Chapter 94: Security in Disguise

Emerald’s POV

After breakfast, Michael went to get my dress.

I returned to the guest room and waited for him. A few minutes later, he brought it in, neatly arranged on a hanger. I thanked him, and he left me alone to change.

The dress felt fresh against my skin, and I was still adjusting it when I remembered that my phone had rung while we were eating.

I found it where I had left it and picked it up. The screen was dark. I pressed the power button again, but there was nothing. My phone had switched off.

I released a quiet sigh. Of course.

I didn’t have my charger with me when I stepped out yesterday. I considered asking Michael if he had a compatible charger, but he was taking me back to my dorm in a few minutes anyway, so there was no point.

I could charge it when I got there.

After putting on my shoes, I picked up my purse and gathered the grocery bags I had brought from the store yesterday.

By the time I stepped into the living room, Michael was nowhere in sight, so I waited. Then a few minutes later, he emerged, dressed and ready to leave.

His eyes moved to the grocery bags in my hands. Before I could say anything, he took them from me.

I watched him take the bags anyway. I could have insisted that I could carry them, but I decided to save my energy.

"Thank you."

He nodded toward the door. "Let’s go."

We entered the elevator together. I watched the numbers change above the doors for a moment, then I remembered something else.

"My Jeep," I said. Michael glanced at me, so I explained, "I will have to find a way to bring it back to my dorm."

"It is already there."

I turned to him. "Huh?"

"I had someone take it there," he said to me.

I stared at him in awe. "When did you do that?"

"Yesterday evening," he answered. "You already had a lot to deal with, so I didn’t mention it."

I opened my mouth, but nothing came out immediately. "You arranged for someone to take my Jeep back to my dorm last night?"

"Yes."

I watched him for a moment before finally finding the right words to express my gratitude. "Thank you."

"You’re welcome." Then he continued, "I also made sure your dorm was safe before bringing you back."

I frowned slightly. "What does that mean?"

"It means you don’t need to worry about returning there." The lift continued to descend. Michael looked at me. "Do me a favour, Emerald."

"What?"

"Pay more attention to your surroundings from now on." His expression had changed. The relaxed conversation from a moment ago was gone.

"If something makes you uncomfortable, don’t ignore it. If you feel unsafe, call me immediately."

I gave a small laugh. "I appreciate your concern, but I would hate to trouble you."

"I don’t mind."

"But I mind," I insisted.

His eyes stayed on me. Before he could respond, I continued, "I will be more careful from now on. If I genuinely don’t feel safe, I can always inform my family. They will send a security team."

"I can feel you don’t like the idea of that."

My eyes grew wide. "How did you know?"

"I can tell you hate people fussing around you."

I nodded. He was right. But I still needed to let him know we were the same, so I said, "And you are exactly like that."

Michael raised a brow. I smiled. "One of the hottest billionaire bachelors on Earth lives in a condo here in Boston and goes around without bodyguards."

I didn’t know when those exact words, ’hottest billionaire bachelors on Earth’, escaped my lips. I almost slapped my mouth.

Fortunately, Michael didn’t tease me about it. Instead, a smile slowly appeared on his face.

"Who told you I don’t have bodyguards around me?"

I thought about it. I had never seen Michael with a chauffeur. He had no domestic staff walking around his condo, and I had certainly never seen anyone I could identify as a member of a security team.

I looked back at him. "I haven’t seen you with any."

Michael chuckled. The elevator doors opened before I could ask what he found amusing.

He walked out first, and I followed him into the underground parking lot.

I watched him head toward his Aston Martin. I loved the car, but I was more interested in the conversation we had just started.

"What is funny?" I asked.

Michael unlocked the car. "I do have a security team."

I stopped beside him. "You do?"

"Yes," he nodded.

I blinked. I was genuinely confused. How come I’d never seen even one of them?

"Where?" I probed.

"They monitor my environment."

That answer did not help. I gave him a questioning look. He placed the grocery bags inside the car. "They are highly trained. They blend in with ordinary people, and no one would suspect what they do."

I became quiet. Then I began processing his words. So, a random waiter serving him in a restaurant could be one of his security men.

A stranger walking down the street. Someone sitting in the same coffee shop. Someone standing close enough for me to see without realising why they were there.

Before I could finish processing the thought, Michael opened the passenger door.

"I am still capable of protecting myself, so I don’t actually need security around me. Unfortunately, because of who I am, I don’t have much choice."

I got into the car. By the time I settled into the seat, I was still thinking about what he had told me.

Michael looked at me. "Your seat belt."

I blinked and suddenly realised I had already gotten into the car without recalling the exact moment.

I quickly pulled the seat belt across myself and fastened it.

Michael shut the door and walked around the car. A few seconds later, he settled into the driver’s seat.

As we drove out of the underground parking lot, he continued, "Since I had no choice but to keep security around me, I made them do it on my terms."

I turned toward him. "What do you mean?"

"They had to work in disguise."

I smiled. "You forced them?"

"Yes." He admitted. "I told them I would get rid of them if they refused to comply with my conditions."

I laughed.

Michael glanced at me briefly. "What is funny?"

I shook my head. "Nothing."

"You’re laughing at me," he said, refusing to dismiss it. In the end, I confessed, "I am imagining the look on your face when you threatened them."

"I don’t threaten people."

I gave him a stare. "Michael."

His mouth curved slightly. "All right. Sometimes I do."

I laughed again. I could already imagine him delivering the threat with that same calm, serious expression, leaving no one around him certain whether he was joking.

My laughter slowly faded, but the smile remained on my face.

The more time I spent with Michael, the more I realised that I was still learning who he was.

The fact that he apparently had an entire security team moving around him without anyone knowing.

And now, I could imagine him forcing trained security professionals to disguise themselves simply because he disliked having people openly following him around.

I turned toward the window as Boston moved past us. Michael was still a mystery to me. The difference was that I had started wanting to understand him.

And that thought stayed with me for the rest of the drive.