Billionaire's Bodyguard

Ch 9. I want to ask a favor

That morning, Rey helped Emily prepare cakes and snacks to sell. The two of them stood in the small kitchen, their hands busy filling transparent plastic containers with sponge cake, risoles, and several other kinds of wet cakes that had already been neatly packed. The smell of butter and warm fried food filled the air.

Suddenly, the sound of a soft knock was heard from the front door.

"I'll get it," said Rey, wiping his hands with the apron. He walked to the living room and opened the door.

A woman about forty years old stood on the porch. She wore a pastel-colored long-sleeved shirt and neat linen pants.

Her hair was tied simply, and her facial expression was friendly. Her eyes immediately widened when she saw Rey appear from behind the door.

"Rey? This is Rey, right?" the woman's voice sounded surprised as well as pleased. "So handsome now!"

Rey smiled faintly and nodded slightly. "Yes, Sis Nad. Long time no see."

Emily followed behind Rey. "Oh Auntie Nad." Emily nudged Rey with her elbow. "this is our loyal customer, Auntie Nadia."

The woman called Nadia was still staring at Rey with an admiring gaze, as if observing every change in the figure she had known since childhood.

Rey was now indeed much taller and fuller, his shoulders broad and his arms looking strong even though he was only wearing a plain t-shirt. Nadia nodded slowly, as if enchanted.

"I didn't expect ... you've changed so much I almost didn't recognize you," she muttered.

Emily asked for Nadia's order and the woman stated it. Rey quickly helped by preparing the order and putting it into a plastic bag.

"Is he home for good? Or just on vacation here?" Nadia asked in a soft voice.

Emily smiled while glancing back. "Oh ... seems like just a vacation."

Nadia leaned her face closer and whispered. "Is he already married?"

Emily nodded quickly. "Already married, Auntie."

Nadia pulled her face back with a slight nod. "Oh ....."

"By the way where's Mom?" Nadia asked.

Emily sighed. "Mom's at the hospital, Auntie. Her condition declined a few days ago."

Nadia's face immediately changed. "Oh my god, seriously? How could I not know. What's wrong with her?"

"Still under examination," Rey answered briefly from behind the stack of boxes, without turning around, his voice flat.

"I have to visit her," said Nadia with a genuinely worried tone.

While saying that, her gaze was still fixed on Rey who was putting some pieces of chili into a plastic bag. She noticed Rey's arm muscles that looked sturdy as he moved.

Rey handed over Nadia's order and Emily received the money. Nadia didn't take her eyes off Rey as she received the plastic bag.

"Thank you Rey. I still can't believe you've become this handsome," Nadia complimented with a bashful face.

Rey just smiled faintly. "Thank you, sis, you also still look pretty and youthful."

Nadia turned away with flushed cheeks. After Nadia left, Rey helped Emily carry several boxes outside. He tied them firmly onto the rack at the back of Emily's bicycle.

Rey noticed how Emily had to carry 2 more plastic bags on her handlebars, however, there were still 2 more boxes on the table that she couldn't carry.

"You have to go back and forth twice?" Rey asked.

Emily nodded while arranging the position of the plastic bags on her handlebars. "Yes like that. Bring some to drop off first, then come back to sell the rest myself."

Rey didn't say anything, but in his mind he saw how difficult and exhausting that process was.

In the afternoon, Rey went to the city center. There was no information at all yet from Ethan since their last meeting.

Rey walked into a sports and martial arts equipment store. Inside, he bought a pair of foldable metal knuckle rings that were easy to hide.

From his previous task, Rey learned to be more prepared if he faced a similar situation.

On his way home, he passed by an electric bicycle shop. He stopped and looked at the row of electric bicycles in bright colors.

His mind went back to Emily who had to go back and forth carrying her goods. At least with an electric bicycle, Emily wouldn't be too exhausted even if she had to go back and forth.

Seeing Rey standing still looking from the sidewalk, a salesman greeted him. "Please come in sir, take a look inside."

"I'm looking for an electric bicycle that has a passenger seat, to carry goods," Rey said to the salesman.

"Oh we have that, that one we have in several colors in the back." The salesman explained while stepping inside.

At that moment Rey's gaze shifted to a woman walking toward him. The woman walked quickly on the sidewalk, her face tense and her eyes occasionally glancing back.

Two men with ordinary appearances, wearing jackets and jeans, walked several steps behind her at a constant distance. Their expressions were flat, but their walking pattern clearly followed the woman.

The woman looked directly at Rey. Her eyes widened and her lips moved slightly as if about to ask for help.

Rey's instinct as a former security guard immediately activated. He left the salesman who was explaining and walked over to approach her. He greeted the woman with a loud enough voice for the two men to hear.

"Hey! What are you doing here?"

The woman immediately understood. "Oh, hi! I'm ... on my way to the cafe next door," the woman said spontaneously upon seeing the LED sign of a cafe in front of them.

Rey walked closer and stood beside her, trying to look familiar. "Perfect timing."

They walked together toward the cafe that was right beside the bicycle shop. The shop salesman looked confused when Rey suddenly disappeared.

Meanwhile, the two men following the woman pretended to look in another direction, before finally continuing their steps away past that cafe.

Inside the crowded cafe, Rey and the woman didn't sit down. They just stood near the queue area, blending in among the people who were waiting for their orders.

The woman let out a long breath, then exhaled it. "Thank you," she said with a voice trembling with relief. "I'm Eva."

"Rey."

"Them ... who were they?" Rey asked in a low voice.

Eva shook her head, her face still pale. "I don't know. I don't know them. They've been following me since two blocks back."

After a few minutes making sure the two men were gone, Rey and Eva left the cafe. Eva held Rey's hand tightly, so it would look like they were a couple or close friends.

Rey let her, while his eyes kept scanning the surrounding area. There were no more signs of the two men.

They walked until they were in front of a building with a sign reading "Cheerful Kids Tutoring Center."

Eva stopped.

"This is my workplace," she said. "Thank you for helping me."

Rey released their hold. "You should call a taxi to go home later, don't walk."

Eva smiled, this time more sincerely. "Thank you so much, Rey."

Rey just nodded before turning around and leaving.

***

That afternoon, Rey was already back home. An electric bicycle for Emily was already parked in the living room as a surprise.

In his room, Rey stood in front of the small mirror hanging on the wall. He took off his shirt and saw the purplish bruise on his waist and the greenish bruise on his upper arm.

His body still felt stiff and sore in several places.

"Need to start training again," he thought.

He couldn't always rely on luck or the knuckle ring. He needed to return to the physical condition and reflexes he once had.

His gaze shifted to a photo in a plastic frame on the wooden shelf. The photo showed him at age 17, standing upright in a white taekwondo uniform with a black belt wrapped around his waist.

His facial expression in that photo was full of confidence, very different from the doubt he often felt now.

Suddenly, the sound of a knock was heard from his bedroom door. Rey was startled, quickly he put his shirt back on and walked to the door.

Rey opened the door slowly.

Nadia stood there with an unusual expression. Her face was somewhat flushed, and her hands kept wringing the hem of the shirt she was wearing.

"Rey, sorry to bother you," she said, her voice sounding shy and a bit nervous.

"I ... want to ask you for a favor."

***