CHAPTER 1

Laura Anthony

I woke up startled hearing Simon's voice. That afternoon hadn't been out of my head for thirteen years. It was our last game together. After that day, my uncle Thomas and Simon's father, Mr. Richard, announced that they were going to New York to start a security company. The two had worked together as bodyguards for at least fifteen years , but wanted to have a business of their own. They planned, they saved, they really prepared for that dream.

My father had already commented that the two were organizing everything, but I never believed that this day would come. Well it arrived! And took my two best friends. My mother tried to comfort me, saying that we could visit them soon, but the hurt grew in my heart like wildfire spreading through the forest. I was being excluded from the group. Matheus and Simon would be friends forever, they would attend the same school, they would make new friends, who knows, maybe they wouldn't even work at their parents' company. I would be alone.

I was never one to make friends in high school. It was always Simon, Matheus and me. I couldn't imagine what I would do without them. A week later, the two were leaving. I didn't go to the airport to say goodbye, as Simon had asked. I didn't want them to see me in that state. I hated crying in front of people. And if it was to finish that story at once, without those ridiculous end-of-film scenes. No tears. It was over and done. That's what I said to my mother, and that's what I wanted to believe at that moment, but the reality was different.

I cried clutching my pillow for hours without an audience. Just me and my broken heart. I thought that was the worst day of my life. I was a fool. The following years were the worst of my entire existence. I never recovered from the breakup. Simon sent me emails that I ignored, and he never answered his calls either. Attempts to contact him were decreasing until he disappeared. It was the end of a friendship and also the end of my peaceful days.

Five years after Simon and Matheus left, I had the worst night of my life. I was sixteen. She was a shy girl with few friends and had no idea what she wanted to do with her life. I spent my days immersed in books, as if I could be transported to another planet, through those pages . My bedroom was my safe haven and it was where I isolated myself when the fights between my parents started. I didn't know the tenor of the conversations, but I saw my mother's sad look every time my father drank. I always loved her, admired her for being strong and decisive, much like my uncle Thomas. And in that I was a lot like them. But my relationship with Dad wasn't the best. I didn't feel loved by him. We were always fighting and arguing. My mother, yes, was my friend and counselor. His joy and love comforted me. Unfortunately, in the last few years, Mom had lost her joy, and it was killing me. So I isolated myself and fantasized about a totally different life, alongside Simon and Matheus. A life without those screams, without the loneliness, without the pain that came later.

The night my parents were murdered, I was lying in bed, dreaming of Simon, dreaming of his laugh and his deep eyes. I woke up to gunshots in the room. Before I had stayed in my dream. I wish I had died at that moment, because a demon invaded my room, without any shame, and ended all my youthful illusions. I never dreamed again. After that day, I only had nightmares.

—You need to go back to the psychologist. Those nightmares are back in full force, cuteness !

Sara's voice invaded the room, as did the sunlight, blinding my eyes. After opening the curtains, she sat on the bed beside me and offered me the steaming cup of coffee. She knew that after a hectic night like this, only caffeine could get me up.

—I don't need a psychologist, friend. I need to sleep!

—With so many ghosts in your head, I imagine it's hard to have a peaceful night, especially without the help of a professional— she grumbled.

Sara was the only one besides my uncle who knew what I had gone through after my parents died. Not even the countless psychologists I attended did I tell everything. It was too intimate and cruel to speak out many times. If my uncle Thomas hadn't rescued me that day, I probably wouldn't have met her.

My friend was a stunning woman. Tanned skin, colored hair, with a mega body defined by muay classes thai, in addition to stunning beauty. We met in law school and since then we have lived together in an apartment in Leblon, funded by my uncle. With the death of my parents, I discovered that I was bankrupt. My father had lost everything in horse racing. That was the reason for the fights between the two. All our patrimony had been stoned by his vice. And to make matters worse, he owed a fortune to a loan shark. Want to know who paid the debt? Me. That night my parents were murdered was the first time I saw that disgusting man: Oliver Domingues. A true monster who insisted on collecting every penny my father owed him.

I set my coffee cup on the nightstand and got up, feeling heavy as if I'd been lifting weights all night. I walked to the bathroom and noticed my dark circles under my eyes. I picked up the empty bottle of tranquilizers and snorted. I would need another recipe. For a long time I didn't know what it was like to have a good night's sleep, without taking medication.

— I took the day off to organize the move. We need to get everything ready, because our trip is next week, have you forgotten? Sara's voice was distant and I imagined she was already in the living room, packing our things, a task she had started the night before.

How could I forget. Since I started working for my uncle, that was the first time I was going to live outside Brazil. I had already worked on quick missions, passing through some countries, but taking up residence outside the place where I was born was the first time. At first I refused. I didn't want to be a celebrity nanny. After my uncle rescued me from Oliver, I was trained to be a bodyguard. He taught me everything I know. I took courses in self-defense, shooting, first aid and learned several languages. In addition, I also graduated in law. My uncle took care of me as if I were his daughter. My mother's death was a huge blow to him. The two were very good friends. It was very difficult for him to bury his only sister.

My gratitude to my uncle is eternal. I will never forget that he saved my life. So, despite being reluctant to leave Brazil, I ended up accepting the mission of babysitting the singer of a rock band. He still didn't have details of the case, nor did he know who the contractor was. My uncle just said he would get the mission report as soon as he got to the apartment. Sarah would stay with me. She took the opportunity to enroll in the International Law course. Uncle Thomas was very fond of her, said she was very good for me, and that's why she was like family. He insisted on bearing all the expenses of our new residence in New York, as well as all the costs. It was the good fortune to have a rich uncle.

I didn't like depending on him. I actually felt bad knowing that my father had destroyed my mother's estate. But my uncle took over my guard and swore, in front of his sister's grave, that I would lack nothing. So I knew there was no point in protesting, just thanking him for all his care and protection.

—I can't help you now, Sara. I need to stop by the agency and get my things — I explained after entering the room and finding my friend lost among the bags, clothes and shoes scattered around the room.

—Don't even worry about it. Matheus already left everything here, earlier today – she warned.

My cousin was a cutie. We met again a few years after my parents died, when he returned to Brazil to work in the new branch of Phoenix Guardian, his father's company, as he had always planned. Matheus was one of those people who followed the initial plan, even if setbacks arose along the way. He was always very focused and was also a good administrator. With the company's headquarters in the United States and a branch in Brazil, Matheus did his best to help his father, spending most of his time moving between the two countries.

It was not easy to find him again after so many years. It was hard being with him and not being with Simon. Matheus said that our friend worked as a bodyguard by his side for some time, but that, after his father's death, he decided to take a break and move on with his life. I preferred never to go into detail about what they had done during those years. It still hurt to know that the two of them were together and well, while I was alone in that hell. It wasn't their fault, of course, but in my mind, if they had taken me with them, I might never have gone through all that. Childish, I know. We have no control over anything in life. But that's how my mind insisted on thinking.

— I'm starting to think there's a plot to keep me away from the agency. It's been two days involved with this change , without stepping on the Phoenix.

— Friend, it's a lot to organize in a short time. Look how tangled up I am! Need help! Sara looked at me with the face of a dog that has fallen out of change. She raised her arms and I laughed when I saw the clothes clumsily thrown into the suitcase. I rolled my eyes and huffed. My friend might be an excellent lawyer, but she was terrible at packing. I surrendered and went to help her with the cleaning.

A week later I was at the airport, waiting for my flight to Sweden. It was standard company procedure that I didn't quite understand, but I obeyed. When we arrived at the Swedish airport, we would have to wait for a collaborator to arrive who would hand us the new documents and direct us to a private jet that would, finally, take us to New York. I never questioned the procedures of the company's missions. As much as I broke the law at times, even with the connivance of authorities, I knew that my uncle was a correct person. That's why she trusted him blindly, and followed all his orders.

Sara knew about my job as a bodyguard and found it all fascinating. At no time did he show fear or insecurity in being by my side, on the contrary, he said he would never be so protected.

A few minutes before the flight , Matheus appeared.

—Did you think I wouldn't come to say goodbye?— His face broke into a wide smile.

—Don't make fun of me, because I know very well that you came to say goodbye to Sara and not to me— I retorted sarcastically.

—You ridiculous jealous. She's tired of knowing that Sara doesn't give a damn, what she really likes is the old man— he growled, hugging me tightly and lifting my feet off the ground.

—I really like it!' But what can I do if he sees me as a kid?— Sara huffed and walked off toward the convenience store, announcing that she was going to buy some chocolates to distract us on the flight .

—I'll be there with you in a week, I just need to settle some things at the agency. — You know how the crown is. Great with weapons and terrible at paperwork.

—I know. You are an exemplary son. Too bad you're not as good on the field as he is — I mocked.

— It is true. Like the crown, there was only one.

Matheus was silent and I knew exactly who he was talking about. Since we met again Simon was a subject I avoided and he always knew how to respect that. The fact that Simon hadn't come to visit me after my parents died made me wonder if I was ever his partner. If I was important to him at any time. Of course not. I loved him secretly, I never had the courage to declare my teenage love. Even because he always lived surrounded by girls. He was the most beautiful boy in school and everyone melted for him. I was just Matheus's gangly friend and cousin. That's how he saw me. And in my mind, at that moment, he must be surrounded by beautiful, sexy, deadly women who knows, God, where. Why stir up old wounds, Laura Anthony? Forget this boy for good.

— Is your father coming? I asked anxiously.

—Must be coming. He assured me that he would come to say goodbye in person.

—That's good.— I gave a shy smile.

As much as I had traveled before, it was the first time I was going to live in another country. I was the agency's best bodyguard. She had been trained to be a true fighting machine. My uncle had prepared me to replace him one day. He trusted me for very important missions, but my sixth sense was warning of something that was about to happen. I didn't know what it was, but that change was already causing a disruption in my life. As fearless and courageous as I was, I knew that much was owed to the security and stability my uncle offered me. I had learned to control my inner demons to be the competent and qualified professional the Phoenix demanded. I was very good at what I did and I knew I could still go a long way. The girl, who previously had no goals, now had a bright future as a security guard.

In my uncle's plans, Matheus and I would take charge of the Phoenix Guardian so that he could finally enjoy his retirement. We were the only ones he trusted. He loved us deeply, and I was sure of that when I saw myself reflected in his eyes as we said goodbye at the airport. It was a different look from the other times. There was so much tenderness and, at the same time, a certain fear of separation. I never saw my uncle afraid of anything or anyone, but at that moment I knew something was happening. Could it have to do with the threats the singer was receiving? Who would this man be to need the best security guard in the Phoenix? Why was I being tasked with this mission and not some agent at headquarters in the United States? These questions would go unanswered until I reached my destination. My uncle probably knew that I would have given up if I had known where I was going.