تسجيل الدخولCedric Leah stood there frozen, her hand still hovering in the air right where it had brushed against me. Her eyes were wide, cheeks burning a deep, unmistakable red. For a second neither of us moved at all. The silence between us was deafening in a way that made every second feel twice as long as it actually was.Then she let out a nervous laugh, the kind that’s more reflex than amusement, like her body was desperately trying to defuse the tension before either of us had to acknowledge it directly.“Wow,” she said, her voice shaky but reaching for playful anyway. “I didn’t know I had that effect on you.” She bit her lip, her eyes dropping briefly before she caught herself and looked away quickly, cheeks somehow going even redder.“Leah, I — it’s not — I didn’t mean—” The words came out in a completely useless order. I ran a hand through my hair, which did absolutely nothing helpful.My face was burning. My brain had stopped functioning at a useful level. Oh God. This is a disaster.
CedricMy first official day as the King’s personal guard had gone better than I ever expected.I had spent most of the morning shadowing the King during a long conference with his advisors. The room was grand — high ceilings, heavy wooden tables, and maps spread across the surface like a battlefield.I stood silently behind him, hands clasped in front of me, eyes scanning the room for any potential threat. The King was kind enough to acknowledge me a few times, even introducing me to a couple of his closest ministers. No one stressed me. No one questioned my presence. It felt… surprisingly normal.By the time the meeting ended, the King patted my shoulder lightly. “You did well today, Cedric. Keep it up.”I bowed slightly. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”The rest of the day was calmer — accompanying him to the gardens, standing guard during a private call, and learning the palace routines from the head of security. By evening, I was exhausted but satisfied. This job was going to be good f
GwenMy heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. Cedric had barely managed to slip into the wardrobe and close the door when my father’s voice boomed again from the hallway.“Gwen, if you don’t open this, I’m going to break it down!”I swallowed hard, my hands shaking as I rushed to the door. “Wait, hold on, Father. I’ll be right out before you know it!”I opened the door, forcing a bright, innocent smile onto my face even though my legs felt like jelly. My father stood there, fuming, his face red with anger and suspicion.“Why didn’t you open the door when I’ve been knocking?” he demanded, pushing past me into the room.“I’m sorry, Father,” I chuckled nervously, my voice higher than usual. “I didn’t mean to. I was… changing. I didn’t hear you at first.”He didn’t look convinced. His eyes scanned the room slowly, moving from the bed to the curtains, then toward the wardrobe where Cedric was hiding. My stomach twisted with fear.“Is there a problem, Father?” I asked, tryi
CedricI let out a soft sigh, my heart still racing from the way she had back-hugged me so tightly.“Okay, fine,” I said gently. “Can you let go of me now?”She slowly released her arms from around my waist, her hands lingering for a second before falling away. I turned to face her. Her eyes quickly dropped to the floor, refusing to meet mine. I couldn’t help but smile to myself. Despite her sharp tongue and the way she talked so much — always bold, always teasing — she was still so shy. Nervous. It made her look incredibly cute. How could someone be so fiery one moment and so vulnerable the next?I stretched my hand toward her, gently landing my palm against her cheek. There was a little silence between us, the air thick with tension. I rubbed my thumb lightly over her soft skin, feeling the warmth of her blush.God, she’s beautiful when she’s like this. I’ve wanted this for so long… but I never thought it would happen like this.“Can I kiss you?” I asked, my voice soft and low.She
CedricDays later.Today was my first official day as the King’s personal guard.I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting the cuffs of the tailored black suit the palace had delivered. It fit perfectly — sharp, expensive, and powerful. The King had sent a lot more than just clothes after that chaotic day: new furniture for my apartment, flowers, and a very generous amount of money that had already covered a huge chunk of my sister’s hospital bills. I still couldn’t believe it.I ran a hand through my gelled hair, making sure every strand was in place. I looked… different. Sharper. More like a CEO than a former security guard. The suit hugged my shoulders and chest perfectly, and the crisp white shirt underneath made me look like I belonged in boardrooms instead of guarding anyone.My mind drifted back to the evening after the palace interview.I had gone straight to the hospital, still buzzing from everything that happened. The moment I walked into my sister’s room, I saw Lia sitting
GwenI heard the loud crash from down the hall, and my heart jumped straight into my throat.I ran as fast as I could, bursting through the door just in time to see the remains of the chandelier scattered across the floor in glittering pieces. My eyes swept the room frantically until they landed on Cedric. Blood was running down his arm.Every instinct in me lurched forward. I wanted to go to him immediately, but I forced myself to stop. Father was right there. I couldn’t. Not in front of everyone.I turned to the nearest guard instead, keeping my voice controlled. “What happened?”“The chandelier fell, Your Highness. This man pushed the king out of the way just in time.”My chest tightened. I looked back at Cedric, trying to keep my expression neutral when nothing inside me felt neutral at all.Father dusted himself off unhurriedly and turned to look at Cedric with the kind of cold, measured expression that never meant anything good.“Leave,” he said.My head snapped toward him. “Wha







