eye over him after the harrowing events of the previous night. The next morning, Eris shared everything with him—Tom had stalked him for weeks, attending his concerts and fan meetings, and ultimately kidnapping him in the elevator. Marco immediately informed the building's management, and Eris' manager insisted that he stay home for his safety. Marco, determined to understand who Tom was, searched for his profile on social media.

A knock at the door interrupted him. Marco opened it to find Lily, Eris' close friend, standing there, concern etched on her face. "Oh my... Eris, are you okay?" she exclaimed, rushing in to hug him. Lily, now a successful accountant at a prestigious bank, still kept in close touch with Eris, despite their busy lives. She had a fiancé, Sam, a kind and accomplished businessman who owned a chain of restaurants.

"Why are you here? Don't you have work?" Eris asked, trying to lighten the mood.

Lily chuckled, playfully tapping his cheek. "You forget what day it is—it's Sunday," she teased, her voice full of warmth. As Eris rolled his eyes and made his way to the fridge, she turned to Marco. "Thank you for taking care of him," she said gratefully, her expression softening.

Eris returned with two cups of ice cream and set them down on the table. "You want some?" he offered. Lily smiled and nodded.

As they settled in, Lily's tone turned serious. "Best, you need to hire a bodyguard." Her concern was evident, and her words carried the weight of insistence.

Eris shook his head, letting out a soft cough. "It won't be necessary," he said, taking another spoonful of ice cream.

"Not necessary? Are you kidding me?" Lily's frustration spilled over, her worry palpable. "It's Tom now, but what if Brandon gets involved too? We don't know what they'll do next." She stopped herself, noticing the tension in Eris as he closed his eyes, no doubt haunted by memories of Brandon's past bullying.

"Please, best..." Lily's voice softened as she looked to Marco for backup.

"Eris, I agree with Lily. It's probably for the best," Marco added, his ice cream untouched, his concern for Eris clear.

Since the abduction lasted less than an hour, they had chosen not to involve the police, fearing it would attract unwanted media attention. Instead, they worked with the condominium's management to review the CCTV footage. As Eris had suspected, it was Tom who had taken him to his unit. But then, in a surprising twist, a tall man had barged into Tom's apartment, rescued Eris, and left him at the front door of his condo where Marco later found him.

"Who was he?" Eris mused aloud. The man's features seemed vaguely familiar, but Eris hesitated to assume it was Mr. Gray, the mysterious figure who had saved him before.

Speaking of Mr. Gray, Eris had planned to meet him later that evening for a dinner of gratitude. It wasn't a date, but a way to thank him for helping during a previous crisis. The problem was, his manager, Marco, and even Lily were adamant that he shouldn't leave his condo, especially to meet someone he barely knew. He didn't even have Mr. Gray's contact information to explain why he couldn't make it.

As the evening wore on, Eris felt a heavy sense of guilt. He knew Mr. Gray would be disappointed, maybe even angry. But with everything happening, he couldn't risk going out. All he could think about was how he had let him down.

**

Three days had passed since the incident, and Eris' agency had posted an online job listing for a personal bodyguard, extending the search within his own building. Despite the heightened security measures, Eris couldn't shake the feeling of unfinished business. He decided to visit *Sammy Cooks*, hoping to clear his mind and maybe uncover some answers.