Date The CEO.com

Ambryan gazed at the ceiling. Nothing came out of his bluetooth earpiece—not a sound; not even a breath. Kiri had fallen back to sleep and the air had gone still. Only his thoughts echoed through the silence.

"It's you who would be challenged."

'A reason to fall for Evangeline?' He pondered. The question revolved around his head. It taunted him for answers. Crease lines materialized on his forehead. He noted it down for research later.

There should be sources that could help him out.

Pushing himself off the table, Ambryan reached for his phone and dialed a familiar number. It rang once before the receiver picked it up.

"Boss."

"Wen," he greeted shortly. "Coordinate with my mother about Evangeline's security immediately. I want most, if not all, risks eliminated. Go over the details and be sure to report them to me. I want the final say."

"Will do, boss."

"Good. Thank you." Ambryan ended the call and stared at the floor. His hands dropped to his sides, clenching into fists. How could he have overlooked that detail? She lived a simpler life compared to him—where a security team didn't always follow her footsteps.

He walked around his desk and sat on the chair. His fingers tapped on the keyboard, creating a new document. A list began to take form. One after another, Ambryan filled up the blank sheet. It soon had a brief overview of his life.

Highlights colored key points such as security, transportation and influence. He picked out that could be applied to her without going overboard. 

The file finished in no time and Ambryan attached it to an email. He composed a short message before sending. Even after it was over, he reopened the document. He leaned closer and read through the material. 

Subtle changes appeared here and there. It occupied him for the rest of the night, erasing, adding and refining details as he saw fit.

... 

...

…

…

…

Avery sat in front of her vanity mirror. Her black hair cascaded on side while she held a dryer, making sure everything was slightly dry before she grabbed a brush.

The room behind her had been dressed in green and silver. If the curtains were green, the metal rods were silver. If the bed had silver pillows, the sheets had shades of gray. The couple dropped the idea of a carpet and kept the wooden flooring.

Everything had been decided upon when they window-shopped during a date. Most of the colored items were replaceable. They could change the theme as they saw fit. The rest had a neutral standpoint like a wooden or ceramic surface. 

Staring at the bed's reflection, Avery propped her elbow on the table and squinted her violet eyes. 

'What warm colors should they use for when autumn comes?' Maybe she'd be able to find patterned decor online. It would surely liven up the place.

A hum sounded behind her lips and entertained Avery. It became the source of leisure. 

Her phone sounded from its small stand. She waved her hand up, not touching the screen. Her index finger pointed at the device and navigated through her notifications. One name captured her attention among her inbox updates.

```

Dear mother, 

I hope this reaches you in good health. It had come to my attention that Evangeline lacked several safety measures. Not to be arrogant but, people would target her in order to get to me. I have attached a document that contains suggestions about her safety. Do remember them as you design the necessary precaution.

Enjoy your evening.

Regards,

Ambryan Hathaway.

```

"Tsk, this son," Avery complained under her breath. Her finger hovered over the soft copy of the document. "Emails me like I'm a businessman instead of his mother. Certainly not cute nor loving."

She sighed as the file opened. Black and white colors covered her screen. "At least, he removed his work position. I would have grilled him otherwise."

Avery had no idea what to expect from the document. She scrolled it up, searching for the last page and estimating its length. Her eyebrows scrunched after her third hand gesture.

'Just how long…' she reached the end and a note of bold letters read, ``Please read. Don't just scroll.``

"Why I—" Avery began to say. The document vanished before her eyes. A blank photo silhouette and an unknown number replaced it. The avatar pulsed as if vibrating against a flat surface.

The theme song of her favorite movie played through the speaker. It filled up the silence of her room. 

She turned off the hair dryer and put it down, answering the call. "Hello?"

Wen spoke through the receiver. "Mrs. Hathaway, sorry for the late disturbance. Sir Hathaway wishes to negotiate about Evangeline's security. I am here to represent on his behalf."

Avery fluttered her violet eyes. Then, she gritted her teeth, gripping the phone tighter. "Did he now?"

"Yes. Do you have a document ready? If not, when will it be available? Both he and I request to review its contents."

She glanced at her empty phone stand. Would it be cheating? Or would it be hilarious if she sent the same file her son gave her? It would surely gain certified approval since it catered to all of his wishes. 

Avery shook the idea out of her head. Everything was happening at one. She rubbed her temple and said, "I will get back to you on that, Wen. It's better if I talked it out with Evangeline first. How do you want to be informed? Text message or email?"

"Email would do just fine. I will send the address."

"Alright. I will update you before I retire for bed." 

"We deeply appreciate it, Mrs. Hathaway. Enjoy your evening."

"You too."

The call ended.

Avery stood up and paced. Her long nightgown and robe swayed around her legs. She absorbed the events, pausing to assess each one. First, there was Ambryan's email message. Then, his document file.

Now, his bodyguard called her?

Her gaze went to the time on her lockscreen.

It was past 2100 hours. 

"What is this all about?" She asked out loud, frowning in confusion. "And why are these happening after 9PM?"

Avery opened her contact list and searched for a 3rd party related to this incident. She folded her arm over her stomach, waiting for the call to be picked up.

"Hello, Eve," she greeted once the ringing ceased.

"Mrs. Hathaway?" Eve exclaimed. She dropped her towel and scooted to the edge of her bed. "I mean, hello to you as well, Mrs. Hathaway."

She planned to call the madam in the morning. It was already late. People usually settle down in their homes around this time. Only a few stayed up for work—well, she knew one person like that, at least.

"You wouldn't happen to know why my son is contacting me this late about your much needed security team, would you?" Avery asked without pausing for breath. 

"H-He did?"

"Yes. Does that surprise you? Do you have no idea about this?" She grilled, not letting her escape.

Eve gulped. Ambryan contacted his mother? Didn't she tell him that she'd handle it? What was the hurry? It was already night time. It wasn't like it was an emergency either. 

He didn't even inform her beforehand. 

She shook the questions out of her head, thinking of how to reply instead. "Not entirely…"

"Care to enlighten me?" 

Eve took a deep breath and told the gist of the story. As she spoke, she realized this was the first time she shared details about Evangeline and Ambryan's relationship. Her ears heated up from embarrassment.

Could she bury her face in a pillow now?

"So you talked about this?" Avery assessed, sounding satisfied and calm.

"I only hinted that some of his previous lovers might disturb my peace of mind. Then, he asked if I had a bodyguard." Eve continued. She remembered that moment distinctly. Ambryan had acted strange at that point.

Although, she eventually saw reason. Having no security was a flaw. He found it irritating that something simple had been overlooked. It was seen as incompetence.

"And you don't have one…" Avery trailed off. A loud groan flowed out of her lips. "Oh my goodness! How did we miss this?"

"Well, it wasn't necessary since I spend most days as Eve. It would be excessive whenever I'm at the office."

"Yes, but there are more eyes on you now. If we're not careful, someone might make the connection." Avery sighed.

"I agree but I'm not Evangeline right now so I put the topic on hold for tomorrow. He actually wanted to do it himself. I just stopped him since it could reveal the secret."

"Wait. He did what now?"

"He wanted to provide my security team?" Eve repeated. Although, it sounded more like a question.

Avery blinked, raising her eyebrows. That explained why she received a lengthy document. Suddenly, her perception of everything changed. Perhaps Ambryan had a different intention with his actions all along?

Initially, his note at the end had annoyed her—as if he knew she'd skip to the last page and ridiculed her lack of interest. She found it mocking like he questioned her competence.

But, what if he was merely being cautious? Like he wanted complete reassurance? All of it tied together somehow. The note, the document and even Wen… 

Protective.

Ambryan was protective.

Of Evangeline.

Her heart soared at the revelation. She contained her squeal but her feet repeatedly thudded on the floor in high leaps.

Oh, this was amazing progress!