Halfway to our new home, I just broke down crying, filled with grief, pain, and total confusion.
Everything just overwhelmed me, all at once, the whole thing.
From the passing of my mom to the murder of my Dad, this secret/arranged marriage thing, and the possible threat to my life.
Why? Why was this whole thing happening? Claire cried more, her sobs louder.
Agent Shawn watched helplessly as she sobbed. His hand twitches, wanting to hold hers, to pull her over and wrap her in his arms.
Not really as her husband yet, but just to be there for her, but he couldn't because that's not his assignment.
He wasn't here for this. It pains him that he couldn't display any emotions but that is it.
Getting the software program known as Camilla helix is what matters to the agency, meaning it's what matters to him.
Keeping her safe, too, is important and only more so because the agency thinks she's the key to getting the program.
Her dead father made sure to secure his life's work and his daughter, too. The agency has already deposited the first smaller installment of the money into her account.
The other major part of the balance will be delivered when they get the program after at least 3 years. Of course, the agency will not sit idly by.
Agent Shawn has also been instructed to find out the whereabouts of the program and retrieve it if possible before the agreed time.
The car moved slowly up the lantern-lit driveway, and the two agency-trained security men gave a gentle salute as the car approached.
As Agent Shawn's face came into view, they were expecting him, as they entered the compound, the mansion rose before them like a vision pulled out of another world.
Three stories of pale stone shimmered beneath soft evening lights, tall arched windows glowing warmly behind silk curtains.
Water from the grand fountain in the courtyard glittered under the moonlight, its gentle rhythm echoing the elegance of a place meant for royalty.
Claire was dumbfounded. He wasn't.
The roses climbing the pillars looked decorative, but he knew tiny pressure sensors were hidden beneath the soil, capable of detecting a single misplaced footstep.
The windows she admired were reinforced ballistic glass, strong enough to withstand a full assault.
The mansion's charm was real, but so was its armor.
Two servants stepped forward the moment the car halted, their uniforms immaculate, their movements quiet and respectful.
They collected bags with graceful efficiency, offering soft bows welcoming them with the utmost form of respect.
He watched their hands, their posture, their eyes. And gave a gentle nod, they reciprocated back.
She noticed only their kindness.
The servants, six of them, were more than staff; they were vetted, trained, undercover agents.
Even the regular servants had undergone very extensive background checks.
Inside, the foyer exploded with warm grandeur: a massive chandelier of cascading crystals hung high above polished marble floors, scattering honey-colored light across the vast space.
The air held the soft scent of vanilla and cedar. A staircase curved upward in a sweeping arc, elegant enough to belong in a palace.
She felt herself shrinking inside all this beauty.
He felt himself sharpening inside all this responsibility.
The living room stretched out in velvet and gold plush sofas, delicate glass sculptures, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a manicured garden.
Lanterns glowed along hedge-lined paths, and the turquoise light of a heated pool shimmered through the glass like something from a dream.
She could barely breathe from the sheer gentleness of it all.
He was checking security points, the disguised alarm panel behind the artwork, the silent shutters hidden in the window frames, the vibration sensors under the floorboards.
Yes, the house has been fully vetted, but you can never be too sure. Reconfirming every detail personally is vital.
People can make mistakes, and besides, this is Agent Shawn's operation, so everything has to go his way. And personally, as much as he can, making sure everything is in place is how he wants it, where he wants it.
The house even has a small armoury of weapons. And hidden cameras are all over.
She ran her fingers across a velvet armchair, feeling softness she hadn't known in days.
Grief flickered across her face when she looked toward the garden.
The beauty around her made the pain of losing her father feel sharper, like splendor and sorrow weren't meant to share the same air.
A servant approached with warm towels and a tray of fruit, bowing gently. She murmured a soft thank you, still overwhelmed.
For the first time since the wedding, she looked at her now husband assessing him, his strong athletic body frame aligning perfectly with the suit he wore.
He is a very handsome man, his face calm, his eyes sharp and alert, a unique aura of strength, intelligence, and something different, unusual coming from me.
Beneath this magnificent body, handsomeness, strength, and shrewdness, she sensed mercy and compassion under his armour of a body. As for love she couldn't read him in that regard yet.
This whole operation may seem too big for just the protection of Claire, but it has gone beyond that, according to previous briefings and the brief meeting held shortly after the wedding.
In the investigation of Claire's father, Dr Charles Morgan. It's discovered that there is an unknown person, apparently someone within (perhaps in the intelligence community or thereabout), who wants this program and is making use of mercenaries towards that purpose.
It's obvious there has been a leak, and certain foreign intelligence also has its eyes on this program. It's quite a game-changer, so the security protocol has now risen considerably.
Nobody is sure where this program is hidden, but somehow we know Claire is involved, regardless of whether she's aware of it or not.
Though something peculiar about this operation is that the whole setup is funded by Agent Shawn himself, the mansion, security gadgets, and non-security staff; he's literally funding 95% of the operation, most of the whole thing.
It was a voluntary act on his own. He has the capabilities, and he wanted to do this for Claire also, he can't explain it, but she deserves the best after all she has been through.
Intuitively, something within told him her father must have known about his background wealth, or more about than most people do. To entrust him with his daughter.
It is not just random that he was requested by name for this job. How did Dr Charles even get his details, more or less his name??