Another week passed. Laura was restless to go home and asked Andrew to get her discharged every day. He told her patiently each time that she was safer in the hospital for the time being and certain new arrangements for her safety were being made, though he did not elaborate on what those were. But it wasn't until an unexpected guest's arrival at the hospital that Laura's removal from the hospital got pushed forward.

She had just finished talking to her mother on a video chat from Australia and looked relieved. They had both been worried about each other and Andrew had to act as the go-between both assuring the other's safety.

"At least she's safe in Australia." Laura said with slight melancholy.

"But you miss her." Ji Hoon stated. She nodded.

"The way things are, I can't even think of visiting her. I can't put her in danger." Ji Hoon saw her downcast face and sat on the edge of her bed.

"Hey, you'll be able to see her soon." He said. She smiled gratefully at him. Even though she was practically alone, Ji Hoon had been an inexplicable comfort, not just by guarding her.

"Special delivery!" a voice called out as a uniformed man came through the door holding a giant gift basket. Ji Hoon was up in a second, his stance stiffening.

"We didn't order anything." He said, eyeing the basket.

"It's a gift for – Miss Laura Talavera?" the man said checking the card. He deposited it on the table and left. Ji Hoon checked the corridor with x-ray scrutiny before shutting the door.

"It's probably a trap, right?" Laura asked, looking anxiously at the basket.

"I'll have to give a security clearance before letting it near you." Ji Hoon said, opening the basket. Laura smiled weakly.

"Do your worst." She said. Ji Hoon gave her a quick smirk before going through the items. They seemed ordinary enough, though the products were expensive brands; top quality chocolate boxes, rare coffee grinds, scented candles, diffusion oils, creams and shampoos, a hand painted cup and platter set and even a pair of Victoria's secret nightwear. Laura's jaw dropped open in shock as Ji Hoon pulled that out – it was anything but modest.

"Ahem, I'm guessing you're not the slip type." Ji Hoon said feeling hot around the neck.

"That's perverted! What kind of jerk sends something like that? Throw it away! I can't bear to look at it!" she said, shuddering. Ji Hoon stuffed it back in the basket.

I can't let you have the edible items unless I know its source and the scented stuff needs to be tested as well. It may be poison." Ji Hoon said.

"Doesn't matter, I don't want anything from there anyway." Laura said. "Which desperado sent that detestable thing?" Ji Hoon checked the card and his expression hardened.

"Luke Wetmore." He almost growled out. The moment the name came out of his mouth, there was a knock at the door and a figure came in without waiting for an acknowledgement.

"Laura, Laura, my sweet bride-to-be. Do you know how hard it is to see you? The security around here would make anyone think you were about to be murdered." An ingratiating laugh followed this little speech and Laura paled visibly as the stylish form of Luke Wetmore entered the room.

"You look a good deal better. The way the papers have been ranting about you I thought you'd be in a coma." He continued. He saw the gift basket on the table. "Ah good, you received that. I hope you enjoyed its contents." He said. He stepped forward but Ji Hoon's considerably taller form stepped in the way, blocking him.

"I'm sorry; Miss Laura's not accepting any visitors today." He said in a hard voice. Luke laughed without humor.

"Maybe you haven't heard – but I'm her fiancée. I have a right to see her." He said trying to move Ji Hoon out of the way. But he gave up when he found that it was like trying to move a mountain. Laura found her voice suddenly and spoke.

"Did I miss something? Because I don't remember getting engaged to you." she said, trying to keep her voice from shaking. Her hands were trembling as they clenched the blanket and Ji Hoon noticed it.

"I understand our little engagement date didn't go so well. I should have realized you'd want more time with me, we should after all, get to know each other better. So I intend to make it up to you. In the meantime, I've been preparing our – nuptials." Luke said with a slap-able smirk. Laura choked in horror. She couldn't believe her ears. A thought crossed her head at that moment – did her stepfather arrange this? Was he seriously going to force her into marriage with this – ingrate?

She wished she was anywhere but there – any escape would suffice. A distraction, an earthquake, the end of the world...

A soft melodious laugh startled her. Ji Hoon had thrown back his head, a genuine grin on his face.

"That's rich. I'm sure the line of men waiting to get affianced to my Laura is long but this is just hilarious." He said. Laura gaped at him. Did he just say – his Laura?

"What?" Luke asked like he didn't understand.

"In case you haven't gotten the message, I'M HER BOYFRIEND." Ji Hoon said with granite hard emphasis. Luke looked at him with disdain.

"Excuse me? Are you trying to pull some sort of joke? You can't be her boyfriend. She said she doesn't have any." He said. Ji Hoon was unmoved.

"Really? Because I've been taking care of her for the last two weeks and –" he paused with a wicked one-sided smirk, "I haven't left this room without her." Luke blinked and faltered. Laura caught on what Ji Hoon was trying to pull and straightened her face. He gave her a silent look of assent hoping she'd understand.

"That's not – that's impossible!" Luke spluttered. Ji Hoon shrugged.

"Ask the security team outside. You can even ask the nurses and doctors. I haven't left her bedside since she was admitted here." he said nonchalantly. Laura gave him a quick look. Luke's mouth hung open stupidly.

"But – I thought you were some sort of guard!" he said. Ji Hoon stretched his hands wide gesturing to his scruffy clothes.

"Do I look like a security guard? I'm not even in uniform. My bag of clothes is right there. I've been living in this room you know." He said almost in enjoyment of watching Luke's flabbergasted face.

"No, no, you're lying!" Luke almost shrieked. "Laura is making you lie for her, isn't she?!" Ji Hoon decided to finish off his little byplay with a bang and sat beside Laura. He took her hand gently in his, intertwining their fingers. Laura watched him with a mixture of wonder and acquiescence.

"Am I?" Ji Hoon asked with a teasing look at Luke that was almost serpentine. He brought her knuckles to his lips and brushed amorous kisses across them. Laura stifled a gasp, watching him wordlessly. His warm lips felt like hot iron rods on her icy hands and the heat spread up her arm to her neck before setting fire to her cheeks. A kiss that lasted three seconds felt like hours to her. It was like being under a sedative yet having all her senses intact and feeling every touch with utmost awareness...

"Haven't you gotten a clue yet?" Ji Hoon asked with silky sarcasm. Luke made a strangled noise in his throat, turned and left the room. Outside he dialed a number on his phone.

"WHAT THE EFFING HELL?! Why is there some guy in Laura's room claiming to be her boyfriend?! He yelled. The door opened and Ji Hoon appeared holding the gift basket.

"Oh, and we don't need this." He said, flinging the gift basket into Luke's arms. It hit him in the gut and he stumbled back. "And get out of here before you start running your mouth. This is a public place and you're disturbing the patients. Don't you have any manners?" he asked with a look of dignified repulsion. Luke stared at him, strange sounds issuing from his throat.

"Ah – Wha – Ik – Eh –" Ji Hoon shut the door in his face. He gave a yell of irritation before walking away. Ji Hoon turned to Laura with a satisfied laugh.

"That set him straight." He said dusting off his hands. He noticed Laura sitting dazed on the bed.

"Laura? Is everything alright?" he asked, coming to her side. "Does it hurt somewhere? Should I call the nurse?"

"Huh?" she said as though waking from a trance. "No, everything's fine."

"I'm sorry if I overstepped my boundaries a little." Ji Hoon said with remorse in his eyes. "But I'm relieved you caught on. I didn't think you'd want that jerk around much – longer –" he stopped when he saw Laura began to laugh. She laughed and laughed so hard, clutching her ribs.

"Oh God, it hurts but I can't help it – Ow, it's cracking me up." She said tears of mirth poured out of her eyes. She leaned back on the pillow still laughing.

"Laura, you're scaring me! I'm gonna call the nurse." Ji Hoon said, straightening up. Laura grabbed his hand before he could leave.

"No, don't, I'm fine. I haven't laughed like that in ages! You were brilliant! The way you convinced him you were my boyfriend, the look on his face... I've never seen such good acting in my life!" a fresh peel of laughter broke out from her. Ji Hoon began to smile.

"That's a relief. It's nice to see you laugh." He said.

"He's probably still blubbering all over the place, complaining to his dad! Oh Ji Hoon, you were amazing!" Laura said, her face glowing with delight. Ji Hoon looked gratified. The door opened just then and Andrew came in.

"What happened? I saw Mr. Wetmore as I came up – he was cursing under his breath. Did he come here? Did he try something?" he asked looking anxious.

"He did. I took care of it." Ji Hoon said mildly. Andrew breathed in relief.

"Phew, Mr. Talavera would've fired me if Luke Wetmore had done something." He said. The laughter faded from Laura's face.

"What do you mean? Andrew, what would Luke have done? And why should my stepfather have a problem with him?" She asked. Andrew stammered.

"Er... it's – er..."

"Luke may be connected to your accident." Ji Hoon said bluntly. Andrew shot him an accusing look.

"What? But... I don't understand!" Laura said, her brows knitted with worry.

"It's only a suspicion Miss Laura, we're looking into it." Andrew said, still eyeing Ji Hoon. "In the meantime, it's time to discharge you from the hospital. It's not safe here anymore."

"Why, because of Luke?" Laura asked, her voice rising.

"Do you want to stay here? I thought you hated it." Ji Hoon said incredulously.

"No, I – ugh!" Laura snapped.

"We're moving you tomorrow Miss Laura. The villa is prepared and waiting. We've finished a thorough security check and the personnel have been cleared."

"What? Villa? I live in an apartment!" Laura protested. Andrew looked apologetic.

"I'm sorry Miss Laura, but your stepfather prepared a villa for your safety. It's here in the city, don't worry. Your apartment is not safe for you to live in alone and you can't be protected from there." He explained.

"You mean –" she turned to Ji Hoon.

"Yes, Ji Hoon will be living with you. How else is he going to protect you?" Andrew said. Laura looked at him with a cacophony of feelings. Ji Hoon looked blank; it was obvious he didn't expect that either. Laura felt dizzy. She was going to live with Ji Hoon?

Being a high profile VIP was not as glamorous as one might think. Laura found this out with growing dislike as her life took a dramatic change from an ordinary underpaid intern to an endangered heiress. She wondered if she would ever get her life back; but she also wondered if she would even still have her life by the end. That thought was more chilling than the first. She was sitting on a wheelchair in the hospital suite fully dressed, nervously jittering her feet, her hands squeezing each other on her lap. She was to be moved home in a few minutes and the security check was delayed, causing her more stress. Ji Hoon saw her and spoke gently.

"Are you worried?" He asked. She looked up at him.

"I should say no since everyone's taking a lot of trouble to keep me safe but –" she sighed.

"I get it. You're not used to it." Ji Hoon said. Laura shook her head.

"I still can't believe it – it feels so unreal. It's like a horrible dream where I became the victim of attempted – assassination." She said in an airless voice. Ji Hoon crouched down to see her better.

"Hey, nothing's going to happen to you. I promise. I won't let you get hurt." He said with such conviction that Laura felt her nerves settle a little. She gave him a wan smile.

"You're risking a lot for me. I hope you're getting paid well for it." she said. He chuckled.

"That might have a tiny stake in this." He admitted. "But I didn't take the job because of the money."

"Then why?" she asked. Ji Hoon took a long pause before answering.

"Let's just say your case - intrigued me." He replied. Laura scanned his eyes for some sign or emotion but she couldn't read him. Andrew came in before she could say anything else.

"We're ready Miss Laura, it's time to go." He said. He held out a small bag.

"It's recommended you wear these," he said, giving her the bag. Curious, Laura put her hand in it and pulled out three articles – a grey baseball cap, a black sunglasses and a face mask.

"You're kidding right?" she asked him with a skeptical look.

"I'm afraid not, Miss Laura. We don't want anyone to recognize you going out. I've hired a temporary security team to cover the hospital but they are in plainclothes. We want to make your departure look as natural as possible."

"By dressing me up as a convict on the run?" she asked with dry humor. Ji Hoon bit a smile.

"It was my idea. I've used this as a disguise and it works really well." He said. Laura's eyes narrowed on him.

"You tried to avoid detection? From whom?" she asked pointedly.

"Ex-dates, stalking women who are obsessed with my good looks..." he said lightly. Laura slumped back disappointed his answer wasn't more informative.

"Hmph, someone's cocky about their looks." She muttered. "Do I really have to wear a mask?" she asked hopelessly.

"Hey, face masks are all the rage in Korea. They make you look cool, like a celebrity." Ji Hoon said with a wink and two thumbs up. Laura gave a begrudged giggle.

"What are you, talking to me as if I'm a teenager..." She said cynically, though she was convinced. "Alright, I'll wear it."

"Good. Then let's go. I'll go ahead and wait by the car." Andrew said. He left and two minutes later Ji Hoon got a call on the phone Andrew gave him. He positioned behind Laura's wheelchair.

"Ready?" he asked.

"Mmm-mm." she nodded. He wheeled her out, looking as casual as possible. Laura pulled out her phone and pretended to be playing games. She used it as a mirror to see Ji Hoon's reflection. His expression was so unobtrusive that he really did blend in with the listless environment of the hospital corridors.

"You're really good at this." She whispered for him to hear. Without taking his eyes off the passageway, he murmured an answer.

"I'm the best at what I do. That's why Andrew recommended me."

"Is that so? And what is it that you usually do?" Laura said, seeing an opening. She caught him smirking on her phone.

"Nice try." He said. Laura felt piqued.

"Tch, you're not easy to get to open up." She muttered.

"Shh, we can talk at home. Right now I need you to pipe down and act natural." He said. Laura's thoughts took a new turn. She hadn't forgotten that they would be living together – well, in the same house. How was she going to get used to that?

Ji Hoon wheeled her into the elevator. Laura saw him give an imperceptible nod to a middle aged shabbily dressed man outside the elevator before it closed. She wanted to ask if that was a security guard but held her tongue since they weren't alone in the elevator. Once out, Ji Hoon wheeled her at a leisurely pace, his posture and expression completely relaxed and comfortable. Only his eyes betrayed the fact that he was ferociously scanning the radius for anything unusual. Laura was awed. She wracked her brain trying to think what sort of training he must have had to be this skilled.

"Oh no, we've got a bogey." Ji Hoon suddenly murmured. Laura looked left to right, wondering what he meant by that.

"No sudden movements!" Ji Hoon hissed to her. "Commence distraction one – three meters to my left." He whispered as if to himself. Laura realized he was talking through an earpiece. Within seconds she understood – a bearded man who had been casually leaning against the wall near her looked up. His eyes looked young but his outfit implied age. She suspected he was in disguise.

"What are you –" she began to ask, but just then a bulb above the man burst and a shower of sparks flew down, some catching fire on his clothes. He let out a yell of surprise and hurriedly patted them off as some nearby nurses came running to him, worried he was hurt.

"Sir, are you all right?" they asked, examining him. Ji Hoon saw his chance and wheeled Laura past the commotion that was now forming.

"We're out. It worked." Ji Hoon said with a quiet smirk. Laura's mouth was open behind her mask. She was amazed at what just happened. How did he plan that?

"We're almost there." Ji Hoon said as they rounded near the exit. Unfortunately he had to stop short when he saw a mob of obviously undisguised reporters at the door.

"Damn, where did they come from?" Ji Hoon hissed in annoyance. He quickly U-turned Laura and pushed her towards the back exit.

"We're on plan – B. There are reporters at the entrance." He said into his earpiece.

"Reporters?! Drat, I didn't see them!" Andrew's voice came through the earpiece. "We'll take the car to the back entrance, hurry!"

"On it." Ji Hoon muttered. One of the reporters spotted them speeding off and called aloud.

"Hey, is that Miss Talavera? Miss Talavera! Wait! We have some questions for you!" The whole mob started running after them.

"Oh no, we're caught!" Laura panicked.

"Not on my watch." Ji Hoon said. He maneuvered the wheelchair through the crowd, looking for a distraction. He spotted a trolley of medical supplies near the ER room and smiled wickedly.

"These guys could use some shots." He said. He stuck out his foot, hooking it to the trolley. Then with a terrific pull, he yanked the trolley backwards so that it spun and rolled straight into the reporters. There was a resounding crash, all the reporters tripping and falling and yelling as brand-new needles flew everywhere, test-tubes, glass bottles and other medical supplies shattering and flying all over the place. Laura turned back to see what's going on and gasped at the scene. By then Ji Hoon had gotten her safely out.

"You – that – they –" she stuttered in amazement.

"Here we are." Ji Hoon said as they reached the car. He carried her in before joining her on the other side.

"Drive!" Andrew said to the chauffeur seated next to him. The car screeched out of the parking lot and shot out onto the highway.

"Miss Laura, are you okay?" Andrew asked. "I don't know where all those reporters came from; someone must have tipped them off. To think that could have gone badly..." Laura was still breathing through her mouth after removing her disguise. She looked at Ji Hoon with shocked eyes while he calmly sipped a water bottle.

"You – what the heck was that?" she asked.

"A distraction. I had to get you out of there. It's not easy protecting you from pushy reporters." He said as though nothing incredible just happened. He could be talking about the weather for all she cared.

"I can't believe you did that!" she exclaimed. Andrew turned around.

"Why, why, why, what did he do?" Andrew said, looking startled.

"There are no limits when it comes to keeping a VIP safe." Ji Hoon said. Laura shook her head in disbelief.

"So much for that disguise... and how did you know that something was off with that guy? And what's a bogey?" she asked.

"Codename for a stalker. That guy in the beard was one. He would've pounced on us if I hadn't had a backup plan." Ji Hoon said.

"How did you know?" Laura asked. He turned to her.

"I can't reveal all my secrets, Laura." He said with a furtive smile. Laura ran her hand through her hair.

"Still – that was unbelievable." She breathed.

"Get used to it – this won't be the last stunt I pull." He said with a smirk. Laura blinked and leaned back. With Ji Hoon involved, that wasn't hard to believe.