Chapter 13 · I'm playing the part

"I'm playing the part," I hissed back, though I didn't move my hand. "You told me to act like a companion. This is how companions act. Or do you want me to just stand there like a mannequin?"

"I want you to be invisible," he said, though his grip on my waist suggested otherwise. "Selina is a predator. If she smells a single drop of blood on you, she'll rip the throat out of this arrangement before the first course is served."

"I can handle her," I said, my voice low.

"I know you can," Kael replied, and for the first time, there was something other than coldness in his tone. Something that sounded like... respect? Or maybe just anticipation. "But tonight, the goal is deception. Not a bloodbath."

We reached the bar, and Kael ordered two drinks without looking at the menu. I took the glass, the cold crystal chilling my fingers. I scanned the room again. Three guards by the east exit. Two more near the balcony. All corporate security, but their posture was too rigid.