Please make sure you read the author's note at the end.
****
"Who is the suspect?"Â Stefan questioned with a arched eyebrow and continued to read the open file in his hands as he stood in the St. James study.
Stefan scanned over the contents and flipped to the message.
IT'S BEEN FAR TOO LONG.  SUCH A BEAUTIFUL LITTLE ONE YOU HAVE. I PLAN TO GIVE YOU A LESSON YOU WILL NEVER FORGET.
The cryptic message was typed.
Stefan frowned and closed the file abruptly, giving Julien St. James his undivided attention. The man was still in prime shape for a man in his mid-fifties. Hair the color of the dark night was streaked with grays, and his figure was that of a fit thirty year old. It was obvious he was a man who prided himself on his appearance.
The St. James' were a strong and well respected family, who prided honor and loyalty above all things in life. His grandfather always viewed them as family, the 'only family' he stated on more than one occasion. Julien was one of his grandad's dearest friends and now one of Stefan's. He had tremendous amount of respect for him.
The last time their paths crossed was the auction a couple days ago. In recent months they've kept contact, speaking several times on the phone. Julien's loyalty to Stefan senior's legacy was endless. He constantly checked on Stefan's progress and offered counsel in work related issues.
Now it was Julien who sought his help.
"Nathan Diam. He was arrested and charged for countless crimes, and one of them was extortion. He was released six months ago having served a twenty year prison sentence." Julien answered in a flat tone.  "My wife singled him out by the use of his words in the threatening message. He called her, 'Little one' during a confrontation over two decades ago. Things between us were left unfinished so to speak, and we believe he has come back to extract his revenge."
"Zayn and Jasmineâmy two eldest are in Europe managing my business empire and my youngest Camelia, is currently attending her last year of college to finish her degree. She is the one I am most worried about. And the only one of my children present at the charity ball that evening."
Little princess Camelia was at the auction?
The news startled him causing his ears to perk. In his mind's eyes he always pictured the ten year old girl he met. It was difficult to imagine a full grown woman in her place. Stefan was even more baffled how he missed spotting her there.
"The letter firmly states who's his target. The others are too far away to reach but nonetheless I have appointed round the clock protection for them. It's my youngest that needs protecting here. That's where I would like to ask you a favor..." Julien watched him curiously.
"You believe that he is after your daughter, Camelia?" He confirms as if not believing it.
Julien nods in affirmation.
Whenever he thought about her over the years it made his heart squeeze in his chest. Stefan missed her adorable cute little nose, that dark thick hair, the eccentric vibrant eyes that looked up at him with worship.
Internally, Stefan smiled.
He wondered if she grew out of her shyness, and the fear of talking to others. He recalled one of her favorite things in the 'whole wide world' as she put it once was reading. Stefan had to bite his lips too keep the chuckle that wanted to break free from his lips at the image of Camelia wearing pj's, eye glasses, messy hair, while reading a book in her hands.
Stefan's gaze drifted as did his thoughts. A thoughtful expression overtaking his features.
Remembering her birthday every year was one of his greatest accomplishments.
Sending a birthday card always seemed too little when all he yearned was to give her more to remember him by. He wanted her to remember their brief friendship.  Had she forgotten him? He wondered if she even cared he sent the cards?
But since that day, she left her mark on him.
His heart opened as the image of her flooded his brain. Such a joy to be around, so innocent and pure of heart. Camelia noticed the beauty in the simplest of things, believed in miracles and was always ready to believe in the unordinary. It wasn't until he climbed the emotional wall she set in place did she reveal her true self to him.  As he recalled it took him almost two hours for her to fully trust him.
However brief their time was together, Stefan knew she was a special girl that would one day grow into a beautiful human being. Inside and out.
Stefan cleared his throat in embarrassment catching Julien waiting for him to acknowledge what he said. Stefan nods for him to continue.
"You are the only one I can trust to keep her safe. With your expertise in the US top special forces team, I am hoping you will join me in this crusade." Julien states simply.
It was true. Stefan was the top of his class.
He was stressed beyond his limits while he served in the world's best fighting force, the SEAL's.  Trained in the full extent to operate in all environments Stefan was well aquatinted in combat and challenging missions. The physical and mental challenges forced him to be in incredible physical shape. It allowed him posses the confidence, determination and skills needed to survive the worst combat environment. Morphing him into the man he is today.
"What would you need of me?"Â Stefan asked. He placed the file on a nearby coffee table and crossed his arms over his chest giving him his undivided attention.
Little did Julien know, he needn't ask for help. Stefan would voluntarily do anything for Camelia.
After all, he was her knight in shinning armor.
Stefan's lip twitches.
"I need you to be her protector, be her shadow so to speak. As you know danger can strike at any moment and I do not trust anybody else with her safety but you. Your grandfather was very proud of you and your accomplishments. I understand you have estates to run along with the legacy he left behind but I cannot bear to ask someone else. You are the best of the best and I would not be asking you if it were not of the most greatest importance." Julien concluded.
Be her shadow.
Stefan took a deep breath and released it. He was to follow her around and act like her bodyguard.
It was true he had better things to do with time like running his grandad's multi-billion dollar oil business but he delegated his work with trust-worthy people who worked for him. It's been ten months since he's taken a day off or even took a vacation which he greatly needed. Above all else he immensely disliked being confined to a suit all day. It was tiring.
Stefan stroked his chin thoughtfully.
The mission was to protect Camelia. The target.
He missed the SEAL's and everything they represented. It reminded him of the days where he craved the danger and excitement of a mission. Above all else, he would be protecting the girl he couldn't wait to see after all these years.
"I would have to go undercover, change my appearance somewhat and wait for this Nathan Diam to make his strike, if indeed we find he is the culprit. I will need to be fully briefed on the details of what happened before he went to prison. We need to gather as much information during the twenty years he spent behind bars and what he has been doing all this time." Stefan informed him, witnessing Julien's brief nod of relief. "But I will need a few days to prepare and I need to know as much as I can about your daughter."
However, it would cause a slight delay in his own personal agenda.
Seeking the identity of the lady in red.
Selena's presence caused the initial rift in his plans. He was planning to confront the dark beauty. Instead he was whisked away, in the demanding presence of Selena seeking his undivided attention. The last he spotted of the enchantress was when she was being escorted by the winner who he wanted to pummel with his fists for touching her tenderly and smiling at her so intimately.
In his mind she was already marked for him.
The sexy, captivating female who captured his attention and lulled his senses caused a constant nagging in the back of his mind, plaguing him. A half crazed man he was, searching the stream of dark haired women who passed him daily, forcing him to question every face he spotted.
She visited his dreams at night, beckoning him with her fingers, her artfully colored red ruby lips opening in invitation, ready for him to plunge his tongue and suck her sweetness into him.
Thinking about it made his mouth water and his jaw to clench.
Whenever he unveiled her in his dreams, he woke up soaked in perspiration and breathing heavily as if he jogged five miles. Even in his dreams she played hard to get. Giggling flirtatiously and running away every time she skirted out his greedy hands.
It was a chase he loved.
He was planning on retrieving as much information about her as possible after that night. If it wasn't for the bombardment of dilemmas he was forced to address at work he would have found her by now. When he received Julien's urgent phone call the day before, heightening his interest, that too provided no time to begin the search nor plan what to do once he found her.
Unfortunately, no matter how much he craved finding her, it would have to be put on hold.
After the dangerous threat of Camelia's safety was put behind him he promised himself he'd locate her whereabouts. He had no other choice at the moment. It wasn't expected to be a difficult task but it needed his unwavering attention.
Attention that was now directed elsewhere.
Camelia's life was at risk.
"Thank you for doing this Stefan.  I know with you on our side my family will stay safe." Reaching out with a extended hand, Julien offered him a handshake. With a few easy steps he clasped the man's hand firmly sealing the union.
"I am honored to be the first person you thought of to protect your family. I will do everything in my power to bring this man down."
******
Stefan adjusted the drivers seat and leaned back slightly in his black Jeep Grand Cherokee. Glancing out the window he waited until Camelia came out to meet her driver. A team of undercover bodyguards Julien hired were shadowing the vehicle which was to pick her up.
He was outside parked across the street from the college she attended watching from afar. Reaching for the photo of Camelia laying on the passenger side seat, he brought it up to his face for closer inspection.
He couldn't put the photo down since her father gave it to him. She certainly grew into her beauty with same thick, dark glossy hair, dark blue eyes, and smooth peachy skin.
She appeared so young and so innocent it was difficult to imagine she was twenty years old. The deep blue eyes that stared back at him looked strong and proud. She did not smile in the picture, however, he could not help but read the determination and knowledge in her stare. The picture bared no emotion, yet she had a seductiveness, a twinkle in her eyes he'd never seen before.
She was bewitching.
Tracing the outline of her jaw with a finger absentmindedly, Stefan imagined her voice to be just as sweet as her pink plump mouth. The innocence emitting from her caught his eye. Most females grow out of that stage and appear more maturer and refined with distinct angles forming their features. Camelia appeared just as soft and delicate like that of a blooming flower.
He had no doubt it wasn't difficult for her to catch many people's attention, she was much more than attractive, she was far more beautiful then the average girl, there was something unique about her he could not put his finger on even back then when she was a little girl.
Years ago he looked up her name and learned it signified many things. To be named after a flower, her name was popular in culture. The buds were an iconic symbol for the Chanel fashion couture line knowing that from the girlfriends he's had in the past and their love for Chanel. It was popular knowledge that their neighboring city, Sacramento, California's state flower was nicknamed the Camellia city.
The flower had several varieties of colors ranging from white, red, pink and the rarest was yellow found only in China. It was a unique and rarely heard of, having links to the moon, water, wealth and perfection and it suited her perfectly. Although it was spelled a little differently it went well with her diversityâa one of a kind.
Placing the picture on his dash board, Stefan pressed the window's automatic button down, slipped off his sunglasses and grabbed his Nikon camera to snap his own pictures for observation. He adjusted the baseball cap over his head and sat up straighter noticing the time on his watch.
It was time for her to make her grand appearance.
He had full details about her schedule, every day routine, places she liked to visit thanks to the information her father provided. Although he knew about her, she knew nothing about him or about the threat against her family, yet.
Her father described her in being reserved, but kind. She was a honors student, majoring in fashion design. Arabic, French and Italian were the languages she studied and the most fluent in.
To study abroad was not something she was interested in. No matter how much her parents suggested she attend a more prestigious college she preferred a local school to be close to her family.
He also learned, which wasn't surprising, that she was stubborn, closed off and more of a observer than a talker. She was engrossed in reading than socializing with friends. Standing in the shadows is what she preferred over the spot light.
"Somethings never changed. Camelia..." Stefan murmured to himself.
He loved her name. It was sweet like honey and rolled off his tongue smoothly.
Speak of the flower and she shall appear...not a moment later she emerges.
Stefan quickly adjusted the lens of his camera and snapped his picture as she walked off campus with a backpack on her back, purse slung across her body and a iPhone clasped in her hands. She was completely engrossed with whatever she was looking at on her phone. Every few seconds she would look up quickly to make sure she was not bumping into anybody and back down again.
The a gust of wind passes through making her hair shift, shading her view and his.
Stefan could not make out her features clearly with her head lowered. Of the few shots he took were of her head and body but never her face. Her hair was thicker than he remembers, shinning brightly in the sun giving off a subtle, natural reddish hue against the darkness.
In the picture her hair appeared dark, close to black like her father's but under the bright rays of the sun it transformed. It was long and wavy, thick and lustrous, parted down the middle and cascading down her waist.
Suddenly she placed her phone in her bag and approached the waiting chauffeur. When she looked up, Stefan choked on his breath and almost dropped his camera on his lap. His mouth went slack and the little hairs on his neck stood on end. A electric current ran through his body as if he were stuck by lightning. It was like he was being awakened for the first time after a deep, long hibernating slumber.
"Wow..."Â He breathed once he regained the use of his mouth.
The picture did her no justice. She was beyond beautiful, that was too little of a word, too plain to describe her.
She was gorgeous. Sexy, exotic, and undeniably attractive. Even with barely a trace of make-up on her face it was obvious she was a natural beauty.
He wondered how the hell he never paid any attention and noticed her at the auction. Although he was late and the lights were dim in the ballroom, he thought back trying to recall laying his eyes on her before today. Then again he wasn't looking for her to even pay attention if she had passed him. Many of her family members were dispersed throughout the banquet, she could have been anywhere amongst the crowd of strangers wearing a mask like they all were.
All this time he still had a image of the little ten year old in his mind. Could he have seen her but not paid attention? He bet she was hiding in the shadows, too shy to mingle and watching from a distance.
Stefan shook his head to clear his confusion.
She was wearing tight black leather pants, matching black blouse and a red blazer. The color red reminded him of the real reason his thoughts were occupied that night.
The lady in red.
Stefan dismissed the image and forced his drifting thoughts to the back of his mind focusing once again on Camelia.
She looked a little taller then average height about 5"7. He could well imagine her eye level reached his chest. She had great legs, they weren't too skinny but slender, full and well toned. He wondered if she worked out, her physique was perfectly perpendicular with her assets. She had a generous chest he imagined was likely encased in one of those angelic bras by Victoria's Secret.
He took off his hat and runs a hand through his hair when his body seemed to overheat.
Damn, he thought.
She changed a lot.
More than he could ever imagine.
She smiles brightly and waves when she spots her driver who holds the door open. Stefan quickly throws his cap to the side and snaps another picture, zooming in closer to her face and captures the smile.
Shrugging her backpack off her shoulders, the driver takes it from her hands. She ruffles her hair a little and smoothes her long red blazer against her before bending down into the backseat.
Stefan takes another picture. Only when the door closes does he set his camera down on his lap. He doesn't notice the goofy smile on his face nor does he notice the light fluttering in his chest.
All he knew was he going to enjoy watching...
His Camelia.
________________________________________________________________________
Now before anybody comments about how is it possible he didn't put the two together and figure out it's the lady in red. Allow me to clarify a few things.
When I go out, dress up and put on dark, bold make-up you'd never recognize me in my lighter, daytime look. Even my hair is different when it's swept up elegantly. In the daylight certain characteristics are more noticeable than the night.
I have brown eyes that give you a sense of golden brown when in direct light. When I add color around the eye (Mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadow) it just doesn't enhance the shape but it darkens the iris itself. I end up with milk-chocolaty brown eyes.
Remember these characters' faces have been obscured partially. Stefan is seeing Camelia in the daylight versus the evening, when everything takes on different colors and is shadowed. Nothing is completely clear. A person can never be certain. A lot changes. Especially since a decade passes and neither one has fully seen each other.
Notice Julien never revealed she was apart of the auction. They spoke about the threat not specific details about that night.
As the story progresses, you as a reader will experience several points of views. And you are going to wonder and say to yourself...
â¢How?
â¢Why?
⢠I would have figured it out if I were him/her!
Easier said than done.
It's a whole different perspective when you are outright experiencing what these characters are feeling, thinking, seeing. It's because you know the background of the story, you know who they are, and you know their secrets...
You'll probably want to scream at them for overlooking certain things you believe wouldn't cross you. It's because you've already pre-determined the scenario in your head of how it's supposed to be.
In other words, you have prepared yourself.
If all the above doesn't make sense than all I can say is remember watching Bruce Wayne as Batman...? Clark Kent as Superman...?
I rest my case.
My commenters, you have my deepest gratitude.  Your passion can be felt. I love how involved you all seem about everything even though I have those kind of days before I post a update and say, "I'm not so sure about this one..."
I love hearing everybody's thoughts, encouragement, praise, corrections but a word of advice from me. Never tell the writer what to do or how things are supposed to turn out. It's kinda insulting. It's like someone telling you how to live your life.
So please refrain from commenting/insulting the characters motives. If something doesn't make sense let me know I will clarify or go back and add more detail to a certain scenes that needs elaboration. I'm only human and I make mistakes.
I'm known to shock readers with many unexpected twists and turns. The characters will grow and learn. Everything, for you as a reader, will come together. You just have to be patient and trust me.
It's my story that I'm sharing from my personal imagination. Made by me. I'm exposing a piece of me that I would never thought I'd share before I started His Duchess.
Now, if you hope for something to happen, I'd love to hear it. It almost sounds like a wish. And I happen to like granting wishes! I've been known to do this before in the past. :)
Enough about that...How was it? Notice the small exert from the prologue?
Thanks in advance for reading, voting and commenting! If you haven't already I hope it's worth adding to your public reading lists!
-Shaz