Kade Mercer

After a high-profile fashion event in New York, I step outside into what I expect to be a quiet exit—but is immediately swarmed by paparazzi and overzealous fans. Flashbulbs burst in my face, questions are shouted, and the crowd starts pressing in dangerously close.

Without a word, Kade moves in.

His hand finds mine with firm certainty, pulling me close behind his broad frame as he carves a path through the chaos. With sharp instincts, he leads me down a side alley, dodging cameras and locking gates behind them. His pace is quick but controlled, his grip never faltering.

They finally reach a quiet, shadowed spot behind the venue—my breath heavy, heart pounding. I turned to him, shaken but safe.

“You always know where to go,” I said in whispers, half in awe.

Kade meets her gaze for a second longer than usual. “It’s my job,” he says quietly—but his voice carries something more.

In that moment of stillness, between heartbeats and flashing lights far behind them, she starts to wonder if that’s all it really is.

Ivy, a 23-year-old rising fashion icon, has spent most of her life in the public eye. After graduating college, she steps into the global fashion spotlight—graceful, glamorous, and constantly followed by flashing cameras. But the one person who has remained steady through it all is Kade, her silent, muscular bodyguard who’s been by her side for over four years. He rarely speaks, but he knows every little detail about her—her favorite tea, the way she fiddles with her ring when anxious, the exact look she gives when she’s about to cry. Unbeknownst to her, Kade is deeply in love with her, protecting her not just out of duty, but out of devotion.