Chapter 5 Perfect Deception

Chloe wore a stunning, deep blue dress that hugged her curves and made her feel both powerful and vulnerable. Rhys arrived in a tuxedo that fit him like a second skin, transforming him from a rugged protector into a commanding presence. He looked like a man born to wealth and power, and the transformation was utterly convincing.

The moment he saw her, his entire demeanor changed. The guarded, professional Rhys vanished. In his place was a man utterly, devastatingly in love. His eyes lit up with a warmth that seemed to fill the room when she entered. He crossed to her in three long, confident strides, took her hand, and brought it to his lips, his eyes never leaving hers.

"You take my breath away," he said, his voice filled with a sincerity that made her own breath catch. It was loud enough for her uncle, who was standing nearby with a glass of champagne, to hear.

And Chloe, remembering his lesson from the night before, looked up at him with what she hoped was a convincing mixture of love, adoration, and breathless anticipation. "You clean up pretty well yourself," she managed, her voice slightly shaky.

He grinned, a brilliant, white smile that transformed his face and made her stomach do a somersault. It was a smile she had never seen before. "Only for you."

Throughout the evening, he was flawless. His hand was always on her, a guiding pressure on the small of her back as they moved through the crowd, a reassuring squeeze on her arm when Julian made a pointed comment, his fingers laced with hers during a quiet moment. He laughed at jokes she made, his laughter sounding genuine and warm, a rich sound that drew people in. He listened intently when she spoke to guests about the company, his pride in her seeming palpable.

During a quiet moment near the balcony, Julian move up to them, a smug smile on his face.

"Chloe, my dear, you look radiant," he said, kissing her cheek. His eyes, however, were on Rhys, cold and assessing. "And Rhys. Quite the transformation. From protector to partner. It's a fascinating… progression. So sudden."

Rhys's arm tightened around Chloe's waist, pulling her closer against his side. The gesture felt protective. Possessive. Real. He smiled, an easy, confident smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "When you know, you know, Julian. It was never a question of if, only when. I've admired your niece for a long time. Recent events just… clarified things."

The tension between the two men was a silent battle. Julian was probing, looking for a crack in the armor. Rhys was an impenetrable wall.

"Indeed," Julian said smoothly, swirling the champagne in his glass. "Well, I wish you both every happiness. The board will be… reassured to see Chloe in such capable hands." The double meaning in his words was unmistakable. He was letting them know he was watching.

As the party wound down, Chloe felt a massive headache blooming behind her eyes. The constant performance, the pressure of Julian's scrutiny, was exhausting. Rhys, sensing her fatigue with an almost supernatural perception, immediately made their excuses.

"Thank you for a wonderful evening, everyone," he announced, his arm a solid band around her, pulling her close. "But I'm going to steal my beautiful fiancée away. It's been a long night, and I'm a selfish man, I want her all to myself now."

There was a chorus of good-natured goodbyes and a few knowing laughs. As they walked toward the private elevator that led to her penthouse, Chloe leaned into him, her energy completely spent. His arm felt solid and real, the only thing holding her up. For a moment, in the glow of the successful performance, she allowed herself to pretend it was real. That this strong, enigmatic man was truly hers.

The elevator doors slid shut, enclosing them in a silent, mirrored box. The moment they were alone, the transformation was immediate and jarring. Rhys dropped his arm from her waist and took a deliberate step back, putting space between them. His face settled back into its familiar, neutral mask. The loving, smiling fiancé was gone, replaced by the vigilant bodyguard.

The sudden distance, the loss of his warmth, felt like a physical blow. The silence was heavy, awkward.

They walked into the penthouse in silence. The cleaners would come in the morning to deal with the party mess. The air was still thick with the scent of perfume and champagne.

"You did well," Rhys said, his voice flat as he loosened his bow tie. "Julian is suspicious, but he has no proof. He can't challenge the validity of the relationship yet. The press coverage will be positive."

"Yet," Chloe echoed, sinking onto a plush sofa with a sigh of relief. She kicked off her high heels, wincing as her feet throbbed. "It was exhausting. How do you do that? Turn it on and off like a switch? One minute you're looking at me like I'm the center of your universe, the next…" She gestured at him, at the cool distance he had erected. "…this."

He didn't answer immediately. He walked to the window, looking out at the city lights, his back a rigid line. She saw his reflection in the glass, his face grim. "It's a skill," he said finally. "Like any other. It's necessary for survival in my line of work."

A heavy silence fell between them. The memory of his touch from the night before, the intensity in his eyes when he'd leaned in close, hung in the air, unspoken and potent.

"Rhys," she began, not sure what she wanted to say. Thank you? Ask him what he was really thinking? Ask him if, for even a second, any of it had felt real for him too?

He turned around abruptly. The casual elegance was gone. His body was tense, his eyes sharp and focused, checking the CCTV camera on his phone, scanning the room. It was the same look he had when he was assessing a threat. "Did you order a delivery tonight?"

The question was so unexpected, so out of context, that it took her a moment to process. "A delivery? No. Of course not. Why?"

"Someone from a courier service just dropped a package at the service entrance," he said, his voice low and deadly serious. "The night guard signed for it. He said it was addressed to you. A wedding gift."

"That's… nice?" Chloe said, confused by his sudden intensity. "People send gifts to engaged couples. It's perfectly normal." She tried to push down a flutter of unease.

"It's 11:30 PM," Rhys countered, his gaze still sweeping the room, checking the locks on the windows, the balcony door. "And the guard said the courier was insistent it be brought up to your door tonight. Didn't look like any courier service I've ever seen. No uniform. No marked truck." He was already moving, pulling out his phone. "Stay here. Do not move."

"Rhys, what's going on?" A cold fear ran down her spine, cutting through her fatigue. The look on his face was terrifying.