The Former Spy

The next morning, Kim put the kids in the car and headed to her mother Kris Jenner's house, where they all planned to spend the day together. Family gatherings were always moments of laughter, sharing experiences and, of course, lots of conversation about each other's lives. As she approached the house, Kim couldn't stop thinking about Tom Blackwell and everything she had seen in his house. She was still intrigued by that board of medals and photos from around the world. It wasn't just anyone who had so many decorations and records of such dangerous and isolated places.

As soon as she arrived, she was greeted with hugs and laughter from her sisters' children, who were already playing in the garden. Kim got out of the car and went inside, finding her sisters – Kendall, Kylie, Khloe and Kourtney – gathered in the living room with Kris.

"Hey, guys!" Kim greeted, joining the group.

Kylie and Kendall, who were already eager to know more about the mysterious neighbor, were the first to open the subject.

"So, did you go there yesterday? Did you meet the neighbor?" Kylie asked, with a mischievous smile.

Kim smiled, feigning indifference, but soon the other sisters began to laugh and insist.

"Is the new neighbor hot or not?" Kendall teased, winking.

"Okay, okay," Kim began, laughing as she settled into the couch. "Yes, I went to welcome him, and, well, you were right. He really is… handsome. And charming."

The sisters laughed and exchanged amused glances, while Kris watched the conversation with a curious smile.

"And you had the courage to start a conversation?" Khloe teased.

"Of course I did!" Kim said, feigning offense. "I was just being polite, guys. He's British and he invited me for coffee."

"He invited you for coffee?" — Kourtney repeated, arching her eyebrows. — That's a good start…

Kim laughed, but soon took on a more serious tone, still reflecting on the memories of the visit.

— But there's one more thing that made me curious. He has a board of medals and photos in his room, and one of the medals seemed… special. It was a cross.

Kim's curious tone caught the attention of her sisters, who became more serious.

— Medals? — Kendall repeated, surprised.

— Yes, and some of the photos were in very different places, like deserts, forests… it looked like something from a military mission.

Kylie crossed her arms, thoughtful.

— So he's like a soldier? Because a guy like that… Not just anyone has so many medals, and especially if it's the cross you saw.

Kourtney made a curious expression.

— And do you remember what it looked like exactly? A cross of what color?

Kim tried to remember the image on the board.

— It was a cross… kind of silver, with a square frame. Very detailed. I thought it might just be a pretty medal, but the shape caught my attention.

Kris, who had been listening to the conversation in silence until then, laughed and suggested:

— Have you thought about looking for that medal on the internet? If it's something rare, something should turn up.

The sisters agreed, and Kim took out her phone. They began to research the different military decorations, exploring several images of medals in the shape of a cross. After a few minutes, Kylie pointed to Kim's phone screen, excited. —

I think this is it! — she exclaimed, showing the image. — It's the Victoria Cross. Look at it: 'awarded for acts of extreme bravery in combat for the British Armed Forces'. Basically, it's the equivalent of the Medal of Honor. "

The group was silent for a moment, digesting the information. Kim stared at the image of the medal on the screen, surprised by what she had just discovered. If Tom had a Victoria Cross, he certainly had an impressive story.

Khloe took Kim's phone and started typing the name "Tom Blackwell" into the browser.

"Let's see if he shows up online. If he really has that medal, there must be something about him."

After a few seconds, Khloe's eyes widened as she saw a military article appear on the screen.

"Look at this!" she said, drawing everyone's attention to the screen.

The article described a decoration ceremony at Buckingham Palace, where Queen Elizabeth II had awarded Tom Blackwell the Victoria Cross. According to the article, he had led a secret operation in Afghanistan, risking his own life to save teammates in a highly dangerous situation. Although many details were classified, the text mentioned Tom's bravery and leadership during the mission.

Kendall and Kylie exclaimed at the same time, impressed.

"He's a hero!" Kendall said.

Kim was silent, absorbing the information. She reread the paragraph about the mission in Afghanistan, trying to imagine what Tom had been through and what he carried with him to this day.

Suddenly, the image of him became deeper, more complex. He was not just a handsome neighbor with a British accent, but a man with a heavy history, someone who had made sacrifices she could barely imagine.

Kylie, still excited, joked: "Kim, you can't miss this chance of having a "hero" by your side. Like, he's practically a movie character!"

They all laughed, but Kim shook her head, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"That's not it, guys. It's just… He intrigued me, you know? It's not every day you meet someone with a story like that."

Kourtney smiled, amused.

"If you're so curious, why don't you try to find out more? If he was decorated by the queen, just imagine what he must have to tell. And not to mention that he's hot…"

Kim laughed, a little embarrassed.

"I don't know, I don't want to be intrusive. He seems very discreet."

Kris, who had been silently observing the conversation until then, smiled at Kim.

"Sometimes, people like him just need someone they can talk to without being judged. If he's all that, he certainly doesn't talk much about his life. Maybe he needs a friend."

Kim nodded thoughtfully. In fact, Tom seemed to be someone who carried more than just his military background; there was a mystery and depth that aroused her curiosity, but also her respect. She realized that she wanted to know more about him, not just as the handsome neighbor, but as the person behind the medals and the story he carried.

The hours passed, and the conversation soon turned to other topics. But as the sisters laughed and talked, Kim found herself checking her phone several times, rereading the article about Tom. She wondered what else there was to his life beyond his military service, and how someone with such a unique background had ended up here, in Los Angeles, as her neighbor.

At the end of the day, as she drove home, Kim felt different. What she had discovered had left her intrigued and anxious. Even though she wasn't sure what it was that attracted her so much to him, Kim felt that she wanted to go beyond that first impression. Maybe she needed patience and respect for him to trust her, but the idea of ​​finding out more about Tom Blackwell, the discreet and mysterious hero who lived next door, seemed more enchanting than anything she could have planned.

Arriving home, Kim looked at the facade of the neighboring house and smiled to herself. Maybe life had something unexpected in store for her, a friendship or even something more with the man who intrigued her so much.