The next morning at seven o'clock, Promise Nelson walked out of her room with dark circles under her eyes.
She hadn't slept a wink all night, tossing and turning in bed. Sometimes she wondered what her dad was hiding from her, and other times she worried that someone might sneak in while she was asleep. It left her utterly exhausted.
"Hey, when did a female panda move in?" Campbell Watson, dressed in workout clothes, teased as he entered through the front door and noticed her dark circles.
Promise's face remained cold. She didn't even glance at Campbell, treating him as if he didn't exist. She walked straight to the shoe cabinet and pulled out a pair of burgundy high heels.
Campbell, unfazed by her cold shoulder, handed her a plastic bag. "I got you some soy milk and samosas from the corner."
He had run a few laps around the Sandalwood Palace Villa area that morning, familiarizing himself with the surroundings and terrain. As a bodyguard, knowing the environment was crucial for quick reactions and preventive measures in case of emergencies.
He had bought the soy milk and samosas from a stall just outside the east gate of the complex. The food looked clean and tasted good, so he thought he'd get some for Promise as well.
But unfortunately, his good intentions were destined to be wasted.
Promise glanced at the bag coldly. "I never eat junk food from street vendors. Also, could you move? You're in my way."
"…"
This woman, if she didn't want it, she could just say so. What's wrong with street food?
It's still food, isn't it?
And what did he mean by "in the way"? Was he a dog or something?
"If you don't want it, fine... I haven't had enough anyway," Campbell Watson said, annoyed, as he pulled his hand back. "Wait a minute, I'll change my clothes and take you to the office."
"No need," Promise Nelson replied coldly as she slipped on her flat casual shoes at the entrance. She picked up her high heels and started walking out.
"Hey, don't forget, I'm your personal bodyguard. Taking you to the office is part of my job," Campbell said, placing the breakfast on the shoe cabinet before heading to the utility room to change. As they brushed past each other, their arms accidentally touched.
Promise frowned, a hint of disgust flashing in her eyes. She didn't wait for Campbell and walked straight out of the villa.
In the yard, a burgundy Porsche was parked. The airport had sent her car back last night at seven.
Promise opened her red Gucci handbag and rummaged through it for a while but couldn't find the car keys.
"Where are the keys? I clearly put them in my bag last night. How could they be missing?" Promise found it strange. She placed her bag and shoes on the car's hood and continued searching meticulously.
In the utility room, Campbell quickly changed into a simple casual outfit. He picked up the car keys from the bed, a mischievous smile playing on his lips, and strode out.
As he passed by the gate, he grabbed some breakfast on the way.
Beep beep...
Promise Nelson nearly emptied her entire bag, searching through it several times, but she still couldn't find her car keys.
She distinctly remembered putting the keys in her bag last night. How could they be missing?
Just as she was at her wit's end, the Porsche suddenly beeped twice.
Promise froze in her tracks.
She hadn't found her keys yet, so how did the car unlock?
"Hey beautiful, hop in. I'll give you a ride to work."
In her stunned gaze, Campbell Watson casually strolled over, opened the passenger door, and gestured for her to get in.
Dangling from his fingers was none other than the Porsche's key.
He knew Promise wouldn't wait for him, so he had taken the keys from her bag as they passed each other.
"You... I can't believe you're a thief!"
After searching for so long, it turned out this jerk had taken her keys. Furious, Promise glared at Campbell and demanded coldly, "Give me back my keys."
"Okay, here you go."
Seeing that Promise seemed genuinely upset, Campbell shrugged and tossed the keys back to her, then climbed into the passenger seat himself.
"Who told you to get in the car? Get out right now."
Promise Nelson was on the verge of losing her mind. This guy was way too presumptuous. He acted more like a boss than a bodyguard.
"Hey, did you hear me? Get out of the car now."
Seeing that he was ignoring her, Promise's tone became sharper and more authoritative.
Campbell Watson raised an eyebrow, his good mood instantly soured.
From the moment they met, this woman hadn't shown him a single kind expression. Did she really think he had no temper?
Even bodyguards have their dignity.
With a dark expression, Campbell climbed out of the car, and without a word, he pressed Promise against the hood.
Her shapely hips were raised high.
Smack!
Before Promise could react, Campbell slapped her hard on the butt, causing her to shudder.
"Ugh..."
The tingling sensation from her buttocks filled Promise with both shame and fury.
"You bastard, let go of me!"
Promise's face turned crimson, and her eyes, misty with anger, glared at him as she shouted.
She had never even held hands with a man before, let alone experienced such an intimate touch on her private area. She felt deeply violated and humiliated.
"Not bad, quite bouncy," Campbell Watson muttered under his breath. Ignoring the furious Promise Nelson, he gave another firm slap and said sternly, "Remember, girl, if you ever talk to me like that again, I'll spank you in front of the whole company."
He gave her another hard slap on her firm backside before reluctantly letting go.
Promise shot up, her anger boiling over, and slapped Campbell across the face.
Campbell grabbed her wrist, his expression darkening. "Looks like the lesson wasn't enough."
Before she could react, Campbell pulled her slightly, causing Promise to spin half a turn and end up bent over the car hood in a humiliating position once more.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Campbell delivered three quick slaps.
"Got it now, girl?"
Promise bit her lip hard, staying silent, her eyes filled with tears of rage and humiliation. No one had ever dared treat her like this. She vowed to have her father fire this jerk and make him pay dearly.
Seeing her silence, Campbell assumed she had given in. He released her and said with a smug smile, "That's better. Behave yourself, and we'll get through these three months just fine. After that, we can go our separate ways, OK?"
Promise stood up straight, her face icy, and adjusted her clothes. She shot Campbell a cold glare before getting into her Porsche without a word.
Campbell, still feeling smug, sniffed his hand, savoring the lingering scent, and smiled. He got into the car, buckled his seatbelt, and started eating his breakfast, completely unfazed.
The car was filled with a greasy smell.
Promise Nelson frowned, her face showing disgust. She instinctively wanted to scold, but swallowed her words.
She rolled down the window before starting the car.
Campbell Watson smacked his lips and quickly finished his breakfast, letting out a loud burp. He casually picked up a nearby bottle of water and rinsed his mouth.
"Hey, I drank from that bottle," Promise said, her expression changing. She finally couldn't hold back.
Burp!
Campbell let out another satisfied burp, placing the water bottle back. He smiled and said, "No worries, I don't mind sharing with you."
"…"
Promise silently picked up the water bottle and threw it out the window.
For the rest of the drive, she didn't say another word, her face cold and eyes fixed straight ahead, pretending Campbell wasn't there.
Campbell was happy to enjoy the quiet, leaning back in the leather seat with his eyes closed.
.....
SkyRise Corporation had a grand 23-story office building on Changting Street in the Huanglong District. The building housed the company's various departments and subsidiaries.
Promise parked her Porsche in her designated spot in the underground garage and changed into high heels. Campbell stood nearby, taking in the layout of the garage.
As a bodyguard, being constantly aware of your surroundings is crucial for ensuring you can react swiftly to any sudden incidents.
It was 7:32 in the morning, and work started at 9:00. At this time, apart from the night-shift security guards, there was no one else in the building.
Promise Nelson, the CEO of the company, was almost always the first to arrive and the last to leave. She was a classic workaholic.
Taking the exclusive elevator straight to the 23rd floor, Promise had her own domain, which included four areas: an office area, a relaxation area, a gym, and a meeting area.
Stepping out of the elevator, her office area was immediately to the right.
Usually, the first thing Promise did upon arriving at the office was to exercise for half an hour in the gym. But today, she went straight into her office area.
She had wasted an entire afternoon yesterday, leaving a pile of unfinished documents that needed to be dealt with before the other employees arrived to avoid delaying the workflow.
The office area was nearly 2,000 square feet, divided into two parts. The outer part was the secretary's office, and the inner part, about 1,000 square feet, belonged to Promise.
Promise walked into her office, placed her handbag down, brewed a cup of fragrant tea, and sat down to tackle the mountain of documents on her desk.
"I prefer to work alone. You can go and familiarize yourself with the surroundings," she said, noticing the presence of another person in the office, which was distracting her.
Campbell Watson, her bodyguard, also felt bored. He nodded and said, "Call me if you need anything," before stepping out.
Promise took a moment to gather her thoughts and then began to go through the documents.
Promise Nelson carefully reviewed each document, approving some and rejecting others, adding her comments where necessary.
As time ticked by, the stack of pending documents on her desk grew smaller and smaller...
Promise rubbed her slightly strained eyes and glanced at her watch. It was already 8:55, and only one document remained on her desk.
This was the personnel appointment and dismissal document from the Security Department.
All personnel decisions for the company's management had to be approved by the president to prevent nepotism.
The former head of the Security Department had resigned two weeks ago, and the position was temporarily filled by the deputy head, Dawson. Given Dawson's outstanding abilities, the HR department decided to promote him officially.
Promise glanced over Dawson's resume. A retired special forces soldier from the Southwestern Military District, he was highly skilled in combat and firearms, with over five years of security experience. He had been diligent and responsible during his tenure, making him well-suited for the head position.
Just as Promise was about to approve the promotion, a thought suddenly flashed through her mind.
Knock, knock, knock...
At that moment, there was a gentle knock on the door.