The morning sun bled through the heavy velvet curtains of the master suite, casting long, golden bars across the room. Rhea stirred, her body feeling heavy and strange. For a split second, she reached out for the other side of the bed, expecting to feel the familiar dip of the mattress where Leo usually slept.
Instead, her hand met cool, empty silk.
The events of the previous night rushed back, hitting her like a cold wave. She wasn't in her cramped apartment. She was in a fortress built of glass and steel, claimed by a man who was essentially a stranger.
Julian was gone, but his presence lingered in the room. A single white rose sat in a crystal vase on the nightstand, and next to it was a folded note.
Rest. My staff will bring you breakfast. Don't try to leave the suite until the doctor arrives.
It wasn't a request. It was an order.
Rhea sat up, rubbing her temples. The headache from the crash had faded to a dull thrum, but a new kind of tension was taking its place. She had successfully convinced Leo and Sarah that she was a blank slate, and she had convinced Julian—or so she thought—that she was his devoted fiancée.
But Julian's words from the night before kept echoing in her mind. I watched you for years. A chill that had nothing to do with the air conditioning ran down her spine. Julian Vane wasn't just a powerful businessman who had coincidentally stepped in to save her. He had been lurking in the periphery of her life, waiting for a moment of weakness.
She stood up, her legs a bit shaky, and walked toward the massive walk-in closet. She gasped as she pushed the motion-sensor doors open. Rows upon rows of dresses, coats, and shoes lined the walls. They weren't just random luxury items. They were her style—muted tones, elegant cuts, silk and cashmere. Even the perfumes on the vanity were the exact scents she had pinned on her private social media boards months ago.
He hadn't just watched her. He had studied her.
A soft knock at the door made her jump. A young woman in a crisp gray uniform entered, pushing a silver trolley.
"Good morning, Miss Silvan," the maid said, her eyes downcast. "Mr. Vane requested that you have the protein-rich breakfast the nutritionist prepared. He also mentioned you prefer your coffee with a splash of almond milk and no sugar."
Rhea felt a lump form in her throat. "Thank you," she whispered.
As the maid set the table, Rhea noticed the woman's hands were trembling slightly.
"Is everything okay?" Rhea asked.
The maid looked up, a flash of fear in her eyes before she quickly masked it. "Of course, Miss. We are just very happy you are home. Mr. Vane has been… difficult… since the accident. He didn't leave the hospital for three days."
"Three days?" Rhea asked. Leo had barely stayed three hours.
"He wouldn't let anyone else near your room," the maid added, then seemed to realize she had said too much. She hurried toward the door. "The doctor will be here in twenty minutes."
Rhea sat at the small table by the window, staring at the perfectly poached eggs and avocado. She wasn't hungry. She felt like a bird in a cage—a very expensive, gold-plated cage.
She needed to find a phone. She needed to see what Leo and Sarah were doing. If she was going to play this game, she needed information.
She scanned the room. There was no landline, and her own phone had been destroyed in the crash. She walked over to Julian's desk at the far end of the suite. It was made of dark, polished wood and held nothing but a leather blotter and a sleek, silver laptop.
She tried to lift the lid, but it was locked with a fingerprint scanner.
"Looking for something, my love?"
The voice came from the doorway. Julian was standing there, leaning against the frame. He had changed into a dark navy suit, his hair perfectly styled, looking every bit the ruthless CEO the world knew.
Rhea pulled her hand back as if the laptop had burned her. "I... I was looking for a phone. I wanted to see if I could remember any numbers. To see if anything clicked."
Julian walked toward her, his footsteps silent on the thick carpet. He didn't look angry; he looked amused. He stopped right in front of her, leaning down so their eyes were level.
"There's no need to strain yourself," he said softly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a brand-new smartphone. He pressed it into her hand. "I've already had your contacts transferred. Well, the ones that matter."
Rhea turned the screen on. Her heart sank. The contact list had been gutted. There was no Leo. No Sarah. No coworkers from her marketing firm. There were only three numbers: Julian (Personal), Julian (Office), and Estate Security.
"Where are my other friends?" she asked, trying to keep the panic out of her voice.
"You don't have friends who let you stay with a man like Leo," Julian said, his voice turning cold. "Those people weren't your friends, Rhea. They were leeches. I've cut them out to give you a clean slate. You don't need the clutter of a past that failed you."
"You can't just decide who I talk to," she snapped, her real personality flickering through the amnesiac mask.
Julian's eyes narrowed. He stepped closer, forcing her back against the desk. He placed his hands on the wood on either side of her, pinning her in place.
"I can do whatever is necessary to protect you," he whispered. "Yesterday, Leo tried to call the police. He claimed I kidnapped you. Do you know what happened?"
Rhea shook her head, her heart hammering.
"I showed the police your medical records. I showed them the signed documents where you named me as your primary contact and healthcare proxy two years ago."
Rhea's breath hitched. "Two years ago? That's impossible. I didn't even know you two years ago."
Julian leaned in, his lips hovering inches from hers. "The paperwork says otherwise. In the eyes of the law, you are mine. In the eyes of the world, you are mine. And most importantly, Rhea, in this house, you are mine."
He grabbed her hand and pressed it against his chest, right over his heart. "Do you feel that? That's the only thing you need to remember. I am the only one who stayed. I am the only one who saved you."
The intensity in his gaze was suffocating. Rhea realized then that Julian hadn't just taken advantage of her accident. He had prepared for it. He had forged documents, cleared her life, and isolated her long before she ever woke up in that hospital bed.
She was faking amnesia to catch a cheater, but she was trapped by an obsessed mastermind.
"The doctor is here," Julian said, his tone suddenly flipping back to that sweet, doting boyfriend persona. He kissed her cheek, his stubble grazing her skin. "Be a good girl and tell him you're feeling better. If the report is good, I might take you out for dinner tonight."
He straightened up and smoothed his tie, looking perfectly normal.
As he walked toward the door to let the doctor in, Rhea looked down at the phone in her hand. It was a lifeline that led only to him.
She had wanted to play a prank. She had wanted to see Leo squirm. But as she watched Julian smile at the doctor, she realized the prank was over.
She wasn't the one playing Julian Vane. He had been playing her for years, and she had just walked right into his final move.