She Hired a Cold Bodyguard to Protect Her From the World — Then He Became the Only Place She Felt Safe
Chapter 1
Ava Sinclair knew how to smile.
She smiled when cameras flashed.
She smiled when interviewers asked the same questions.
She smiled when fans screamed her name outside hotels.
She smiled when magazines called her America’s favorite actress.
What nobody saw was what happened when the cameras disappeared.
She would sit alone in the back seat of her car, remove her earrings, stare out the window, and wait for the exhaustion to pass.
At twenty-nine, Ava had spent almost half her life in front of cameras.
She had starred in blockbuster movies, won awards, and built a career that made her one of the most recognizable women in the country.
But fame had created another problem.
People watched her.
Constantly.
Photographers followed her.
Strangers knew where she ate.
Fans waited outside her apartment.
And recently, someone had begun sending threatening messages.
Her manager insisted on hiring a private security specialist.
The man arrived at her house on a rainy Tuesday morning.
Daniel Hayes was thirty-two, broad-shouldered, quiet, and dressed in a simple black suit.
He looked more like a military officer than a celebrity bodyguard.
Ava looked him over.
“You’re my new babysitter?”
Daniel didn’t smile.
“I’m your security.”
“That’s almost the same thing.”
“No.”
He handed her a folder.
“Starting today, your schedule changes.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“My schedule?”
“Your routes. Your entrances. Your exits. Your public appearances.”
Ava laughed.
“You do realize I’m the one paying you.”
“I do.”
“Then remember who works for whom.”
Daniel looked directly at her.
“My job isn’t to make you comfortable.”
“What is your job?”
“To make sure you’re alive tomorrow.”
Ava stared at him.
For the first time in months, she didn’t know what to say.
She took the folder.
“You’re going to be annoying.”
“I’ve been called worse.”
And somehow, Ava had a feeling he wasn’t going anywhere.
