February 14, 2021: Present

Konrad turned to look at his guards and nodded his head, beckoning them to follow Syn. Two of his men heeded his order right away while the rest remained seated, vigilantly surveying their surroundings. After all, a second is enough of an opportunity for hostilities to put Konrad and Kara in harm's way. 

It wasn't a mystery why Kara Bismarck had no guards trailing her. The woman never appreciated the feeling of being shadowed by a bunch of men, who were too paranoid for their own good. Most often than not, she made her guards wait for her return in the vehicle or order them to stay outside of the establishment she's visiting. There were only a handful of instances when she allowed them to stick by her side. To her father's lament, those few times still warranted his intervention just to make Kara agree.