Protect her. Obey her father. Never fall for her.
Those were the only three rules Theo was given when he accepted his assignment as the president’s daughter’s personal bodyguard.

Danielle Geiger was supposed to be another mission to him, just a spoiled heiress hidden behind privilege and secrets. But the moment he saw the loneliness behind her toughness, everything he’d been trained to control began to break.

And then, Theo broke all three rules.

Every order he followed led him back to her.
Every touch he denied burned a little deeper.

And when the line between duty and desire finally snapped, there was no turning back.

Because Theo could guard her body, fight her enemies, and take every bullet meant for her,
but the one thing he could never protect her from… was himself.

He guarded her body.
But she was the one who held his heart hostage.

Now, love isn’t the risk.
It’s the weapon that could ruin them both.

Marriage did not come with fireworks or newspapers or speeches from a smiling crowd. It came quietly. 


It came the moment the silk settled against Danielle's skin and Theo looked at her like the world had finally gone still enough for him to breathe.


That should have felt unreal. Instead, what felt unreal was how real everything suddenly became.


The moment they stepped out of the small secured chapel and into the evening air, the world rushed back in. 


Danielle held Theo's hand without thinking. Not because she needed reassurance. Because it felt wrong not to.


Marriage did not soften him-it anchored him.


Danielle sat at the edge of the bed, still wrapped in satin silk that caught the low light like water. The dress was unmarked. Untouched by ash or blood. It felt like a mercy she did not deserve but accepted anyway.


Chapter 129 - After The Ring