THE BODYGUARD WHO TAMED THE TRILLIONAIRE CEO

Caden's Pov I held up two ties to my neck, unable to make a choice. One of them was a striped tie while the other was a plain black tie. A sigh escaped me when I failed to choose either of them. "Maybe, I should go without a tie." I mumbled to myself. And that, ladies and gentlemen, summoned Gatsby all the way from hell.  "You're not leaving here without a tie, mister." She strutted into the room like she'd done a thousand times and reached for me.  "Good morning to you too." I flash her a lazy grin. She shot me a glare, already choosing the black tie and wrapping it around my collar. "Just when I thought we'd make it on time." She mumbled as she knotted the tie and pushed it close to my throat. I nearly gagged. "Hey, easy on me." "Easy on you? News flash, love. I'm not Adele!" She lifted her iPad for me to see. "And second of all, we'll be late to our own event. If you're gonna host something, at least be punctual."  I rolled my eyes. "Whatever, mom." "You wish," She spun around and headed for the door. "Brush your hair, prince charming. Wheels up in 5."  I chuckled as she slammed the door on her way out. Gabrielle or Gatsby as I call her, is my 15th and only reliable secretary. She's been my sober companion and best friend for the past 5 years. Unlike the rest of my employees who maintain brisk composure and put on fake smiles, Gatsby is carefree and doesn't give an F. At first when grandpa, God rest his soul, told me he'd personally choose my secretary, I was furious. Was I picky? Yes. Was I stubborn? You can call me a bloody bull. But I was a full grown adult and he was choosing my secretary like she was a bag at Chanel. On the day of the interview, I made it my aim to show her hell but it went the other way around.  She shoved my crossed legs off the polished desk, straightened my tie and passed me 15 reviewed documents waiting for my signature. I was stunned and we did exchange a few words but at the end of the day, I hired her. I liked her grit. "Caden!" I hear Gatsby's angry howl from downstairs.  "On my way!" I thread my fingers through my hair to give them a tousled look. "There." It didn't matter what I looked like. People still threw themselves at me. I'm that hot.  I took the grand staircase, my eyes flashing with pride as the maids bowing at the sight of me. My eyes trail forward and meet Gatsby green ones. "This way." She said in a firm voice. "Thank you." I grinned at her fake professional tone and walked out the door.  Once we were out, she led me to the black BMV and entered the driver's seat.  I was too busy fixing my cufflinks when I felt a glare burning through my skull. My eyes shifted to the rearview mirror and I grinned. "Still upset that we're late?" "No," she started the car, easing it smoothly out of the compound. "Aren't you worried?" "About what exactly?" I asked nonchalantly, scrolling through Instagram on my phone. "The fact that people hate the product? Or the fact that it's controversial and people might want to kill me for it." "Both," She sighed and made a right turn. "Normal CEO's have bodyguards and military entourage to protect them especially at events like this but you don't." "Too bad I'm not normal like them, Gatsby. I'm fine without having kids with toy guns hanging around me." I replied curtly. Gatsby didn't speak to me any longer. I took the cue that she'd given up. She is always done whenever we talk about me having a bodyguard or plural. I don't like the idea of being surrounded all the time. It made me look weak and a BOOKER was far from that. I was a Blueblood. I don't need protection. The BMW pulled up to the building and in that very second, the paparazzi swarmed us, flashing cameras and yelling inaudible questions. "If we had a bodyguard, we wouldn't have to worry about them." Gatsby mumbled as she exited the driver's seat. I swallowed a chuckle as she held open the backseat and I stepped out. "Mr. Valentine, is it true that the government tried to shut down this product launch?" A young brunette asked, practically shoving her mic in my face. "Caden, how do you feel knowing your company's product is getting low ratings?" I ignored their questions and entered the building. My "party" was waiting for me. The second I stepped into the opulent VIP hall, I expected the guests to greet me with a round of applause like usual but it's a graveyard. "My, you all are very generous." I grin, trying to sound playful but of course, no one gets the joke. I make my way to the stage, my speech ready and the fakest grin on earth plastered on my face. Let's go. After the presentation, a few rounds of applause echoed here and there. Now, it was time for questions. A few journalists ask me about the new product and I give them the replies I'd rehearsed last night with Gatsby. Once that was over, I decided I needed a drink. I made my way to the bar and ordered a sex on the beach. The bartender slid it towards me but before I could reach for it, a hand beat me to it. "Mind if I join you?" Nessa slurped the entire drink like the greedy little bitch she was and slammed the glass on the counter. "Wow, Nessa, what brings you here?" I feigned surprise. I was such a bad liar. Of course, I knew she'd be here. She always followed me around in hopes of a good fuck. Girls like Vanessa Thompson, pretty in pink and always squandering daddy's money, want only one thing : a handsome man they can fuck and control anytime they want. Too bad I'm not an ordinary man.  "You didn't tell me about the product launch." She shooed away a woman about to sit next to me and grabbed her stool. She's always grabbing things. "I thought you'd see it on the company's website. You're always checking it, aren't you?" I grinned as I ordered another drink. Apart from being a spoiled heiress, Nessa's company was a tech giant and my biggest competitor. And I knew she always checked our company's website and social media in hopes of finding ideas she could steal. She's been very unlucky by the way. Nessa steals my second drink and drinks it all in one gulp. "Aren't you glad that I'm here? The others are talking. It's not looking good for you, Caden. If only your grandpa were alive..." I cut her off. "Don't you dare mention my grandfather!" I was in the middle of ruining Nessa's night for her when I felt a familiar hand on the small of my back. Gatsby. She leaned closer and whispered behind my ear. "We need to get you out here." Thank fuck. I didn't even care to bid Nessa goodnight. I grabbed my jacket and walked out of the hall.  The launch was over anyway. As we reached the lobby, I turned to Gatsby. "What was that all about?" "I don't know but I got word from the building's security about suspicious activities. We've gotta go right now." She explained in a slightly spooked voice. That's odd. Gatsby is never spooked. "Okay." I pull the front door open and step out. The car was waiting for us ahead. The moment I reached for it, everything went white. BOOM! My body was flung against the wall. A painful whimper escaped me as I clutched my now dislocated arm and stared through smoke and fire. Flames licked away at the BMW, bending and breaking like shattered glass. An explosion erupted in the ground as the car's remains whisked through the air like wicked rain. My mouth fell open as I stared at the gruesome sight.  What the actual fuck?