The next morning, sunshine poured in from the floor-to-ceiling windows of Aiden's office. The clean-lined, minimalist beauty of the room mirrored his personality in its polished steel surfaces, his glass desk completely free of papers, and on the far corner a single framed picture of his parents. Barely registering on Aiden's ears was the murmur of his team at work outside as he pored through reports detailing performance on Sentinel's first night on the job.
A sharp knock at the door cut into his concentration. Before he could answer, Evelyn Dawson walked into the room. Wearing a crisp navy blazer and hair pulled back tightly back, she exuded an authority that even Aiden couldn't overlook.
"Good morning, Evelyn," he greeted her without lifting his head. "I hope this is about the Sentinel stats."
"It's not," Evelyn said bluntly, crossing the room to stand in front of his desk. She placed a printed copy of the email on the glass surface. Aiden's eyes narrowed as he recognized the ominous text from the night before.
"You have to be kidding me," he muttered, leaning back in his chair. "You went through my email?"
"Your IT team flagged it," Evelyn said, unruffled. "And it's a good thing they did. This isn't just some prank, Aiden. It's a credible threat."
Aiden waved a dismissive hand. "You and I have very different definitions of credible. It's vague. No specifics. Probably some disgruntled ex-employee or someone who doesn't like change."
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"Or someone who doesn't like you," Evelyn shot back. Her piercing gaze met his, unrelenting. "I've seen enough to know when something's worth taking seriously, and this is. We need to act now."
Aiden let out a heavy sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Evelyn, I have an entire team working on Sentinel's rollout. I can't afford distractions right now."
This is no distraction," Evelyn said firmly. "It is a priority. If we don't take precautions, the next message might not be just words."
Her words hung in the air, heavy with implication. Aiden leaned forward, his frustration giving way to a sliver of unease. "What do you suggest?"
"A bodyguard," she said without hesitation. "Someone who can stay close to you, assess the risks, and handle any threats before they escalate.
Aiden’s laugh was sharp and humorless. “You’re serious.”
“Deadly serious,” Evelyn replied. “The board agrees with me. They’ve already approved the hire. Your new security detail arrives tomorrow morning.”
Aiden stared at her, his jaw tightening. The idea of having someone shadowing his every move grated against his fiercely independent nature. “You didn’t think to consult me?”
“You’d have said no,” Evelyn said, crossing her arms. “And this isn’t up for debate.”
For a long moment, Aiden said nothing. Finally, he leaned back and exhaled heavily. “Fine. But I’m not changing my schedule or my life for this. Whoever you’ve hired better stay out of my way.”
“They’ll do their job,” Evelyn assured him. “You just focus on doing yours.”
As she turned and left, Aiden looked back at the printed email on his desk. The words seemed to taunt him, their meaning now heavier than before. His gut told him Evelyn might be overreacting. But a small, stubborn part of him wondered if she was right.