Bound By His Protection
When a disgraced heir becomes the target of a deadly conspiracy, his only hope is the cold blooded mercenary hired to protect him a man whose touch is as dangerous as the enemies closing in.
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Julian Valerius has everything wealth, power, and a legacy and nothing. As the heir to the Valerius empire, he has spent his life living in a gilded cage, sheltered from the brutal reality of his family's dangerous business dealings. But when a shadow conspiracy begins to unravel from within his own household, Julian's world shatters, leaving him exposed to enemies he never knew existed.
Kaelen Thorne: a mercenary with ice in his veins and a reputation for being as ruthless as he is effective. Hired to be Julian's shadow, Kaelen is everything Julian fears imposing, controlled, and dangerously perceptive. As an unknown traitor moves within the estate, Julian and Kaelen are forced into a suffocating proximity where the lines between protector and predator blur.
In a world where every kiss could be a distraction and every heartbeat could be a death sentence, Julian must learn to trust the one man who has no business feeling anything at all. But as the conspiracy deepens in betrayal and bloodshed, Julian discovers a terrifying truth: the man protecting him might be the only thing standing between him and salvation or he might be the very weapon designed to destroy him.
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Chapter: THE ORIGINAL ASSESSMENTThe private security archive was located beneath the western wing, behind two access-controlled doors that required separate authorization. I had passed the entrance several times without knowing what was stored beyond it. Kaelen entered his credentials at the first terminal, then pressed his thumb against the scanner. The lock released with a heavy click.“You said someone accessed your original assignment,” I reminded him as we stepped inside. “What exactly are we looking for?”“The access record first. I need to know which files were opened and whether anything was removed.”The room was colder than the corridors above. Rows of secured cabinets lined the walls, while several computer terminals occupied the central desks. A single security officer stood near the main workstation. He straightened when he saw Kaelen.“Mr. Thorne. I wasn't expecting you.”“Who accessed the restricted assignment files?”The officer glanced at me before answering. “The system recorded an external authori
Last Updated: 2026-11-02
Chapter: THE THREATI read the message until the words stopped looking like words.He has already delayed his answer once.I placed my phone on the bedside table, but my attention remained fixed on it. The sender knew about the meeting in the library. They knew Kaelen had been given a choice, and they knew he had refused to make it.Someone had been watching us.I crossed the room and checked the curtains. The gardens beyond the glass were dark, with only a few security lights illuminating the paths. I couldn't see anyone, but that did nothing to ease the pressure in my chest.My phone vibrated again.This time, it was Kaelen.**Stay in your room. Lock the door. Do not let anyone in until I arrive.**I called him immediately.He answered after the first ring. “What's wrong?”“Someone knows about our meeting.”Silence.“What did they send you?”I read the message aloud. His breathing changed, and I heard movement on his end.“Did you respond?”“No.”“Good. Lock your door.”“You already told me that. What
Last Updated: 2026-10-31
Chapter: THE CHOICE HE DELAYSI waited until the estate had settled for the night before leaving my room.Kaelen had sent me a location and a time, nothing more. The message contained no explanation, only instructions to use the eastern staircase and avoid the main security corridor. After everything that had happened, I should have questioned why meeting my own bodyguard required so much secrecy. Instead, I found myself following his directions because I needed answers, and because some part of me still trusted him enough to believe he would give them.The eastern wing was quiet. I passed two closed guest rooms before reaching the small library beside the old conservatory. The door was slightly open.Kaelen stood near the window, his jacket removed and his sleeves rolled to his elbows. A fresh dressing showed beneath the edge of his shirt. He turned when I entered, and his eyes immediately moved over my face as though checking whether I had been followed.“You came alone?” he asked.“Yes.”“Did anyone see you?”“
Last Updated: 2026-10-31
Chapter: THE CONSEQUENCESArthur summoned us to his study before breakfast.I knew something was wrong when I found two security officers waiting outside the door. Neither greeted me. They simply stepped aside when Kaelen approached behind me, their eyes lingering on the bandage beneath his shirt.My father stood beside his desk, holding a printed copy of the security report.“Close the door,” he ordered.I did. Kaelen remained near the entrance, his injured side slightly turned away from Arthur. He had changed into a dark suit, but the stiffness in his movements betrayed the pain he was trying to conceal.Arthur placed the report on the desk.“Two armed men entered my son’s private corridor. One disabled the security cameras, and the other managed to reach the bedroom entrance. Yet I am expected to accept that this was an ordinary security breach.”“No one has suggested that,” Kaelen replied.“Then explain how they got inside.”“We are investigating the access route.”“You were responsible for his protection.
Last Updated: 2026-10-30
Chapter: THE SECRET REPORTThe first thing Kaelen did after the doctor finished dressing his wound was return to work.I stood in the doorway of his temporary office, watching him sit behind the desk with his shirt buttoned over a fresh bandage. His movements were careful, but he refused to acknowledge the pain whenever he reached for something. A glass of water stood untouched beside his laptop. The doctor had ordered him to rest, and Kaelen had responded by asking for the security footage from the previous night.“You should be in bed,” I said.“I’ve already spent enough time being examined.”“You were stabbed.”“I was cut.”I stared at him. “Does the distinction make it less serious?”He didn’t answer. His attention remained on the screen, where the security footage showed two masked men entering the eastern corridor. One of them had disabled the nearest camera before the recording ended.I moved closer. “Have they identified either man?”“Not yet. Their faces were covered, and they used a route that avoided
Last Updated: 2026-10-30
Chapter: THE PROTECTORThe sound came from the corridor again.I stood beside Kaelen, staring at the darkness beyond my bedroom door. My phone was still ringing somewhere outside, its faint vibration occasionally scraping against the floor. Kaelen had one hand raised, silently ordering me to stay behind him. His other hand rested near the weapon concealed beneath his jacket.“Don’t move,” he whispered.I swallowed. “Someone is inside the house.”“I know.”His voice was quiet, but something in it had changed. The man standing beside me was no longer the bodyguard who followed me through family dinners and charity events. His shoulders had squared, his breathing had slowed, and his attention had narrowed to every sound beyond the door.He moved towards it without making a sound. I followed despite his warning, keeping close enough to see his hand close around the handle.Kaelen opened the door.A figure in black rushed at him.The impact sent them both against the opposite wall. I stepped back as Kaelen caugh
Last Updated: 2026-10-30
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