The Bodyguard

Courage

Emilia swallows hard as she steps from the ancient hardwood floor onto the area rug in the middle of the office, taking one of the straight backed arm chairs that, despite looking very soft, is nearly rock hard and quite uncomfortable. She can feel his cold and immeasurable anger that radiates throughout the entire room, giving her nerves a sharper edge than ever as she stares down at her hands in her lap.

She refuses to meet his eyes, and she has a very bad feeling about what this is about, but how did he know? Alexander had said he wouldn't tell, that he wouldn't betray her, and she trusts him, right? Her trust is confirmed as a loud slap makes her jump in her seat, eyes flickering to the desk where a tabloid lays, its shiny cover showing a picture from his and her mother's wedding, with the caption "Happy Family?".

She can feel her heart stop in her chest as he finally speaks, "Please turn to page 5, and read the first paragraph for me." He snarls at her, looking at the book case and refusing to even glance at her terrified face.

Emilia reaches out with a shaky hand, pulling the magazine towards her and flipping quickly to the page in question to read:

 "The marriage of Mr. Delmont and Catherine Heart seems to be a happy one as the new couple escapes their ceremony with gracious smiles and loving glances, but is everyone happy for them? Sources inside the ceremony state that Catherine Heart's 19 year-old daughter Emilia left shortly after the dance with her new step-father, storming from the ceremony to stay the night outside of her new home. After being confronted by reporters outside, she refuses to say why she left so early, refusing to see her new step-father. Catching up with her later that same day, a source proves that maybe the entire family isn't so happy about this newest development in the family, as she is spotted taking several shots inside of the club "Red Room" to attempt and forget about it."

The article continues down the page, several more paragraphs about the apparent new party girl that has been inducted into the Delmont family and her clear unhappiness about the new situation. And above it, as if it could get any worse, was a photo of her looking very unsteady and in need of attention in Alexander's arms after her very unfortunate fall, in more ways than one.

"Do you, have any idea how much this costs me?" He nearly roars, his voice barely under control as she swallows quickly, not daring to meet his eyes yet as she can feel them trained very intently on her.

"I didn't, I didn't mean for it to. . " She is interrupted before she can finish the sentence, not even sure what to say.

"For it to what! For it to get in my way! For it to hurt your mother! What! What didn't you mean for it to do!" He explodes, slamming a hand onto the desk as he stands from his seat, rage making his voice ten times more terrifying.

"I didn't mean for it to go public, I only wanted to hang out with Jazz!" She calls back desperately, trying to explain her actions that are unexplainable, she had drunk underage, been in a club, and gotten into a magazine within the matter of a day.

She had never done anything like this, not ever, and the one time she is told not to draw attention to herself, she manages to do just that. She supposes she should be happy, she broke the rules, just like she wanted to. But she truly wish that she had the courage to stand up to him, to make it known that she didn't give a damn about his rules, that she was 19, an adult, and able to make her own damn decisions.

"I told you! I gave you the rules, and you broke nearly all of them, the only reason it isn't worse is because of Mr. Knyte being with you, as I insisted!" He screams, running his hands through grey streaked hair, "I need you to understand, that these actions, have consequences." He says, voice getting hard, under control, but just barely as Emilia finally lifts her gaze to meet his, holding her breath in anticipation.

"I forbid you from seeing Jasmine Carr." He says, voice full of finality.

And that was Emilia's breaking point.

Shoving the chair back as she jumps to her feet so hard that it falls sideways and hits the floor with a thud she slams her own fists onto the desk and holds his gaze. "And I will not be told what to do by a man who only married my mother to be seen as a decent human being." She yells back, spit flying into his face with the force of her words.

The silence between them after this statement is so charged that a piece of metal would kill them both. 

"I will not be scolded by a mere child for trying to protect someone so ungrateful as to accuse me of such a thing. I love her, you may not see it or care for her happiness but I do." 

Emilia scoffs, her temper had gone over and nothing would stop her from speaking her mind now. "I see the way you look at her, you lust for my mother, sure, but you do not love her anymore than you care for me. You are protecting your reputation and nothing more, my mother loves you, and I will not stand in her way after my father's death. But you will not tell me what to do, I may not be much older than a child but I am a legal adult and have the damn right to make my own decisions and learn the consequences for myself!" She screams, her voice beyond the range of what was normal. She did not rise to the occasion often, but when she did she would not be taken lightly. "You can not and will not forbid me from seeing the only person in this world that understands me, and I will not allow you to stop me having the freedoms I deserve. I do not care if you want to put Alexander on my tail day and night, but you will not stand in my way from living my life."

She gasps for breath, her voice practically hoarse and she can feel the tears in her eyes from frustration and anger, she was not the one behaving like a child, she was standing up for what she needs, and for the love of god she would have it.

But, when she blinks away her tears and looks into his eyes, she can feel every last ounce of courage drain from her body and all of her anger is replaced by pure terror at the look there. Out of the corner of her eye she sees his hand on his hip inside his jacket, placed on what was clearly the outline of a gun, what businessman keeps a gun on him at all times, even in his own home. And what sort of rage would cause him to reach for it when confronted by her.

"You will not, lecture me, on what I can and can not do." His voice is icy, so filled with rage and so much scarier than when he had yelled that she shrinks backwards, praying that her weak legs will not give out beneath her. And as he stares at the terror in her eyes, a sick, twisted smirk spreads across his lips, "I, am Anthony Delmont, and I will be treated with respect, Emilia. Now, you will not see Jasmine Carr until I say so, no communication, no nothing, she is a bad influence on your too innocent character, and I can not have that ruining what the public sees. Mr. Knyte, will escort you still, but he is under strict instructions, you will no longer have the former freedom that I have given you, and next time, pray you listen to my rules because there are much harsher consequences than merely isolation." He tells her, sitting down in his own chair and folding his hands together on the desk.

Emilia's mouth is agape as she stares into his stone black eyes, she used to think he was merely some tyrant or dictator to his famous company, but now she knows, he is so much worse. She thinks, her heart and mind full of dread as she turns from his office, avoiding the turned over chair as she steps outside and barely catching the words that he calls so softly at her back.

"You are much smarter than Catherine gives you credit for, and I do not encourage that around here."

The door snaps closed behind her, pulled by Alexander's hand and she feels her knees go weak, tempted to collapse to the floor at that moment. But she can't, she has some thinking and research to do, on Mr. Delmont.

"Emilia, are you alright?" Calls the surprisingly kind voice of Alexander just behind her as she turns to look at him, giving a very fragile smile to his concerned look.

"No, but I will be." She tells him, letting out a breath before returning to the kitchen once more to finally make her breakfast.