Deep sigh

As Jenna stormed away, Nimi couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for her. He understood that being restricted in her own home was frustrating, and he hated being the bearer of bad news. 

As much as he wanted to explain the situation further, he knew it wouldn't make a difference and it would just ruin everything. Jenna seemed too upset to listen to anything he had to say.

So he was just going to do what he had to do, until she comes to peace with him and is sure she'll perfectly handle whatever he had to say.

Lost in his thoughts, Nimi's phone suddenly rang, breaking his train of sympathy for Jenna. He checked the caller ID and immediately he saw who it was, taking a deep breath, he answered the call with a professional tone.

"Yes, sir," Nimi said, trying to keep the annoyance from seeping into his voice.

"Yes, sir, I'm with her," Nimi replied.

" She seems genuinely upset about the restrictions imposed by her father," Nimi tried to reason.

 "Understood," 

"I'll do exactly as you've asked boss," he replied curtly as he ended the call.

Nimi felt a surge of concern for Jenna. He had signed up for this mission knowing it would be dangerous, but now that he had met her and seen her vulnerability, he couldn't help but feel a genuine desire to protect her beyond his assigned duties and missions.

Once Jenna and Quinn were inside the house, Quinn could see the frustration still simmering in her friend. 

"Jenna, I get that Nimi can be a pain to you,

"But can you not take it out on him, he's just doing what he's been told"

"I don't care, he shouldn't have taken the job in the first place!" She retorted angrily pacing the living room.

"Can't you see it, this was all just part of the plan!"

"My dad's still wants to control me, even when he isn't there!"

"Your dad cares about you, you know." Quinn said.

Jenna huffed, "Yeah, right. He cares about his reputation and control more than anything else."

Quinn understood that her friend was feeling suffocated by her father's overprotective nature, but she didn't want to fuel the fire of anger either.

 "Let's not let this ruin our night, How about we order some pizza, put on some music, and dance like we used to in college?"

"Only that now we have limited time," Quinn added with a small smile.

Jenna finally cracked a smile, the tension easing from her features. "That actually sounds like a plan," she said, warming up to the idea.

Later that night ....

8:00pm ...

As Franco stepped out of the bathroom, Elizabeth couldn't contain her concern any longer. 

"Did she agree to it?!" she asked with a worried tone, 

"What do you mean did she agree?!" Franco retorted, clearly exasperated. He picked up his bed stool and placed it over his legs, then drew out his MacBook and set to work, trying to distract himself from the topic.

"She doesn't have a choice, she has to play by my rules!" he added firmly, trying to justify his decision. 

"Don't you think you're being hard on her?!" Elizabeth persisted, trying to reason with her husband.

"No, you are the one indulging her!"

"This wasn't the plan from the start and you know it!"

"I wonder what changed with you!"

"She needs protection, Elizabeth," Franco argued, glancing up briefly before returning his attention to the laptop. 

"You know the threats out there, and you definitely know how important she is to this family,"

"And we definitely can't loose her!"

"Not after training her this far, she's the only one we have!"

"I know but, ...."

Before she could complete her statement , the door suddenly burst open, and there stood Jenna, fuming with anger. The frustration of having her life controlled by the bodyguard and her father's strict rules had reached its breaking point and this was just the first day, she didn't even want to imagine how the consequent days would be like if something wasn't done, and quickly!.

"Really Dad?!" She growled as she walked further into the room.

"I can't go to the bar?! I can't spend quality time with my friends?!"

"And worst of all you're now setting an eight pm curfew for me?!

"Is there something you're not telling me dad! I've had it up to here!" She growled.

"Are you not tired of repeating this same old circle Jenna?!" Her father replied instead.

"Don't you know by now, that no matter how much you whine my decision won't change?!"

"Why are you doing this to me?!" Jenna exclaimed, her voice shaking with emotion. Her eyes welled up with tears, revealing the depth of her unhappiness.

Elizabeth's heart sank as she witnessed her daughter's distress. She understood Jenna's desire for independence and felt torn between supporting her daughter's autonomy and respecting her husband's concerns for their daughter's safety.

"You just have to be open to the idea, Nimi will do a good job protecting you!" He replied as his eyes turned back to his MacBook.

"Enough, Dad!" Jenna exclaimed, her voice shaking with emotion. 

"I can't take it anymore. You can't keep treating me like I'm some helpless kid!"

"Don't you dare, raise your voice at me ! Ever again!" He growled.

"Now go to your room and rest up, you have a long day ahead of you tommorow," he said.

"This conversation is far from done!" She growled as she turned out and stomped her feet as she walked out of the room.

As Jenna reached for the doorknob to leave the room, her father's firm voice stopped her in her tracks. 

"Jenna, come back here," he said with a tone that brooked no opposition.

Reluctantly, she turned around to face him, her eyes still filled with anger and frustration. 

"What now, Dad?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

He sighed heavily before speaking, 

"I need you to go with me to the Sheraton hotel tomorrow, Jenna."

"What for?!" she retorted, feeling exasperated.

"I have an important meeting with Mr Cooper,"

"I'm sure you know who he is, president of the biggest company in town, and his son, Jeremy, will be there too," he explained. 

"You ruined your last chance with him at the charity event,"

"Now I want you guys to meet afresh and try to foster a meaningful relationship,"

Jenna's eyebrows furrowed in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding me, Dad. I've already told you that I don't like him," she protested.

Her father's expression hardened, and he responded firmly, 

"This is not up for negotiation, Jenna. Jeremy is a crucial part of this business deal, and it's essential that you two get along."

"But I don't want to be friends with someone just because you want me to! It's not fair!" Jenna's voice quivered with frustration.

"Nothing in this life is fair! And I'm tired of repeating that to you!"

"We need this for the corporation!"

Jenna's frustration was reaching its peak. "It's always about business with you! What about what I want? I don't want to be forced into a friendship just for business reasons."

"You can go to your room Jenna I'm done talking to you for tonight," Franco replied instead as he turned back to his laptop.

"This is absolutely ridiculous!" Jenna grumbled as she pulled the door knob open and stormed out .

Immediately she stepped out, his phone dinged, he picked it up and looked at it, it was a text from an unknown number.

  - "You have something of mine with you and I will stop at nothing to get it"- The text read, it had no sender but from the tone of that text he knew too well who exactly it was from.

Elizabeth noticed the change in his countenance immediately, she stretched forward and took the phone from him.

"Let me see that," She murmured and peered into the phone, her face turned white immediately as she slowly looked up him.

"That's definitely Aiden!" She whispered, her voice mirroring horror and fear.

"I know, give me that!" He muttered snatching his phone from her, although he looked like he had it all together, his mind was in a turmoil.

"This is getting Dangerous Franco,"

"He's going to make do of his threat and once he gets to Jenna that's the end for us!" She said as she stood up from the bed and began to pace the room.

"That's why I hired Nimi, I'm always one step ahead!"

"He'll never get to her, unless I want him to!" 

"You had better make sure of that!" She replied and stormed out of the room.