I'm Your Man
The wind howled as I stepped out of the building, the city’s familiar noise suddenly foreign—hostile. Every sound felt sharper. Every shadow seemed to move. I clutched my keys in one hand and kept my head down, rushing to the car like I was being hunted.
Because maybe I was.
I barely remembered the drive home. The world outside the windshield was a blur of tail lights and neon, my thoughts tangled in a storm I couldn’t slow down. My hands gripped the steering wheel so tight my knuckles ached. Hardin’s voice echoed in my head on repeat: “Get out of the office. Now.”
Something inside me had snapped the moment I read that message. Not fear—no, fear had long since become my constant companion. This was worse.
This was dread.
A slow, choking sensation that sank into my lungs like smoke.
When the mansion finally came into view through the gates, I exhaled like I’d been holding my breath the whole way. I didn’t even park straight. I just slammed the car into park, yanked the keys, and bolted.
The door flew open before I even reached it—Agnes.
“Miss Ariana—”
“Where’s my mom?” I demanded.
“She’s in the parlor. I’ve been with her this whole time, like you asked.”
I didn’t wait. I ran.
My heels clicked frantically across the marble as I burst into the parlor. There she was—wrapped in a shawl, a cup of untouched tea on the side table. She looked up as I rushed in, startled.
“Mom,” I breathed, crossing the room in seconds and falling to my knees beside her. “You’re okay. You’re okay.”
“Ariana?” she said, her brow furrowing. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
I didn’t answer right away. I wrapped my arms around her instead, holding her tighter than I had in years.
“Everything’s going to be fine,” I whispered, trying to make myself believe it. “I promise. You’re safe. I’m here. I’ve got you.”
I felt her stiffen just slightly. Then she melted into me, her hand finding the back of my head.
“Talk to me, sweetheart,” she murmured. “What’s going on?”
But before I could speak, the front door opened. Hardin’s voice called, “Ariana?”
“In here!” I answered, standing quickly, still holding my mother’s hand.
He appeared in the doorway like a storm in human form—sharp suit, fury in his eyes, phone in hand.
“I forwarded the number to our cybersecurity team,” he said, already moving toward me. “They’re tracking it now.”
“Did they get anything?”
“Not yet. It was masked with a temporary IP, scrambled through four different countries.” His jaw clenched. “But they’ll find whoever sent it.”
I nodded, trying to steady my breathing. Hardin reached out and took my free hand—his warmth like a lifeline.
“You okay?” he asked, softer now.
“No,” I said honestly. “But I will be.”
He squeezed my hand. “I’ll make sure of it.”
I glanced toward my mother, who was watching us with tired, wary eyes. “She needs rest. This can’t keep happening.”
“And it won’t.” He stepped away, pulling out his phone. “I’m sending another guard to the east gate, and I’ll post someone at the back door too.”
I raised a brow. “You do know you’re not my assistant anymore, right? CEO of your own empire and everything.”
He gave a low chuckle. “Doesn’t matter. I’m still your man. I’ll wear whatever hat I have to if it means keeping you safe.”
A grin tugged at my lips—small, but real. “You sure you’re not just trying to relive your glory days of scheduling my lunch meetings?”
He leaned in, brushing a kiss against my forehead. “Only if those meetings come with a side of you calling me ‘bossy’ and threatening to fire me.”
I smirked. “You were kind of insufferable.”
“And yet, here we are.”
His thumb brushed the edge of my cheek, and for a moment, the chaos faded. He looked at me like I was the only thing tethering him to the ground.
“Come on,” he said gently. “Let me take you out. Just for an hour. Dinner, even if you don’t eat. You need a break. Something... normal.”
“Normal’s a tall order lately.”
“Then we’ll pretend. Just for tonight.”
I hesitated.
But I was so tired of being afraid.
Tired of running from ghosts.
Tired of feeling like I didn’t deserve moments like this.
“Okay,” I said. “Dinner.”
His smile lit up the room.
And I realized—I needed that. Not just protection. Not just a plan.
I needed him.
Because the nightmare wasn’t over.
But I wasn’t facing it alone anymore.
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