Malayah's expression changed instantly. She couldn't believe that as soon as she stepped into Falcon Enterprises, Parker Franklin would start ridiculing her. She found him insufferable, always picking apart everything she said. Even Ricardo Patterson seemed to have had enough and warned Parker not to go overboard. Parker eventually pulled himself together and turned to Malayah, still chuckling. "Alright, alright, I get it. I respect him, okay? Adan's star pupil!"
"So, you're apparently a whiz with throwing knives?" Parker asked, his eyes filled with disdain, a smirk on his lips.
Malayah immediately became cautious, sensing trouble. She had already made the claim, so denying it now would be pointless. "Yes, that's right. I'm good with throwing knives," she said, preparing herself.
Parker's smirk turned cold. He casually reached into his pocket and removed a set of keys, detaching a small, finely-crafted knife from the ring. "In that case, why don't you show us what you can do? I'd love to see just how impressive the legendary bodyguard's top student really is," Parker said, handing the knife to Malayah, mischief dancing in his eyes.
Malayah's hands trembled slightly. What started as a passing comment was now a challenge issued by this infuriating man. The fact that he carried a knife with him was even more unsettling—not a good sign at all!
Summoning her courage, Malayah accepted the knife, set her jaw, and tried to stay calm. "Okay, tell me how you'd like me to demonstrate. I'm ready for whatever you've got in mind," she challenged.
Parker scanned the office, and his eyes lit up when he spotted something. He walked over, picked up an orange, and placed it on a counter a short distance away. "Let's keep it simple. If you can hit this orange with one throw, I'll promise never to mock you again. I'll even let you keep this knife as a prize—it's handcrafted by a Swedish blade-making master," Parker said, nodding with arrogance.
Malayah frowned deeply. The orange was small and a significant distance away; the chance of hitting it was slim. Her mind flickered back to a painful childhood memory of missing a tree a few steps away with a knife throw. Why had she claimed she was skilled in knife-throwing? Maybe if she'd said she was good at tasting desserts, Parker would've had all sorts of treats for her to try instead. How had she missed such an easy out?
"What's wrong, bodyguard? Nervous? Need me to bring it closer?" Parker taunted, arms crossed, with a mocking smile.
Ricardo coughed lightly and said, "Parker, don't push it. After all..."
"After all, she's the student of your most admired Adan, right? Haha, don't worry. If she's really Adan's student, she can definitely hit that orange," Parker said. He'd already stacked the deck—hitting the target was the least she could do. Missing it, though, would mean she wasn't worthy of being called Adan's student. Since when did an orange become the litmus test for someone's skills? What nonsense!
Determined to uphold her mentor's honor, Malayah resolved to hit the target no matter what.
She slowly raised her hand, positioning the small knife in front of her tense face and closing her eyes for a moment, aiming directly at the orange. With determination, she bit her lip and hurled the knife with all her strength. Everyone's eyes followed its path. Initially, the knife flew straight but then took an unexpected curve, veering off course.
With a loud crash, the knife struck a large porcelain vase beside the orange, shattering it into countless pieces scattered everywhere.
Parker's eyes widened in disbelief. "Did you hear what I said? I was clear as day."
His expression grew more agitated, and he exclaimed, "You're a walking disaster! How can anyone so clumsy protect someone? She'd be better off guarding herself!"
Ricardo chuckled, "Even if she's clumsy, at least she's willing to take a bullet for me, right?"
"No way! You buy that nonsense? With her height, taking a bullet for you would be a joke!" Parker shot back, still doubtful about Malayah's skills. Previously, it had been her height compared to another woman. Now, his primary concern was his friend's safety.
Seeing his friend's worry, Ricardo felt a warm rush in his heart. He patted Parker's shoulder, smiling, "No matter what, she's Adan's student. I trust that Adan wouldn't send someone incompetent to protect me. Worst case scenario, if she's not up to the task, at least she's not a threat. If I fire her, my mother will find a new bodyguard, and then real danger might sneak in."
Though Parker still had reservations about Malayah as Ricardo's personal bodyguard, he had to admit Ricardo made a valid point. Being careful was essential, and one mistake could lead to irreversible consequences. At least they both agreed that Malayah wasn't a bad person. If she were, she'd have to be a foolish one.
"Alright, fine. Let her be your bodyguard. Even if it feels like I'm throwing away a million bucks, it's not my money, so I can't complain," Parker shrugged and laughed.
Ricardo stepped away from his desk and approached the area covered in vase shards. Looking at the pieces on the floor, he remarked, "Maybe that million won't entirely go to waste, after all."
"What do you mean by that?" Parker asked curiously, watching Ricardo amid the shattered porcelain.
Crouching down, Ricardo picked up a shard and held it up. "Remember when you accidentally hit this vase with a baseball, and it didn't break? But now, just a small knife shattered it. That shows some real strength."
Parker seemed to remember the incident and crossed his arms, "Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about that. But it doesn't prove anything. Maybe the vase was ready to break the last time, and she just got lucky."
"Well, let's hope she surprises us," Ricardo said, tossing the shard back onto the floor and dusting off his hands.
The Falcon Enterprises headquarters was incredibly lavish, with red carpets lining the corridors and walls adorned with ornate wallpaper, exuding opulence.
Yet something frustrated Malayah: the building was so tall that she'd been waiting ages for the elevator. She'd probably have to wait even longer.
"Ding—!"
As Malayah marveled at the office's splendor, the elevator doors opened. She was about to step inside when she paused.
A cleaning woman was pushing a cart out of the elevator. The woman wore a crisp white cap and mask, her hair tied back in a ponytail. As she struggled to maneuver the cart, Malayah quickly stepped in to help.
"Thank you, ma'am," the cleaning woman muttered, her voice low, addressing Malayah.
Malayah brushed it off with a smile, "It's nothing. Glad to help."
Once the cleaning woman left, Malayah entered the elevator. As she glanced back, she noticed something odd about the woman's bulging uniform, as if hiding something. Memories of their brief exchange lingered. Despite the woman's effort to keep her head down, Malayah caught a glimpse of something unusual—a prominent Adam's apple!
Why would a cleaning woman have an Adam's apple? And the voice, too—it was deep and rough.
"Oh no! That cleaning woman is actually a man!" Malayah realized, quickly stopping the elevator and racing up the stairs towards Ricardo's office.
She pushed herself harder than ever. By the time she reached the hallway outside Ricardo's office, she was breathless, but she kept going, bursting through the office door.
Inside, Parker lounged on the couch, flipping through a magazine, while Ricardo was focused on paperwork at his desk. The cleaning woman vacuumed silently behind Ricardo.
"Hey, weren't you supposed to report to HR? You're back already! Did they not notice you, and you slipped back in?" Parker teased, putting down his magazine as Malayah burst in.
Malayah, however, stood firm, urgently pointing at the cleaning woman behind Ricardo. "Watch out! That cleaning woman is actually a man!"
Everyone in the office froze at Malayah's words. Parker's eyes darted to Ricardo's back, widening in shock, and he shouted, "Ricardo, look out!"
