What Stephanie was expecting by the time the officers uncuffed her hands was definitely her father’s secretary wearing a helpless smile on his face not some tall, stone faced, extremely gorgeous guy dressed and clad in well tailored black suits that hugged his body perfectly. Stephanie didn’t need anyone to tell her that that the stone sculpture standing in front of her wouldn’t be less than seven years older than her. Scrunching up her pretty delicate face that was currently decorated with bruises and cuts, she asked him.

“Who the hell are you?” Stephanie asked as the stone sculpture remained unmoved without an expression.

“Aiden Perez, your new bodyguard” he replied in a monotone that sent chills down her spine and Stephanie froze as she digested his words.

“Wait? Come again; I don’t think I got that. Bodyguard?” Stephanie as she raised an eyebrow and burst into laughter before scoffing and her face turned ice cold.

“I don’t need a bodyguard” Stephanie replied with iciness dripping down her tone and she started walking away fury evident on her face. Barely had she walked about ten steps when the stone sculpture appeared in front of her once more and Stephanie scoffed once again at him.

“What part of I don’t need a bodyguard don’t you understand?” Stephanie asked refusing to feast her eyes on this delicacy in front of her.

“I apologise” Aiden replied, a small frown finally cracking the stone cold expression. From his tone, Stephanie knew he didn’t like the situation either. As she opened her mouth to say another word, she felt her legs been lifted from the ground and she gave a loud yell as she watched Aiden throw her over his shoulders effortlessly and started striding forward.

Stephanie continued yelling and throwing punches all over Aiden’s body flustered and scared at the same time; but her punches were akin to throwing punches on a stone. If anything, he wasn’t affected and Stephanie could feel her knuckles and hands getting sore.

He threw her in the back seat and got into the driver’s seat without a word. He didn’t waste a second before starting the car and driving out of the car park of the police station. Stephanie chuckled as she watched the turn of events. Flabbergasted, confused and angry, she hit the chair in front of her a few times hissing from time to time and running her hands through her hair.

The car soon came slowly to a stop in front of a huge gate and Aiden wounded down the glass slowly as he turned to the guard who nodded at him and the gates opened automatically by themselves. He drove into the mansion that was as quiet as a graveyard before coming slowly to a stop beside a huge mansion in the middle of the compound. He got down and opened the back seat door.

Stephanie watched his actions and scoffed once again; something she had noticed that she had done more than more usual that night. Biting slowly on her lower lip she got down from the car and came to face with Aiden. Irritated by the fact that she had to raise her head to look at him directly; Stephanie hissed.

“Bend down, it’s stressful to raise my head” Stephanie said and without a word Aiden obliged as he bent his head slightly, his head coming to the same height with Stephanie. The quiet mansion resounded with a ‘pa’ sound immediately.

Aiden could feel his left cheeks burning but he still brought his face back to see fury burning in the other eyes.

“Don’t you ever touch me again!” Stephanie bellowed as she stormed inside the house. Aiden straightened up as he turned and watched the retreating figure of Stephanie until she disappeared into the house. He turned and started walked towards another direction of the house; slumping to the floor without a regard for his image, he dug into his pocket of his well tailored suit and brought out a pack of cigarettes, lighting one of them up, Aiden sucked in a bit before blowing out a wisp of smoke.

Red eyed, Stephanie climbed the stairs angrily as she walked towards her Father’s study. It was enough that he never showed up anytime she caused trouble, it was enough that he was almost never bothered about her and just then; he had the guts to give her a bodyguard. Never!

Stephanie didn’t bother knocking as she pushed the door of the large study open. A fairly aged man was seating on the chair talking to someone on the laptop in front of him with another fairly old man beside her. Scoffing as she leaned on one of the shelves, the old man talking on the laptop and the one standing turned to her almost at the same time.

“Stephanie” the old man standing called her softly with a small smile and Stephanie inwardly snorted at her before throwing her face away. She watched as the call ended before her anger started to brew once again.

“Stephanie, what are you doing here?” the man seated asked and Stephanie scoffed as she shrugged.

“Because you decided it was high time for me to have a bodyguard” Stephanie replied sarcasm dripping in her tone.

“Who are you to decide that I need a bodyguard? I don’t need a bodyguard. In anything at all, I don’t need some lousy people following me around. I’m your daughter so what?” Stephanie continued as she watched the older man rub his forehead helplessly.

“Take it back; I don’t want a bodyguard” Stephanie added firmly.

“Stephanie, you will continue to cause trouble and I can’t be there all the time; he will protect you trust me. I care about you and your well being; that is why I got you a bodyguard. You need it and Aiden? He’s the best” he said and Stephanie hissed as she tried to hold back the tears that were threating to rush out of her eyes as she scoffed for the thousandth time that night.

“I’m sure I didn’t you say care. Care? What part of care do you know? What part of care do you know Mr Matthews?” Stephanie yelled as she hissed and walked out of the study. She knew another minute in that study, she wouldn’t last before she burst into tears.

Pushing the door to her room, Stephanie entered and slammed the door behind her as she feel to her knees before tears started pouring out of her eyes and down her cheeks. The mansion was as silent as ever even though half of the night, a particular somebody was whimpering and sobbing. But it had happened so many times that Stephanie remembered to drag herself to the bed before falling asleep, this; was her misfortune.

The newspaper headlines carrying news like; STEPHANIE MATTHEWS, ONLY DAUGHTER OF PETER MATTTHEWS ARESTED FOR DEFACING AND ENGGAING IN FIGHTS. Wasn’t anything new. She was long used to seeing these headlines that sometimes; she wondered if they never wanted to try a headline more exciting.

The headlines never changed but the contents always did; not really in some sense. The summary of each content was about how irresponsible she was and how much of a bitch and douche bag that she was. Nothing more, nothing less.

By the time Stephanie stepped out of the house to go school, she definitely wasn’t expecting to see the bodyguard that she didn’t even remember his name standing beside the car waiting for her. She rolled her eyes and bit her lips before getting into the car. She grabbed the door and slammed the door as if she wasn’t afraid of removing the door in the process; not that she was actually afraid of the door removing though.

Because she absolutely despised him and her father, Stephanie didn’t bother to compliment her bodyguard on his good driving skills and immediately got down from the car walking into the college premises without a word to him.

The students naturally made way for Stephanie as she walked into the hallway. Not bothered by the numerous stares on her, Stephanie walked towards her locker but even before she could get there; three girls had appeared from nowhere and blocked her way. Stephanie rubbed her forehead as she looked at the trio in a menacing way.

“Was yesterday’s beating not enough for you? You still want more?” Stephanie asked and she laughed seeing how the three girls exchanged looks with each other obviously still slightly scared.

“Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone how much of a coward you guys are. I certainly won’t tell them that you got that scratch on your neck from them not from trying to help on the farm. That was a rather a dumb lie Christiana. I thought your brain could handle much more” Stephanie added as she grinned widely.

“So please excuse me will you?” Stephanie asked retaining her smile that she was sure the three girls wanted to smack off her face but then she knew that they didn’t dare. Not after the beating she had given them the day before. Thus, her smile got brighter.