Next day, Thursday 10:00am
Thatcher corporation Headquarters
Jenna sat behind her polished oak desk, the atmosphere in Jenna's office was always tensed and very serious, and she made sure to maintain a professional demeanor with her employees.
As she sat behind her desk, her stern expression made it clear that she wasn't one to indulge in small talks with her employees. Jenna demanded efficiency and results, and she wasn't afraid to assert her authority to get things done.
"Explain to me why the hell we're lagging behind in completing the Checkers property!" Jenna's sharp tone cut through the air, prompting her staff, Claire to straighten up in her seats, knowing she were in for a tough discussion.
Before anyone could respond, the office door swung open, and Jenna's father, Franco, entered with an air of authority about him. Jenna's eyes flickered with annoyance, but she composed herself, waiting for him to speak.
"Give us a minute," Franco said sternly obviously to Claire, but his eyes fixed on Jenna.
"Can't this wait Dad?! I'm in the middle of something important" Jenna replied, trying to remain composed despite the tension between them.
"I said give us a minute Claire!" He repeated with gritted teeth finally turning to look at Claire.
Claire slowly exhaled in relief knowing that she had dodged that conversation atleast for now, she turned around and hastily walked out of the office.
Jenna let out a sigh, already knowing what this was about. "Fine, what is it?!" She murmured.
"I've made a decision, and I expect you to accept it!"
"This is Nimi," Franco introduced the bodyguard, his voice brimming with pride at having made this decision for his daughter.
"He's highly trained and will be ensuring your safety from now on."
Jenna glanced at Nimi, her eyes locking with his for a brief moment, he stood at about 6 feet tall, he had broad-shoulders that perfectly depicted muscular fitness, his well chiseled jawline made him look even more attractive, his midnight black hair locked into a neat short dread blended perfectly with his brown toned skin and black eyes.
Jenna lazily took her eyes off of him as she turned to her father,
"I don't want a bodyguard, Dad," Jenna said firmly, her tone mirroring her father's earlier authoritative manner. "I've told you this countless times. I can take care of myself."
Franco's expression hardened immediately, his frustration evident. "Jenna, this is non-negotiable. Your safety is my priority, and I won't have you putting yourself at risk."
"I'm not a child anymore, Dad," Jenna retorted, her voice tinged with bitterness.
"I can handle my own security, and I don't need someone constantly hovering over me."
"You may not like it, but this is how it's going to be," Franco insisted, his resolve unyielding.
"This is a done deal and I don't want to hear any more argument from you!" He growled dismissively as he finally stormed out of the office, leaving Nimi behind to begin his assignment.
"I apologize for the inconvenience, Miss Jenna. My name is Nimi, and I'll be your bodyguard." Nimi said calmly immediately Franco walked out of the office.
" I understand your feelings about this, but I promise to respect your boundaries and only intervene when necessary" he added, Jenna slowly turned to look at him with the deadliest glare she could ever form.
"Save it. I don't want you here, and I won't make this easy for you"
Nimi nodded respectfully, his eyes not leaving her face.
"Understood, My job is to ensure your safety, and I'll do just that" he said and she felt irked that he didn't react to or acknowledge her statement.
"I'll be outside!" He murmured.
"I really don't care!" She retorted as she picked up her phone and dialled Claire workspace.
"You'd better get yourself back up here!" She growled.
....
Later that day ....
5:00pm ...
Quinn swung open the door to Jenna's office, a beaming smile adorned her face. She sauntered over to Jenna's desk, her high spirits evident in every step she took.
"Hey there, gorgeous," Quinn greeted Jenna with a hint of flirtation in her voice.
"Who's the hot guy standing by your door? Is he your new eye candy?"
Quinn and Jenna had being best friends for the long time, like since high school. Quinn wasn't the daughter of any important person or rich person, she was just a daughter of a middle class Diner owner, but somehow they got along really nicely.
Jenna rolled her eyes, feeling slightly irritated. "That's not some random hottie, Quinn," she replied, trying to suppress her annoyance.
"That's the bodyguard my dad hired for me, despite my clear objections."
Quinn's expression shifted from flirtatious excitement to surprise.
"Wait, seriously? Your dad went ahead and hired a bodyguard even after you told him you didn't want one?" she asked incredulously.
"Well, I have to admit, he's dangerously handsome for a bodyguard, though." Quinn couldn't help but gush about the man's looks.
"Focus, Quinn," Jenna said, trying to steer the conversation back to the issue at hand.
"I don't want any bodyguard following me around. It's suffocating,"
"And I'll feel like I'm being watched all the time. I need my freedom."
"But if we're being honest, you've never had a bodyguard before," Quinn whispered.
"That is to say?!"
"You should give this a try atleast"
"You shouldn't say this in my mom's or dad's presence, you should be on my side Quinn!" Jenna snapped frustratingly.
Quinn, still seemingly captivated by the man's appearance, finally snapped out of it and nodded in understanding. "Okay, I get it. You're frustrated, and this is serious. But you know what? Let's not dwell on this right now,"
"How about we go to our favorite bar, unwind a bit, and talk things through?"
" Maybe we'll come up with a plan to deal with your overprotective dad and his good-looking but unwanted security measures."
Jenna sighed, appreciating her friend's attempt to lighten the mood.
"Fine," she agreed, a small smile forming on her lips.
"Let's go to the bar. I could really use a drink and some distraction right now." She said as she begins to pack up her bag.
As they stepped out of Jenna's place, the imposing figure of her bodyguard, Nimi, followed closely behind them.
Despite his formidable presence, Quinn couldn't help but notice his chiseled features and the aura of authority he exuded. But she quickly pushed those thoughts aside, knowing that Nimi's purpose here was not to be admired.
They headed towards the waiting car, and as they got in, Nimi naturally asked,
"Where are we headed?"
"We're going to a library to study advanced calculus and nuclear physics." Jenna answered her brows raised in irritation.
Quinn stifled a laugh, trying to keep a straight face, but Nimi remained impassive.
Jenna, not wanting to acknowledge him, completely ignored him and turned to Quinn,
"You know what? Let's make it a night to remember,"
"Instead of the regular, we should go to that new club that just opened. It's supposed to be amazing!"
Before Quinn could reply, Nimi interrupted,
"I'm sorry, Miss Jenna, but your father has strictly instructed that you don't go to any bars, clubs, or shady places."
Jenna's temper flared, and she retorted,
"Seriously? Are you trying to control me?! Who the hell do you think you are to tell me what to do!"
Nimi remained calm and replied politely,
"I understand your frustration, Miss Jenna, but my duty is to ensure your safety and follow your father's instructions."
"I don't need a babysitter," Jenna snapped back.
"I can take care of myself!"
"Take us to the bar," he said turning to the driver.
Nimi's expression remained unyielding, "I'm afraid I can't comply with that request, Miss Jenna. Your safety is my priority, and I can't go against your father's orders."
Quinn saw the tension rising and intervened, trying to defuse the situation,
"Okay, guys, let's not let this ruin our night. Jenna, maybe we can go to my house instead and have a chill night in. We can still have fun."
Jenna glared at Nimi for a moment longer before finally relenting,
"Fine, take us to Quinn's house then."
Nimi nodded, satisfied with the resolution, and directed the driver accordingly. The car pulled away from the curb, and Quinn could sense the lingering frustration in Jenna's eyes.
As they arrived at Quinn's house, Jenna stepped out of the car, her annoyance evident.
"Thanks for ruining our plans," she muttered at Nimi, unable to contain her irritation.
Nimi remained stoic and replied professionally,
"I apologize if my actions caused any inconvenience, Jenna. I'm only doing my job."
"Go to hell!" She growled as she walked away.
" Jenna, Jenna!" He called after her, at first she wanted to ignore him because he deserved to be ignored, but Quinn tapped her, she stopped and slowly turned to him.
"What do you want!" She gritted out angrily.
"I just needed to remind you, you can't spend more than an hour thirty minutes here," he said and she fully turned to face him, her feature creased in a deep frown.
"What the hell?!"
"Your dad's orders!" He replied immediately.
"This is ridiculous!" She growled angrily as she stormed away.
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'
Friday 9:00 am ...Jenna adjusted her dress feeling slightly annoyed as she sat across the table from her father, both of them waiting for Mr Cooper and his son to arrive. The restaurant exuded an opulent charm, but Jenna couldn't help feeling uncomfortable with the lavishness of the occasion. She felt like they were here for an engagement ceremony, she tried to broach the subject with her father, expressing her thoughts that all this extravagance wasn't necessary, but he seemed preoccupied with impressing the president and winning his favor.As the president and his son finally arrived, Jenna's heart sank. She had hoped they wouldn't make it here, or probably even had an accident on their way here, anything to just get them out of her life, especially his son, Jeremy! She wouldn't mind.Her father immediately switched into charm mode, engaging in conversation with the president while Jenna found herself forced into small talk with the president's son, Jeremy. Ofcourse she didn't wa
Jenna's world blurred as she was wheeled into the emergency room, her bodyguard Nimi by her side, her parents following close behind, their faces filled with worry and fear. The pain was excruciating, but Jenna tried her best to stay conscious, knowing she needed to assure her father that Nimi wasn't to blame.As the medical staff rushed around her, trying to stabilize Jenna's condition, Franco, could barely contain his emotions. He glared at Nimi, his anger and grief threatening to erupt. Nimi, standing tall and composed, understood the father's concern, as he was hired to protect Jenna from harm. Before Franco could utter a word, Jenna weakly raised her hand to signal him to stop. "Dad, please, it wasn't Nimi's fault. He did everything he could to protect me," she managed to say, wincing in pain.Nimi slowly took his eyes off Jenna as he turned as he turned to Franco,"I know now how important the situation is, I promise this is never going to happen again,""I'll put my life on
Back in the hospital ....Meanwhile Nimi and Jenna chatted and laughed about random things, she couldn't help but occasionally steal glances at him as they talked, he seemed like a fun guy and she couldn't believe she missed that when they first met, she was glad she came around him this early, in this midst of all the ruckus and bickering going on in her life right now, she atleast needed someone to make her laugh.The door creaked open interrupting their conversation, revealing Jeremy's familiar figure. Nimi immediately stood up from Jenna's bedside clearing his throat noisily.He immediately walked back to the entrance and resumed his position as her bodyguard.Jeremy took a step forward towards Jenna, really not concerned or bothered by Nimi's presence, or how close they were to each other before he walked in.Concern seemed go etch on his face as he placed his hands on her head."I rushed over as soon as I heard about what happened" he said, Jenna scoffed bitterly, not hiding he
Hospital.....Quinn, still in disbelief, stepped Further into the room, her eyes darting between Jenna and Nimi. "You told me not to welcome him, and here you are kissing him?" Quinn said, her voice a mix of confusion and disappointment."I was running over here immediately your mom called me, and here you are highly intoxicated with ecstasy!" She added."Quinn!" Jenna cautioned immediately, trying to wink at her to atleast not say anything in front of Nimi."Don't be like that," she added in a whisper through gritted teeth.Nimi nodded immediately catching the hint and he quickly moved away from them and walked back to the entrance, Quinn turned to look at him with a long stare as he took his position with his arms behind him by the door."Right!" He whispered and stepped out of the room."So your handsome unwanted security measures is now very much wanted and you didn't think to tell me?!" "And for lustful reasons clearly," Quinn added playfully, a mischievous grin appearing on he
One week later …..“Oh wow so you’re a Nigerian!” Jenna murmured in surprise as she stood up from behind her desk and sat on a small sofa in her office.It’s been five days already since she was discharged from the hospital, she was back to her normal workaholic self.Claire had just brought in her lunch and she settled on the sofa to eat.“I actually knew you were an African, but I never thought you were from Nigeria,” she continued, her voice heavy with curiosity as she uncovered her lunch, Nimi chuckled lightly from where he stood as he turned to face her fully.“My full name is actually Toluwanimi, I’m from the west of Nigerian, Full blown Yoruba man” he began explaining, an hint of pride evident in his voice.“Toluwanimi” she repeated and he erupted in a loud laughter at her very bad attempt to pronounce his full name.“What does your name mean?!” She asked not caring that he found her attempt to pronounce his name funny.“I belong to God,” “Oh wow, that’s quite deep!” She murmur
30 Minutes later …..“Let’s go,” Jenna said firmly as she walked out of her office, not sparing Nimi a glance.Her facial expression was composed, depicting neither anger nor joy.“This early?! Is there something wrong?!” He asked as he followed swiftly behind her, the urgency in her voice had caught him off guard, ignoring both him and the greetings of other staff, Jenna made her way towards the parking lot.As they approached their car, Nimi quickly reached the car door ahead of her and held it open. She stepped into the car without a word, and he closed the door firmly behind her. Settling into the front seat they began their journey home.“What’s going on Jenna?! You seem angry, is there something wrong?!” Nimi’s words broke the thick silence in the car, his eyes fixed on her through the rear mirror.“There nothing wrong!” She replied curtly, her voice expressing no emotion.She wasn’t angry at the moment, but she also wasn’t in the mood to talk or joke around, she wanted to be an
Next day ……“Take care sweetheart,” Elizabeth said as she pulled Jenna into a tight hug, she rubbed her back slowly and Jenna smiled as they disengaged.“Thank you for doing this dear,” Franco said patting her back gently.Nimi quietly walked in, took her suitcase from her and carried it out.“Jeremy will meet you at the airport,” Franco informed and she nodded slowly, totally not interested, as a matter of fact she prayed he would come up with an excuse and not meet her there.As soon as she stepped out, Nimi swiftly moved forward and held the door open for her.“Make sure she gets to the airport safely, and return home on time!” Franco instructed, his voice firm.“Yes sir!” Nimi answered with a respectful bow, Jenna’s brows furrowed immediately, the meaning of her father’s last instruction dawned on her.“Wait, he’s not going with me?!” She questioned.“No he’s not,” Franco answered firmly, leaving no rooms for disapproval or disagreement.Nimi stepped forward, got into the front se