The bodyguards desire

Chapter 3

The morning sun streams in through the hospital windows, casting a weak light on the room.
Leo slowly opens his eyes, feeling groggy and disoriented. He shifts slightly, wincing as he registers the crick in his neck.
He glances down and realizes that Hael is still in his arms, sleeping peacefully against his chest.

As Leo registers the fact that Hael is still alive, relief floods through him.
The fact that she made it through the night – a night in which she'd cried herself to sleep in his arms – feels like a miracle.
He takes a moment to just watch her sleep, his heart twisting at the sight of her so vulnerable and fragile.

Leo can't help but watch her for a few more minutes, his thoughts swirling.
There's something about the way she looks asleep – her face relaxed, her body limp and trusting in his arms – that tugs at his heartstrings. She looks so broken and vulnerable, and yet so beautiful in her fragility.

There was knock on the door As Violet comes into the room, she notices Hael sleeping in Leo's arms.
Her eyes narrow slightly at the sight, but she keeps her expression neutral as she looks at Leo.
"Can I talk to you for a moment, out in the hall?" she asks, her voice low

Leo nods, carefully untangling himself from Hael's grip so as not to wake her.
He follows Violet out into the hallway, closing the door quietly behind them.

Violet's annoyance at seeing Hael alive is evident in her tone.
"Why the hell is she still alive?" she hisses, her eyes narrowing at him.

Leo scowls at her, immediately getting defensive on Hael's behalf.
"What do you mean, why is she still alive?" he asks, his voice low with irritation.

Violet's expression hardens, her eyes icy with malice.
"I don't care about Hael," she spits out. "I never did. I just felt sorry for her, that's all. I pitied her. She's weak and broken and pathetic. I don't understand why you're even bothering with her."

Violet's words are like poison, her voice dripping with disdain.
"She's a mistake, a piece of trash, nothing more than a burden. Her parents were right. She's broken and pathetic and will never amount to anything."

Leo's blood boils at her words, his fists clenching as he tries to control his anger.
"That's not true," he growls, taking a step forward. "And you don't get to talk about her like that. She's not a mistake or trash or any of that. She's... she's stronger than you think. She's been through so much, and she's still here, despite everything. So you can just shut your damn mouth." 

Violet growls at his words "oh you want me to shut my damn mouth? I'm the one who hired you so you can shut your damn mouth!"

Leo's jaw clenches, his entire body tensing with anger.
"I don't care," he spits out. "You hired me to do a job, not to stand here and listen to you insult and belittle someone who's been through hell. She deserves more respect than that."

Violet scoffs, her expression turning cold.
"Oh, please," she sneers. "You're getting soft. She's weak, pathetic. She has no family, no friends, no one who cares about her. She's nothing. You're just wasting your time with her."

Leo takes another step forward, his voice low and dangerous.
"That's exactly the problem," he hisses. "You think she's weak and pathetic just because she's alone. You think she's just a burden because she's been through a lot. But you don't know anything about her. You don't know her heart or her strength. Maybe if you bothered to look a little deeper, you'd see how wrong you are."

Violet's face twists with anger, her icy eyes narrowing.
"You're fired," she snaps, her voice sharp and authoritative. "I don't need you to work for me if you're going to waste your time on that weak, pathetic girl."

Leo's heart clenches at her words, but he keeps his expression steady. He knew this might happen, but he refuses to back down.
"Fine," he says shortly, his voice cold. "You can fire me if you want. But I'm not abandoning Hael. I'm not going to leave her alone to deal with everything by herself. She deserves better than that."

Violet sneers at his words, her face twisted with anger.
"You're making a mistake," she growls. "You're choosing that weak, broken mess over your job? Over your salary? Over your career? You're an idiot if you think she's worth all that."

Leo's heart aches at her words, but he holds his ground.
"I don't care what you think," he says firmly, his voice strong and steady. "She's worth more than any job or salary or career. And I'm not going to give up on her. Not for anything."

Violet's face contorts in rage at his words.
"You're making a huge mistake," she spits out, her voice cold and biting. "You'll regret this. You'll see. Someday, you'll look back and realize how stupid you were. You'll realize how much you lost because of her. And then you'll hate her for it."

Leo stares her down, his eyes meeting hers unflinchingly.
"I won't," he says firmly, his voice sure and unwavering. "I won't regret this. And I won't hate her. Ever."
He pauses for a moment, his jaw clenched.
"Because unlike you, I actually care about her. I actually see the good in her."

Violet scoffs, her cold gaze remaining fixed on him.
"You're a fool," she sneers. "You're a weak, soft-hearted fool who's going to get hurt and used by that worthless, pathetic girl. And when that happens, you'll have no one to blame but yourself."

Leo's blood boils in anger at her words, but he takes a deep, steadying breath, refusing to lash out at her. He knows she's just trying to get a reaction out of him, to push his buttons.
"You know what?" he retorts, his voice icy. "You don't know anything about me. Or her. You don't know a damn thing about either one of us."

 Violet clenched her fists  her anger boiling over "And to think i secretly liked  you! As Violet storms off, Leo watches her, his heart aching slightly at her parting words.
He knows she had feelings for him, but he also knows he doesn't feel the same way about her. He never has.
He glances back towards Hael's room, his mind racing. He's not sure what the future holds, but he knows he made the right decision.