Chapter 1; The Photo

Chapter 1: The PhotoThe boardroom on the 47th floor of Apex Veil Tower overlooked Manhattan like a predator surveying its territory. Floor-to-ceiling glass framed the glittering skyline, but Sebastian Mercer kept his back to it. He preferred the reflection in the polished mahogany table his own face staring back, sharp, unreadable.At twenty-eight, he was the youngest CEO in the company's history. Inherited? No. He'd clawed his way here through a hostile acquisition that left blood on the carpet metaphorically, mostly. The older board members still called him "the boy wonder" behind closed doors. To his face, they smiled and nodded while waiting for him to slip.Today, they were waiting for quarterly projections. Sebastian stood at the head of the table, sleeves rolled to his elbows, laser pointer in hand. His voice cut through the room like code compiling clean, efficient."Q3 revenue up 18%. Client retention at 94%. The new quantum-resistant encryption suite launches next month, a

Last Updated : 2026-02-17

Chapter 2: Shadow Steps

Chapter 2: Shadow StepsSebastian left the office at 8:47 p.m., later than planned. Every line of code he had written that day now felt like a potential trapdoor. The photo the one that should have been impossible played on repeat in his mind, every detail burned into his memory: the angle, the darkness, the way the faint light from his bedside lamp had caught the sheen of sweat on his skin. He scanned the lobby once, twice. No one lingered. Just the night guard, stoic, barely raising an eyebrow as Sebastian passed. The elevator doors slid open. Empty. Polished steel walls reflected them both: Sebastian sharp in black, Kane a dark monolith.Kane waited, arms crossed, jacket open just enough to show the faint outline of a shoulder holster. He didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. His presence alone was a warning. Sebastian’s heels clicked against the marble floor as he approached, and Kane pushed the call button with a calm, deliberate motion, eyes never leaving him.The elevator doors slid

Last Updated : 2026-02-17

Chapter 3: Morning Intrusion

Chapter 3: Morning IntrusionSebastian woke at 4:58 a.m., three minutes before his alarm. Habit. The penthouse was silent except for the low hum of the city far below. He lay still for ten seconds listening. No footsteps. No clicks of cameras. Just the faint scent of leather that hadn't been there yesterday.Kane.He threw off the sheets, pulled on black joggers and a fitted gray tank, and headed to the gym. The pull-up bar waited like an accusation. He gripped it, hauled himself up once, twice. Muscles burned clean. No eyes on him this time. Or so he told himself.At 5:32, he finished sweat cooling on his skin and walked barefoot to the kitchen. Coffee machine hissed to life. Black. No sugar. He leaned against the island, scrolling encrypted emails on his phone.The front door clicked open.Sebastian's head snapped up.Kane stepped inside without knocking. Same dark suit, fresh shirt, no tie yet. Hair still damp from a shower somewhere probably the building's security floor. He carri

Last Updated : 2026-02-17

Chapter 4: Crowded Shadows

Chapter 4: Crowded ShadowsThe executive floor buzzed with mid-morning energy assistants darting between glass-walled offices, phones ringing in muted symphonies, the faint scent of expensive cologne and fresh coffee hanging in the air. Sebastian moved through it like a blade, nodding once to his PA, Elena, as she handed him the updated threat assessment folder."Harlan wants five minutes before the investor call," she said, keeping pace. "He's pushing for more transparency on the encryption delays."Sebastian didn't slow. "Tell him transparency costs lives. He'll wait."Elena glanced behind him at Kane, walking two steps back, eyes scanning every face, every doorway. She lowered her voice. "He's... intense.""He's necessary," Sebastian said, sharper than intended.He pushed through the double doors into the main corridor. It was packed mid-level execs heading to the conference wing, interns clutching tablets, a delivery guy with a stack of boxes blocking half the path.Sebastian did

Last Updated : 2026-02-17

Chapter 5: Late Hours

Chapter 5: Late HoursThe office lights dimmed automatically at 7:00 p.m. energy-saving protocol Sebastian had never bothered to override. He preferred the low glow anyway. It matched the quiet hum in his head after a day of endless calls and veiled threats.He sat at his desk, sleeves rolled, tie loosened for the first time since morning. The screen cast blue light across his face as he reviewed the latest penetration test results. A vulnerability in the secondary firewall. Small. Fixable. But every line of red code felt like a personal insult.Kane stood near the floor-to-ceiling window, arms crossed, watching the city darken. He hadn't spoken in forty minutes. Just observed. Sebastian could feel the weight of it like a hand on the back of his neck."You can sit," Sebastian said without looking up. "You're making the room feel smaller."Kane didn't move. "Standing keeps me ready.""Ready for what? Ghosts?""For whoever sent that photo." Kane turned slowly. "Or whoever's watching no

Last Updated : 2026-02-17

All Chapters of The CEO's BodyGuard: Chapter 1 - Chapter 5

Chapter 1; The Photo

Chapter 2: Shadow Steps

Chapter 3: Morning Intrusion

Chapter 4: Crowded Shadows

Chapter 5: Late Hours