Lucia and the Bodyguard

Chapter 2: The Circumstances

Character, not circumstances, makes the man.

-Booker T. Washington    

Lucia Salazar' POV

I swore to God this isn't happening to me? Why him? Why the hell he's here? I thought—no, scratch that, I hope I would never see him again after his sudden disappearance a year ago. I thought I made it clear to Leila last week that I would agree to the bodyguard thing as long as it was not him? So, why the freaking hell he was standing before me with that annoying smirk in his mouth right now?

"You can't be serious, Leandro," I told my brother in disbelief. "Why him?" I gestured to the man standing in front of me. "Why are you hiring this man for the job? Didn't he leave that post before? I'm sure he doesn't want to work as a bodyguard again."

"You are correct," Leandro agreed with a sigh, advancing further inside the room. "But he's kind enough to consider my request to protect you until the culprit is caught."

I snorted, folding my arms in the middle of my chest. "There is no one need to be caught, Leandro. There's no need to take this circumstance seriously. Just a bunch of anonymous letters there's no need to alarm.

"I beg to differ, young lady." My brother disagreed with, his eyes flashed with annoyance. "This is a serious matter as far as I am concern. There is a crazy bastard who is quite obsessed with you. As your older brother, it is my responsibility to take good care of you. I don't want Mama to worry about your safety in Paris."

I sighed in resignation. Now he was ruthlessly using our mother as a weapon so I would give in to this bodyguard thing. Thinking about Mama's worried face when she learned about this series of incidents happening in Paris my determination starts to crumble.

I don't want her to worry about me. Only recently we found peace with our biological mother after years of living hating her. Leandro and I were made believed by our father that she left us to be with her lover it turns out that it was all father's lie due to bitterness because Mama wants out of their marriage.

Thanks to Leandro's wife who tracked her down we finally catch up on the lost time we should have with her. It wasn't an easy process especially for my brother he was hurt the most when Mama left he adored her so much and that love turn hatred. I believed that's the turning point in how he treated women after. He only changed his view of women when he met the hurricane named Leila Fiorenza.

"...Lucia, are you listening?" My brother dragged me out of my reverie.

"Still," I started, collecting my thoughts, focusing on the main issue. I should not be swayed here. "I will accept anyone you hire but him."

Leandro rolled his eyes as if he couldn't believe what I was saying. "This is Diego we're talking about! I trusted him more than any average man in this world. Hell, I trust him with my life."

"W-what if he makes advances to me?" I asked my brother, but as soon as I blurted it out I regret it. Now I sounded like Diego has a thing for me. I tried to stop the heat from spreading on my cheeks. I want the floor to open up and swallow me right now.

I heard Leandro took a deep breath. "Lucia..."

"Your Excellency," For the first time, he joined the conversation. He was looking amusedly in my direction. "Can I talk privately to Señorita Lucia?"

"I would love to do that and join my wife outside to the ongoing party. But then again my sister might feel uncountable or worse yet may think that you are going to make advances at her. How can I permit that?"