Guarded Hearts || Yoon Jeonghan ||

CHAPTER 4

After a while, Jeonghan excused himself and retreated to his room, leaving me alone in the grand mansion.

"You must be Jessica, right?" a warm voice asked.

I turned to see a woman, likely between 45 and 50 years old, Her bright smile put me at ease.

"Yes, I am," I replied, mirroring her smile.

"I'm Martha, the cook here," she said, wiping her hands with a napkin.

"I prepare all the meals for this household."

"Nice to meet you, Mam," I said, grateful to finally meet someone who seemed normal and genuine.

Martha's eyes twinkled. "No mam, dear. Just Martha."

I chuckled at her warmth.

"Would you like a tour of the house?"

Martha asked, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

"I'd love to,"

I replied, eager for company and a distraction from the mansion's eerie silence.

With Martha by my side, I felt a sense of relief wash over me.

After a while, Martha introduced me to the rest of the staff.

I met Alice and Carol from the cleaning department, who seemed friendly. Esther assisted Martha in the kitchen, while William, the 70-year-old gardener, was the oldest and sweetest of the group. There were many other workers, but these were the main ones.

Curious about Yoon Jeonghan, I asked Martha, "What's he like?"

Martha hesitated before speaking.
"He does whatever he likes, doesn't listen to anyone, and can be naive and stubborn. Sometimes, he gets very angry if things don't go his way." She paused, adding,

"But despite all that, he's also surprisingly sweet and kind."

I raised an eyebrow, skeptical.
"Spoiled brat" still seemed fitting.

As we walked downstairs, I asked Martha,
"Doesn't he get lonely living in this massive mansion by himself?"

Martha smiled. "No, dear. Half the time, he's out, and the other half, his friends come over—his best friends."

I muttered under my breath, "How can someone like him have friends?"

Martha overheard and chuckled knowingly.

---

As we reached the ground floor, Martha led me to a cozy library.

Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined the
walls, filled with leather-bound volumes and modern bestsellers.

"Feel free to borrow any book you'd like," Martha said, smiling.

"Jeonghan's friends often study relax here."

I ran my fingers over the spines, noticing a mix of classic and contemporary titles.

"He has eclectic tastes."

Martha chuckled.
"That's one way to put it."

Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed outside the library.

"Sounds like our boss is back,"
Martha whispered, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

My heart skipped a beat as Yoon Jeonghan strode into the library, his presence commanding attention.

His gaze locked onto mine, and for an instant, I felt like an insect under a microscope.

"Jessica," he said, his voice low and smooth.
"Enjoying the tour?"

I managed a nod, my voice caught in my throat.

Martha intervened,
"Jeonghan, dear, I was just showing Jessica the library."

Jeonghan's gaze lingered on me before shifting to Martha.

"Good. Make sure she's comfortable. after all, she is going to be here most of the time, with me"

With that, he turned and left, leaving me feeling both relieved and unnerved.

Martha patted my arm.

"Don't worry, dear. He's all bark and no bite."

But I couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Yoon Jeonghan than met the eye.

As Martha and I exited the library, we saw Jeonghan leaving the mansion.

I felt a wave of relief wash over me, thinking I could finally relax.

Martha's words shattered my calm.

"Aren't you his bodyguard? You're not going with him?"

I froze, having forgotten my duties for a moment.

Panicked, I rushed out of the mansion and saw Jeonghan getting into the backseat of his car.

The person standing beside his car handed me the keys.

"I have to drive too?" I asked, confused.

"Yes, ma'am. You'll drive sir everywhere he goes,"
he replied before taking his leave.

"Another duty, wow!"
I muttered to myself while getting into
the driver's seat.

Jeonghan sat relaxed in the back, engrossed in a phone call.

As I glanced in the rearview mirror, he ended his call and smiled mischievously.
"You're late, Miss Bodyguard."

"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were going out" I replied, hoping he wouldn't pry further.

Jeonghan's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Your eyes should be on me 24/7."

I nodded, focusing on the road, trying to ignore his piercing gaze.

After driving 30 minutes, we arrived at the destination.
Jeonghan remained seated, expecting me to open his door.

"Waiting for you to open my door like my previous bodyguard did"

he said, his eyes locked onto mine.
I was taken aback.

"Follow me," he instructed, leading me into a crowded club.

My mood sank; clubs reminded me of past job-related horrors.

We navigated through the throng, heading to the VIP area.
Jeonghan suddenly stopped and turned to me.

"Are you kidding me? You seriously have no experience, right?"
he asked, his expression stern.

"What now?" I inquired, concern creeping in.

"Can you see the crowd? How can I lead the way? You're supposed to protect me, Miss Bodyguard,"

He stated, his face straight.

I thought to myself, "He's such a pain."

"Okay, follow me," I said, taking charge and clearing a path through the crowd.

As we reached the VIP section, three men ceased their conversation, acknowledging our arrival.

"Yoon Jeonghan, you're late, man!" one of them, around Jeonghan's age, exclaimed.
"I was busy with something more important, Seungcheol," Jeonghan replied, gesturing toward me.

The men's curious gazes shifted to me.