No one would stay polite after being ambushed—especially not when the mastermind was a billionaire.
Charles Turner chuckled. "I believe there's been a misunderstanding, Mr. Knight."
"A misunderstanding?" John Knight sneered, as if he'd just heard the funniest joke in the world. "I was nearly hacked to pieces, and you're calling it a misunderstanding, Mr. Turner?"
Charles remained calm. "Of course, it is. Try checking the knives for yourself—none of them are real."
John Knight paused. He had noticed earlier that the blade he'd picked up felt unusually light, but in the heat of the moment, he didn't think much of it. Now, at Charles Turner's suggestion, he tested the blade with his thumb—only to realize it was made of soft plastic. So realistic that no one would notice the difference without a closer look.
So Turner hired a dozen men to attack me... with fake knives? John Knight couldn't help but smirk bitterly. Do rich people really have this much free time to mess with people?
Charles smiled again. "Do you believe me now?"
"Alright, Turner, care to tell me why you thought this little prank was necessary?" John Knight asked, clearly annoyed.
Charles gave a light laugh. "Didn't you apply to be a bodyguard at my company? I needed to see what you're capable of. But I couldn't have you getting seriously hurt, so... plastic knives."
So that's what this is about. It hit John Knight then—Charles Turner was testing him for a job. Just like that, any lingering resentment toward Turner evaporated.
"So, what do you think of my performance, Mr. Turner?"
Charles didn't answer immediately. Instead, he pulled out a dossier and began to read aloud: "John Knight, 23 years old, orphan, high school education, single, currently unemployed. Raised by a widowed elderly man. After the man passed away five years ago, you've been living on your own. Since high school graduation, you've worked various odd jobs—dishwasher, car washer, insurance salesman, liquor vendor... You were in a seven-year relationship, but after your girlfriend left you for a wealthy man, you lost your job."
Hearing how thoroughly Charles Turner had investigated him in just one day, John Knight couldn't help but respect the resources behind Heavenly Enterprises.
Charles glanced up. "I can tell you're clean, Knight. In fact, you're one of the rare few I'd call genuinely good. Sure, there's something mysterious about you—the way you fight, your uncanny skill with cards—but none of that matters. What matters is you're someone I can trust."
A stranger, a billionaire no less, calling him trustworthy left John Knight stunned. "And how can you be so sure about that, Mr. Turner?"
Charles grinned slyly. "Because you're still a virgin. How many men can date a woman for five years and still be a virgin afterward? That tells me you have restraint. And that's exactly why you're perfect for this job."
John Knight's face flushed red. They even dug up that?
What Charles didn't know was that John Knight wasn't a virgin by choice. Emily Park had never really loved him. Sure, he'd tried to cross that line before, but every time Emily had refused, and blinded by love, he'd respected her wishes... all the way until she left him. Now, Charles Turner saw that humiliation as a badge of trustworthiness. Life had a strange sense of irony.
Suppressing the sting of the memory, John Knight asked, "So, what exactly do you need me to do, Mr. Turner?"
Charles replied, slowly and deliberately, "Protect my daughter."
Charles Turner only had one daughter—Sophia Turner. Protecting his daughter meant… becoming Sophia Turner's bodyguard?
John Knight's heart skipped a beat. No way. In his grand plan to win Sophia over, becoming her bodyguard was a key step. He hadn't expected Sophia to reach out to him so soon, but here was her father, offering up the opportunity on a silver platter. It was like Charles himself was pushing his daughter right into John's arms. Is my luck really that good?
Charles Turner spoke seriously, "To be frank, we've been under attack recently by forces we haven't been able to identify. Both my daughter's and my safety have been compromised. That's why I've been looking to hire new bodyguards. Things have escalated in the past few weeks. Uncle John, who was originally my personal bodyguard, has been reassigned to protect Sophia. But that's only a temporary solution. I need someone specifically for her."
In other words, John Knight was the one Charles had chosen.
Of course, John didn't let the excitement show on his face. Instead, he calmly asked, "Are you sure I'm the right man for the job, Mr. Turner?"
Charles nodded. "You're skilled, clean, trustworthy. And more importantly, you're sharp and resourceful. Uncle John is no pushover, yet you still managed to catch him off guard—that's no small feat. He even spoke highly of you afterward."
Naturally, he was referring to the infamous sneak attack incident. John Knight's face reddened slightly.
Charles gave him a knowing look, a faint smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. "And from what I can tell, you seem to like Sophia. You're interested in her, aren't you? That's another reason why I believe you'll give your all to protect her."
"Mr. Turner… why would you think that?" John Knight stammered. Apart from himself—and maybe Hades—no one should know about his intentions toward Sophia Turner. After all, they had only met once!
Charles chuckled. "If you weren't interested, why would you go digging for information about her? And spend a fancy dinner and a pack of imported Zhonghua cigarettes in the process? For a guy in your financial situation, that wasn't a small investment."
He knows about that too? John Knight had to admit, Charles Turner was terrifyingly thorough. Old fox doesn't even begin to describe this guy.
John cleared his throat. "And you're not worried that someone like me, who you know wants to pursue your daughter, might cross a line if you stick me by her side?"
Charles grinned, full of confidence. "You're not that kind of man. I've never misjudged a person in my life. Besides... you wouldn't dare."
Sophia Turner lived in a luxurious, standalone villa in a high-end community. The one taking John Knight there was none other than Uncle John, the very man John had sucker-punched days ago. As Charles Turner's most trusted aide, Uncle John's presence would help smooth things over with Sophia.
John Knight felt a little awkward seeing him again, but to his surprise, Uncle John remained courteous, showing no sign of resentment.
Their car pulled up outside a stylish, upscale villa.
"We're here, Mr. Knight," Uncle John said, politely grabbing John's luggage as they made their way inside.
The moment they stepped through the door, John Knight's eyes widened.
Standing before him were three stunning women.
One of them, of course, was Sophia Turner—that was expected. What caught him off guard were the other two.
Charles Turner hadn't mentioned anyone else living here, yet here they were.
And one of them? John Knight could hardly believe his eyes.
It was Lily Stone—a famous singer, one of Coastal City's three most celebrated beauties, and one of the women on John Knight's personal "target list."
Lily Stone lives with Sophia Turner? Which means… she's going to live with me too?
For a split second, John Knight felt like dying—but in the best way possible.
Unbelievable. Just unbelievable. Out of Coastal City's legendary "Three Beauties," two were about to become his housemates. Hades, your wish might actually come true!
God, you bastard! I asked for a glass of water, and you gave me an ocean!
The third girl in the room was younger, with a cherubic face, soft, porcelain skin, and just the right amount of baby fat that made people instinctively want to pinch her cheeks—utterly adorable. But the real showstopper was that she had, by far, the most impressive bust out of the three. The youngest one, yet the most… generously built. A perfect "babyface bombshell." Suddenly, John Knight fully understood where Sophia Turner's insecurity stemmed from.
Uncle John cleared his throat. "Mr. Knight, let me introduce you. You already know Miss Turner, of course. This is Lily Stone, the famous singer—and Miss Turner's close friend. They currently live together. And this young lady is Sophie Grant, Miss Turner's cousin, who also lives here at Riverstone Apartments."
He then turned to the three women. "This is Mr. John Knight. He's been assigned by the master to protect Miss Turner. Naturally, he'll also be responsible for Miss Stone's and Miss Grant's safety."
From the moment John stepped inside, Sophia Turner had already turned her head away in pure annoyance. But upon hearing Uncle John's introduction, she practically jumped to her feet, as if someone had pricked her with a needle.
"What?! He's going to be our bodyguard? Uncle John, are you serious?"
Clearly, Sophia still hadn't forgiven John Knight for his "offensive behavior" the other day.
Uncle John could only smile bitterly. He knew full well why Sophia reacted this way—and he also knew exactly why Charles Turner had chosen John Knight. "I'm sorry, Miss. This was the master's decision. I have no say in the matter."
"How could Dad do this to me?" Sophia was practically pacing in circles, furious. "This guy is sneaky, perverted, shameless, and a total scoundrel! How can he protect three gorgeous women like us? That's like sending lambs straight to the wolf! No way—I'm calling Dad right now to make him change his mind!"
"Why don't you like him? What makes him sneaky and shameless?" Sophie Grant asked innocently, blinking her big doe eyes.
"Because he just is! Got it?" Sophia snapped, unable to bring herself to explain the real reason in front of Sophie.
"Oh…" Sophie nodded thoughtfully. "But Uncle Turner usually doesn't change his mind easily, you know."
"Hmph! My dad always listens to me. This is nothing!" Sophia said smugly as she dialed her father's number, completely ignoring whether John Knight could hear her or not.
"Hi, Daddy, I need to—"
"Is this about the bodyguard I assigned you?" Charles Turner cut her off before she could finish.
"Y-yes! You always know me best!" Sophia said, sounding both surprised and annoyed.
"Let me guess—you don't want him as your bodyguard?" Charles asked calmly.
"Huh? How did you—" Sophia was baffled. She hadn't even said anything yet!
But Charles Turner knew his daughter like the back of his hand. He had watched the whole scene between Sophia and John Knight on the surveillance footage earlier. Of course, he could predict her every reaction. He'd even anticipated this phone call, which was why he interrupted her before she could protest.
"That's not up for discussion, Sophia. I'll give you anything else you want—but not this. I have my reasons. Be a good girl and don't throw a tantrum."
With that, Charles Turner hung up, not giving her a single chance to argue.
Sophia stood there, dumbfounded. Her father, who had never once refused her, had just flat-out shut her down... all because of this insufferable guy? She stood frozen, clutching her phone, too angry to even speak.
Seeing Sophia's silence, Uncle John handed off a few final instructions to John Knight before quietly leaving Riverstone Apartments.
"Hi, handsome! I'm Sophie, but you can call me 'Bao Bao' if you like!" Sophie Grant beamed sweetly at John Knight, clearly unfazed by Sophia's visible irritation.
John Knight gave her a gentle smile, just about to greet the adorable Sophie Grant when she suddenly blurted out, "Turner sis, John Knight's such a perv—he was staring at your boobs!"
"Bao'er!" Lily Stone scolded softly, her voice carrying a subtle warning. As the oldest and most composed of the three, she knew better than anyone that this kind of comment in front of a newcomer, especially one Sophia already disliked, was like pouring gasoline on a fire.
But Bao'er showed no remorse whatsoever, boldly declaring, "But it's true! I saw him! First, he stared at Stone sis's boobs, then he checked out mine, but now he's been staring at Turner sis's the whole time. Turner sis, he's laughing at how small yours are!"
Damn it! John Knight cursed inwardly, feeling completely wronged.
Every guy's eyes naturally drift toward a woman's chest from time to time. Two prominent curves right in your line of sight—it's practically instinctual. Most women, whether they admit it or not, tend to enjoy the attention. But there's an unspoken rule: you don't call it out loud!
Sure, John had let his eyes linger a little when he first spotted Lily Stone. She was one of the nation's biggest stars and drop-dead gorgeous—of course he'd look. And Sophie Grant's... assets were impossible to ignore for any warm-blooded man, so giving them a glance or two was totally normal. As for Sophia Turner, well, she was his main charge. Of course he'd been watching her closely—and naturally, his gaze occasionally wandered south.
But thanks to that little bomb from Sophie Grant, it was like lighting the fuse on a powder keg.
Sophia Turner shot up from the sofa, furious. "There's no way this guy is staying here! Either he goes, or I do!" She grabbed her car keys and stormed out. Moments later, the sound of a revving engine echoed from outside.
Lily Stone, knowing full well that John Knight hadn't meant any harm—and unaware of the previous drama between him and Sophia—offered him an apologetic smile. "Sophia's always been like that. Please don't take it personally."
Having such a famous and elegant woman speak to him so kindly made John feel like he was floating on air. God, mature women really are something else. He couldn't help but compare her demeanor to Sophia's fiery temper. Same Coastal City beauties, but the gap is real.
"I'm fine," John said, shaking it off. "But Turner just stormed out—should I go after her?"
Lily Stone's smile lit up the room like sunshine breaking through clouds. "No need. When she's upset, she likes to blow off steam by speeding around the city. Once she cools down, she'll come back. Don't worry."
John found himself staring, mesmerized by Lily's radiance, momentarily forgetting where he was.
Then, Sophie Grant tilted her head and piped up. "Stone sis, if John Knight is gonna be Turner sis's bodyguard, where's he gonna stay?"
"Hmm..." Lily Stone finally realized they hadn't thought that far ahead.
Of course, as the bodyguard, John Knight would need a place to stay nearby. But this villa had never housed a man before—it was always just the three of them. Where could they put him?
Sophie Grant's eyes sparkled mischievously. "How about Room 9 on the second floor? It's empty, right? Let him stay there!"
Lily hesitated. Technically, it was empty, but they'd been using it as storage. Still, John Knight was Sophia's official bodyguard, personally assigned by Charles Turner. Sticking him in a glorified broom closet felt... off.
But after a quick mental inventory, Lily realized there weren't many options. She sighed softly. "Alright, for now, you'll stay in Room 9 on the second floor. I hope you don't mind, Mr. Knight."
A sly grin crept onto Sophie Grant's innocent face—her little scheme had worked perfectly.