Chapter 1 1. Bitter coffee in the morning.

That morning, in the luxurious home of Charles Keith, CEO of Keith corporation, conversation took place between Charles and his personal assistant, Arnold Ford, a former military man who now worked to protect and serve Charles.

"Was the coffee brewed with water mixed with something that made it so bitter?"

Charles Keith looked up from behind the newspaper, the handsome man feeling the bitterness of the morning coffee was inhuman.

Charles did enjoy the bitter taste of coffee in the morning. But this coffee was different from the one he usually drank every morning.

"Sorry, sir. The barista is sick today, so the night shift security guard made it," explained Arnold, the multitasking and expressionless personal assistant.

"Security guard?!" Charles turned to his assistant with a sharp glance.

"He said he took a course on making good coffee," the assistant replied in a flat tone.

Charles narrowed his eyes at the cup, "And you just believe that? Who knows how much coffee he puts in that machine, because this isn't espresso. It's like... a childhood trauma in liquid form."

Before his assistant could respond, a panicked scream echoed from outside.

"THERE'S A BODY IN THE POOL! MR. CHARLES! THERE'S... A BODY!!"

Arnold and Charles exchanged glances. "What? Again?"

This wasn't the first time it had happened. There had been three previous incidents that left them still puzzled to this day.

The police had been called to investigate, but there was still no clarity regarding the events.

When they arrived at the backyard pool of the luxurious mansion...

"This is the fourth in two weeks," Charles muttered, staring at the unfamiliar man floating in the pool with a mix of fear and frustration.

The police had been called again, but Charles was already familiar with the procedure. What was puzzling: four bodies, four people who had all worked at his company, and all found dead on his private property.

Arnold stood with a notebook in his left hand.

"The victim this time is Tommy Wood. Head of IT. Last logged into the office system last night at 10 PM."

"Using a VPN?" Charles asked, holding his head, which suddenly ached. These incidents were truly driving him mad!!!

"Yes. But the location was still traced back to the main office. There's information that this person worked overtime."

Charles leaned back in his chair to rest his weary body. "Four people. All from different departments. All found dead around my house. This isn't a coincidence. It's like... a reality show guest star showing up one by one."

"And all men," his assistant added in a soft voice.

Charles glanced over. "What do you mean?"

"Maybe the killer is a woman... or an ex-girlfriend, or a die-hard fan..."

Charles sighed. "If it's a fan, the way they show their love... is pretty radical, Arnold!!"

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It was already 11 a.m., and Charles was now at his office because he had to lead a meeting in the main conference room.

An emergency meeting was held. All division heads were present, except for Tommy, who was now wrapped in a body bag.

Charles stood in front of the large screen with a very serious expression. This was the fourth incident, and it couldn't be a coincidence. Someone was targeting employees at Charles's company. After all, the victims were all employees of Charles' company.

"Guys," he began. "I think we all know why we're here."

"Because there's another dead body?" someone from the legal department blurted out.

"Because your lives and mine are like targets for a knife-throwing practice!" Charles replied quickly. "And because of that, starting today, I'll be looking for... a personal bodyguard and of course that should be a tough Bodyguard."

Everyone suddenly became chaotic.

"Like in those Korean dramas, right?"

"Wow, this is getting more complicated and scary! The employees have been targeted. Could the CEO be the next target?"

Charles raised his hand, feeling a bit scared when one of his employees mentioned that he might be the next target.

"Can everyone please take this seriously first? Focus! I'll hold an open audition. I need someone strong, fast, and capable of handling the murder incidents happening around me right now!"

"Why not hire a security agency?" asked Arnold, Charles' personal assistant and bodyguard.

"Because three out of the four victims were also my former bodyguards from the agency," Charles replied softly. "I need someone... different."

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After the meeting ended and it was decided to hold an open audition, Arnold immediately sent a draft for the bodyguard audition advertisement. Charles, who was there, immediately provided the key points of the audition announcement.

"To make it more appealing, how about we set the salary really high so it goes viral?" he said. "How if... a hundred thousand dollars a month?"

Arnold stared in disbelief. "My salary as your' personal assistant and bodyguard doesn't even reach that much? If that's the case, can I request a raise?"

Charles glared at his personal assistant. "Easy for you to say! Your salary is already high, and besides, do you want to be the next target for an assassination attempt? This is a marketing strategy to attract many applicants for the position. I need bodyguards with the skills I listed above, and I need them quickly."

"Sir, it seems like you're starting to get paranoid."

"Arnold, this is the fourth incident in a short time. Only a psychopath wouldn't be paranoid about this. I'm being realistic. Anyone who can protect me will receive a monthly salary of 100,000 dollars."

"Alright," Arnold immediately revised the draft of the open audition announcement to find a tough bodyguard.

[Wanted: Super tough personal bodyguard. Salary $100,000/month. Bonus, benefits, terms and conditions apply.].

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That night, alone in his room, fear returned to Charles' heart. Imagine it: four random deaths, and all of them were his employees.

Charles stood in front of the mirror. "I mustn't be afraid... I have the ability to defend myself... But what if I'm asleep and someone comes?"

He opened the closet and quickly grabbed a baseball bat.

"If anyone comes to bother me, I'll..."

The sound of knocking on the window made Charles jump in surprise.

He opened the curtains. Only a tree was swaying. But from afar... it seemed like someone was watching from the roof of the neighbor's house. .

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That night, Charles slept while hugging the baseball bat, while at the same time, a petite woman in a pink hoodie and a unicorn shoulder bag was thinking about how to make money quickly and easily, as she desperately needed money at the moment.

Her salary as a security guard at a private kindergarten wouldn't be enough to cover the sudden expenses she had to pay immediately.

"I have to get a lot of money because my father really needs it." Marie assured herself that she would be able to meet her father's needs, who was currently sick in the hospital.