Chapter 5

Caden grew up in a relatively simple family with a simple life. He didn't have any siblings and so he got most of his parents' attention. His mother was Korean whose parents had migrated from Korea when they got married, and his father was a white American. They were both very hardworking and loving. Always making time for him and trying hard to give him everything a child needs, and wants from time to time. He loved and appreciated them. But then one day, when he was fourteen, while he was at school, his parents got killed in a home invasion.

That left him to be taken into foster care and for a while he fell into depression. He could not eat, sleep and do anything. His foster parents tried their best to help him but he never paid them any mind.

Soon enough he realized that he could not go on like that and he vowed to himself that he would become someone that could protect the people he cares about. So he began to exercise, build muscle, and learn how to fight.

When he was eighteen he was scouted by a gang locally known in the Bronx and they took him under their wing and trained him. Caden did not agree with their ways and so after some time he left and started looking for honest work. Sometime after that, one of his old companions informed him of the bodyguard job and he took the offer immediately and got the job, surprisingly. He was tough, and very much bodyguard material. The pay for the job was good and he would be working for the Fraiser family. That was an amazing opportunity.

But unfortunately, upon taking the job he did not know that he was going to get stuck with a whiney Princes who only thought of herself.

"I'm sorry, you'll just have to put up with her. She can be very difficult and her emotions are intense. She got diagnosed with anxiety when she was fairly young so she can be a bit much to handle." Marie Fraiser said.

It was during his first week and he already wanted to strangle her. She would wail nonstop for hours. The rest of the house staff didn't seem bothered by it so that meant that she was usually like this. Caden really wanted to just leave but he could not give up such a well-paying job. He wanted the money to buy back his parents' house. It had been seized by the bank and was currently empty. So if he could get the money to buy it back then it could help him to move on from their deaths. He needed closure and hoped that this was the way to get it.

And so Caden had to put up with an annoying self-centered brat. At night when she became quiet he needed to check on her to see if she would have done anything drastic but when he looked inside, the room was empty. He did not know what to do and the only thing he could do was peek into the bathroom but the light was off. It was late at night and he did not want to wake up her parents so he just went to the quarters at the bottom of the house where he slept and went to bed.

He assumed that maybe this was a regular thing and she left the house at night but he could not stop worrying. Not about her but if she wasn't supposed to do that, got hurt, and then it would all fall on him.

And when he saw that bruise on her cheek he knew that something wasn't right. She had snuck out of the house again the day before and he began to suspect that she was doing something dangerous. When he saw that her face looked swollen and that she had tried to put makeup over it, but some came off, he got even more worried.

Whether or not she was actually almost mugged was something he could not determine but it seemed that Aurora was the least bit bothered about the bruise and more of that muffin in her hand. She acted like a Princess and if she had gotten hurt like that then she would have run to tell her parents. But she seemed to want to hide it so he assumed that she wasn't going to tell her parents and that meant that he was in the clear for now.

Aurora had a very quick tongue and always fired back at him when he would try to scold or reason or question her. He was honestly amazed that this Carson person put up with her for as long as she did. And that stupid nickname she pegged for him, irked his soul every time she said it. She acted so carefreely and juvenile.

Whenever he was around her, he would always smell vanilla and flowers. He had to admit that she did smell really good. She smelled delicate, like how a Princess should, and he was so intoxicated by it. He also did think about the fact that she was very attractive and the first time he saw her he was a little taken back. But then again, the first time he saw her, her face was covered in tears and snot.

But those thoughts were the least of importance at this moment. Because he knew that she was sneaking out and wanted to get to the bottom of it. He waited outside the house to see how she did it. There was obviously a place in her room where she left from. Possibly her balcony and so he stood on the other side of the street, shrouded in shadows as he waited. He would do this as many times as it took because he knew she was sneaking out. And on his first try, he was able to see her jumping off the wall and jogging down the road.

He thought that maybe she was in a relationship and that was where the bruise came from. He hoped that that wasn't the case.

Caden followed her onto the subway, into the city, and then into an abandoned building. He started to get seriously suspicious.

Caden was aware of all the messed up stuff with drugs that happened in the world and for a moment he wondered if that was it. But then he heard the shouts of people and soon saw what the underground looked like, he was even more surprised.

He wore a hood that was covering his face just in case she saw him. At the bottom of the stairs were two bouncer-looking guys. They gave him a glance and he nodded to them, trying to act as cool as possible.

But with his attention elsewhere he lost sight of Aurora and then gained it again when two females entered the ring in the center of the underground parking lot. And one of them reminded him of her.

"Standing to your left at five feet six and a hundred and forty pounds is the infamous, the vicious, the beautiful, Venus!" an announcer shouted.

The cheers of the crowd didn't cease as Aurora, even though half of her face was covered, waved at the crowd. There were white babies wrapped around the length of her arms.

"And to your right, standing at five feet seven inches and a hundred and twenty pounds is the new contestant, Candy! Who will reign victory tonight? Our veteran Venus or maybe, Candy will surprise us all!"

The announcer jumped out of the ring and a bell was rung and the fight began. Caden was honestly speechless. He could not believe that this was how she spent her time. Doing legal underground fights. And actually being able to hold her own.

Although her face was covered, he still knew that was her immediately. Her hair and the top of her face was a dead give away.

After the fight is over, he followed her. She went through a hallway, turned a couple of corners, and into a locker room. It was empty there, and she took down her face covering and sighed as she slumped on the benches. She didn't seem to notice him until he spoke.

"Well, well, well, guess the Princess has a secret." he took down his hood.

Aurora snapped her head to him and her eyes blew open wide. She quickly stood up from her seat and backed away a bit. "What- what are you doing here?"

"I should ask you the same thing," Caden answered. He looked down at her and saw that she was only in a sports bra and tights. He looked at her and, wondering why they were bandaged.

"You should not be here," she said and looked around. "You need to leave. You can get in serious trouble if you're found here."

"And so can you." he approached her. "I have no idea what you think you're doing but we're leaving here right now."

"Aurora, my prodigy, my Princess, are you in here!" a new voice shouted from down the hallway, echoing towards them.

Immediately, Aurora grabbed Caden's hoodie and took him behind the lockers. He tried to pull away but her grip was deathly strong.

"Stay here."

That was the most serious expression he had seen on her face and so he decided not to move. He peeked and saw an older man walk into the room. He was a short and round man and gave Aurora a big smile. He had whisky black/grey hair and a light beard.

"Hey Chelly," she gave him such a genuine smile. "Great fight today. I kind of feel bad for her."

"Yeah, the poor lass didn't know what she had coming to her! Now here's your cut of the money. Remember we have another one next week ok, get home safe kid."

He gave her a big stack of money and patted her on her back before he left.

"Thanks!" she called after him.

Once he was gone she looked back and went up to Caden.

"You can't be here you need to leave," she demanded.

"Then you're coming with me." he fired back.

"I have things to do and you are getting in my way. The people here are dangerous and I don't want to deal with anything having to do with you."

Caden took the wad of cash from her hands and flipped through it before handing it back to her. "Is all of this just for money? You have plenty of it, Princess. Wait, no, I should not call you Princess anymore, how about Venus."

Aurora gave him a furious look and turned to of the lockers and grabbed a duffel bag out of it. She put the money inside of it before closing it.

"So since the Princess is much more interesting than I thought. Why don't you tell me why you're doing this?"