Reborn: No Longer His Shield

I have taken three stabs and one bullet for the eldest heir of the York family, Jonah York. I'm the best female bodyguard in the business. My younger sister, who does nothing but trail behind him acting cute, is nothing more than an extra. I think my loyalty and the scars covering my body are the source of all his security. That is my belief until the three of us are abducted together. The abductors say only two people can leave alive. Without a moment's hesitation, he turns to look at me and say, "You stay behind. My father will pay your family double the compensation. But Rose has to come with me." Rose Stenson is my younger sister. It turns out that her daily concern and gentle care have long since won him over. When I get a second chance at life, I wake up on the day the York family comes to choose their bodyguards. Chapter 1 An old but powerful voice pulled me out of the endless darkness. "You're the one, Lily Stenson." I looked around the York family's indoor training grounds. The one who had just spoken was Emily Harrison. It was then that I realized that I had been reborn. I was surrounded by dozens of other elite bodyguards, who were clad in black training uniforms just like mine. They were the cream of the crop of other security companies within the country and were sent to participate in the competition. Feeling a little dazed, I hesitated to step forward to answer Emily's summons. The air turned strange. Everyone directed their gazes toward me, looking at me with a mixture of doubt and confusion. "Wait!" A clear, masculine voice, laced with urgency, shattered the silence. The doors of the training grounds were flung open. The heir of the York family, Jonah York, dashed into the room. He was breathing heavily as he swept his gaze over everyone. Panic and fear flickered in his eyes when he looked at me. "I don't want her, Grandma," Jonah said while pointing at me, his tone making it clear that there would be no room for compromise. "I want Rose Stenson to be my personal bodyguard." Chaos erupted in the room. I burst into laughter as I took in the urgency in Jonah's eyes. It turned out that he had also been reborn. In our past lives, when Emily chose me to be Jonah's personal bodyguard, he had simply stood on the sidelines and silently accepted her decision. Jonah had treated me as a sharpened blade while I did everything I could to protect him from all attacks, acting as his shadow for five years. I assumed that he would warm up to me after five years of being glued together. However, moments before my death, he chose my sister, Rose Stenson, who only knew how to play coy, without any hesitation. My own lingering feelings of hesitation melted away as I recalled the tragedy that befell me in my past life. I stepped forward and nodded at Emily before saying, "It's perfect, Mrs. York Senior. Mr. York has chosen the person he trusts the most. I also believe that my sister is capable of taking up this responsibility." I paused before continuing in a clear voice that rang across the training grounds, "Also, I'm officially resigning from Golden Shield Security Company as of today. So, I can't accept this contract from the York family." Silence descended upon the training grounds the moment the words left my lips. The panicked expression on Jonah's face disappeared, replaced by bewilderment and disbelief. He probably assumed that I would behave as I did in my past life, silently trailing after him like a loyal dog, no matter what he did. Unfortunately for him, that version of Lily Stenson was dead. "Nonsense!" Emily roared, slamming her cane onto the ground with a loud thud. "Do you have any idea what you're saying, Jonah?" It was clear that she was truly enraged. She pointed at me before turning to Jonah and exclaiming, "Lily is the most capable one here! When she escorted an oil baron to safety without any casualties when they were being ruthlessly hunted down, the brat you chose was still wiping her snot in the training camp. "Lily's combat prowess and decision-making skills will absolutely guarantee your safety and cannot be bought with money. Yet, you're letting her go to choose this brat who only knows how to run her mouth?" Emily didn't sugarcoat her words in the slightest. Rose, who was standing behind Jonah, immediately turned pale. "Grandma…" Jonah mumbled, looking like he wanted to argue. Rose took a step forward and tugged on his sleeve. A bitter smile stretched across her lips. "Forget it, Jonah," she said in a broken voice. "I should go. Mrs. York Senior is right. I… I'm totally outclassed by Lily. Only she can guarantee your safety. I'm fine as long as your safety is secured. Really." Rose subconsciously lifted her hand to wipe the corners of her eyes as she spoke, revealing a fresh wound on her wrist that hadn't scabbed over yet. "What happened to your wrist?" Taking advantage of the opportunity, Jonah immediately grabbed Lily's wrist. His eyes brimmed with concern and heartbreak as he demanded, "Who did this to you? Tell me!" Lily hastily retracted her hand and hid it behind her back. However, her gaze flicked in my direction for a split second before she swiftly hung her head. Jonah's temper exploded in an instant. He whirled around to face me and immediately began berating me. "How could you be so cruel, Lily? How dare you use such underhanded tactics when you're already an adult! How childish can you be?" Chapter 2 As I listened to Jonah's baseless accusations, I couldn't help but feel how ridiculous the entire situation was. Rose had gotten the wound the day before during combat training. She had a weak foundation, so after performing a defensive maneuver, she accidentally scraped herself when she fell on the mat. Everyone in the team was covered in similar wounds. In fact, most of them had even more severe injuries. "Think whatever you want," I said lightly in a completely calm voice. "There's no reason for her to continue working in this industry if she can't even handle a little scrape from training. Bodyguards aren't just for show, after all. A pretty face can't stop a bullet." Jonah's and Rose's faces stiffened at my blunt and harsh words. "Besides," I continued, "Haven't you already chosen her to be your personal bodyguard? I'm also about to leave Golden Shield. Rose will never have to deal with a bully like me ever again. That's great, no?" Jonah was rendered speechless by my words. The embarrassed expression on his face swiftly morphed to anger. It seemed that he never thought that I could have such a sharp tongue since I used to listen to everything he said in the past. "Did I give you permission to leave?" he demanded, gritting the words out in an unreasonable tone. "You have to stay too! Not only do you have to protect me, but you have to protect Rose, too! Don't forget, Lily. You owe the York family." Jonah didn't spare me another glance after he was done speaking. He grabbed Rose's hand and left the training grounds without looking back. I stood rooted to the spot and watched his retreating back with an icy gaze. I owed the York family? I had already paid my debts with my life in my past life. The atmosphere in the training grounds became unbearably awkward after Jonah's stubborn departure. The other participants exchanged glances, not daring to make a sound. A string of angry curses exploded from Emily's lips. But in the end, she could only express her frustrations with a long sigh. She waved her hand, gesturing for the others to leave. It didn't take long before we were the only people left on the vast training grounds. "I'm sorry you had to witness that fiasco, Lily," Emily said. Her furious expression had melted away, replaced by exhaustion and helplessness. "I was the one who spoiled Jonah rotten since he was a child. That's why he's so unreasonable now." I remained silent and kept my head lowered, looking at the ground. A bitter smile stretched across Emily's lips when she took in my calm gaze. "I knew that it was inevitable that you would leave one day, considering your capabilities and proud nature." She paused before changing the subject. Her hazy eyes glimmered with a hint of pleading when she said, "But I still need to ask this of you, Lily. An important business deal is set to take place at Southglade Port in three days. "The outcome of this deal will decide York Group's fate for the next five years. The other party is ruthless. I can't trust anyone else but you." She lowered her voice before continuing, "I hope that you can protect Jonah one last time before you leave. You'll be granted true freedom once the deal is over. The York family will not question you whatsoever, no matter what demands you make when the time comes." I looked up and stared into Emily's eyes. In the end, I didn't reject her request because I owed her. Not the York family, but Emily herself. When I was ten, I was an orphan fending off wild dogs as I scavenged through trash for food. Emily was the one who rescued me from that miserable life. She took me into the team, giving me the chance to develop the skills I needed to earn a living. Without her, I probably would have starved to death in a deserted corner long ago. I had to repay Emily's kindness. "Okay," I said in a clear and firm voice, nodding. "Once the deal is over in three days, I will no longer have anything to do with the York family." "You're such a good person," Emily said gratefully while patting my shoulders, looking as if a huge weight had fallen off her shoulders. "Go on then. Just think of these last three days as one last favor for an old woman." Chapter 3 I became Jonah's shadow again for the next three days. However, my state of mind was completely different this time. I watched as he and Rose flirted in the backseat, as she made him laugh with a silly joke, and as he bought her a limited-edition designer handbag. The scenes overlapped with the ones that I had witnessed in my past life. However, my reaction was completely different this time. In the past, I would have felt incredibly pained by their intimacy, quietly clenching my fists in a deserted corner. Now, I felt as if I was simply watching a film that had nothing to do with me. … As we drove to the venue to get a feel for the location ahead of the business deal, danger struck without warning. An out-of-control truck crashed through the barricade and rammed directly into our car. I immediately kicked the car door open and hauled Jonah out. Meanwhile, several black-clad men who were armed with knives surrounded us from all sides, cutting off all our escape routes. The blades glinted as the men swung them at us. I shielded Jonah and Rose, whose face had turned deathly pale, behind me as we retreated backward. One of the men swung his knife from a tricky angle. The blade gleamed with a cold light as it sped toward Rose's back. "Rose! Watch out!" An incredibly strong force rammed into my side just as I heard Jonah's scream. Jonah had shoved me into the line of danger without any hesitation. The blade shone. I reflexively shifted my body to the side, but I had lost my balance when Jonah suddenly shoved me. The blade buried itself deeply into my right shoulder. Pain exploded from the point of impact, and fresh blood immediately dyed my shirt red. Although I had already expected such an outcome, my heart still ached terribly at the familiar feeling of betrayal. Everything had happened within a split second. "Go!" Ignoring the endless stream of blood that flowed from my shoulder, I grabbed Jonah and Rose, both of whom were still stunned in place. I shielded them behind me and herded them toward the escape route that I had secured beforehand. I became completely focused on calmly making decisions and fighting mechanically. I had gotten used to pain a long time ago. I led them toward an abandoned factory that I was certain was safe. Only then did I allow myself to lean against the wall and sigh in relief. Excruciating pain lanced through my shoulder after I was forced to engage in such strenuous activities. "Are you okay, Rose? Did you get hurt? Let me take a look!" Jonah's priority would always be Rose. He anxiously checked her from head to toe as if she had been the one who was caught in a life-or-death battle earlier. He only spared a glance at me after ensuring that Rose was completely unharmed. The color drained from his face as he swept his gaze over my bloodied shoulder. His lips trembled, and he looked like he wanted to approach me. Just then, Rose's knees suddenly buckled. She let out a pained cry as she held the side of her waist and slowly sank to the ground, looking like she was in immense pain. "Rose!" Jonah immediately directed his attention toward her. He hugged her in a panic. His voice was thick with tears when he asked, "What's wrong? Are you hurt? Don't scare me like that!" Rose weakly raised her hand and pointed at the side of her waist. Jonah hastily pulled her shirt up and came face-to-face with a bloody cut that wasn't too deep. Rose had accidentally scraped the side of her waist against a pile of discarded rebars during the chaos earlier. "You're bleeding so much… What should I do?" Jonah was having a full-blown panic attack. Tears welled up in his eyes and threatened to spill down his cheeks. He suddenly whipped his head up and barked an order at me. "Lily! Carry Rose to the hospital right now!" I shot an icy look at him as I leaned against the wall. "Reinforcements will be here in five minutes." "I want you to carry her to the hospital now!" he shrieked. "I won't forgive you if anything happens to her!" Jonah gritted his teeth when I refused to carry out his order. He then tried to carry Rose himself. However, he was the heir of a prestigious family who had been pampered since he was born. It was simply impossible that he would be strong enough to pick up another adult. He tried several times, but he couldn't pick Rose up. All he succeeded in doing was exhausting himself. He looked absolutely pathetic and ridiculous with how sweaty he was. I couldn't stand to watch him any longer. Not because I felt sorry for him, but because I felt incredibly irritated. I strode over to them and hauled Rose onto my back. I then grabbed Jonah's wrist, ignoring the way he was staring at me in bewilderment. "Follow me if you don't want to die," I hissed coldly. Chapter 4 The gash on my shoulder split apart even more because of my strenuous activities. Blood gushed out from the open wound, but I didn't even wince at the pain. Jonah, whom I was dragging along by the wrist, looked down at my shoulder that was bleeding profusely with no signs of stopping. His lips trembled, but in the end, he just averted his gaze. "I'll… I'll compensate you for what happened today in the future," he muttered, his words sounding as much like a promise as an attempt to comfort himself. Compensation? I barked out a silent, bitter laugh. "We stopped having a future together a long time ago, Jonah," I thought to myself. … The York family's crucial business deal was scheduled to take place the next day. The location was a private port in Southglade. The wound on my shoulder was tended to and wrapped up in thick layers of bandages. However, it was impossible to tell that I was even injured after I put on a crisp, black suit. Jonah was uncharacteristically quiet during the ride toward the port. He was probably feeling guilty for what happened, considering how his gaze would occasionally stray in my direction. His eyes shone with an inexplicably complicated emotion before he hastily looked away. Meanwhile, Rose looked like a triumphant peacock as she lounged by Jonah's side. Her eyes glimmered with arrogance and unbridled provocation when she looked at me. I ignored her and focused all my attention on the mission. Although there had been ups and downs during this particular business deal in my past life, it had ultimately come to a close without any real danger. But many things had already veered off their original course in this life because of the changes I'd made. I couldn't afford to let my guard down. Both parties had agreed to meet in a massive warehouse at the end of the port for the business deal. The other party, Black Crows, was a local gang that was notorious for its ruthless methods. I immediately sensed that something was amiss from the moment we stepped into the warehouse. It was too quiet, and the faint scent of rust permeated the air. "Wait… It's a trap!" I hissed before swiftly shoving Jonah in the direction of the escape route that I had secured beforehand. "Leave now and don't look back!" The warehouse's huge shutters dropped down with a deafening bang the moment the words left my lips, cutting off all escape routes. Dozens of muscular thugs who were armed to the teeth swarmed out from behind the containers, surrounding Rose and me. Their leader was a man with a scarred face. He languidly clapped his hands as a wicked smile stretched across his lips. "Impressive reflexes, Ms. Lily Stenson. Unfortunately, you're too late." Rose had never been in such a dangerous situation. Overwhelming fear gripped her heart. The strength fled from her legs, causing her to crumple to the floor. I calmly scanned my surroundings as the gears in my head whirred rapidly, calculating the possibility of breaking out of the warehouse. Just then, the voice of Scarface's accomplice resounded from a walkie-talkie that was placed in a corner of the warehouse. "The fool's so good at following orders, boss! He really came back!" My heart plummeted into my gut as I whipped around. Jonah, whom I had just sent away, had returned with a silver briefcase. His face was deathly pale as he stood at the entrance of the warehouse. "Let go of them," he said shakily, trying his best to stay calm. "I've brought what you asked for." Scarface snickered. He seized the briefcase and glanced at its contents before nodding in satisfaction. "You truly are a loyal man, Mr. York. However, our boss had a last-minute change of heart." He pointed at Rose and me and said, "We'll take the briefcase, but only one of them can leave with you. The other one will have to stay behind to act as a punching bag for us to express our anger for our fallen comrades." Once again, Jonah had to choose between Rose and me. Rose immediately leaped up from the floor and shouted, "Forget about me, Jonah! Take Lily with you and leave this place now! Lily's an excellent fighter. She can protect you even when I'm no longer around. She can definitely save you if you get stuck in a crisis like this again in the future!" Her voice rang with righteous conviction, making it sound as though she were sacrificing herself for the greater good. However, in reality, every single word that she said was indirectly reminding Jonah that I was strong—that I would survive the encounter if I were left behind. I didn't look at Rose. Instead, I silently stared at Jonah. "Who will you choose this time, Jonah?" I asked, my voice ringing clearly through the air. Jonah's eyes widened upon hearing my words. His entire body trembled as the color drained from his face.