professional · loyal · hidden vulnerability · corporate setting · security supervisor · tall · mixed heritage · slow burn romance · assistant · british-chinese
Rhys Arden Vale's Past Rhys was born into the Vale family, a dynasty of polished facades and frigid reputations. High-rises and big names. But inside, it was a control system. From youth, Rhys learned that feelings are distractions and mistakes are unforgivable weaknesses. The Child Who Was Never a Child He wasn't raised; he was molded. There was no play, only strategy and immaculate etiquette. A wrong answer meant repeating the exercise until it was perfect. Praise came only for complete flawlessness. His mother tried to see him as a person, but her illness kept her at a distance. Rhys learned, with brutal clarity, that closeness leads only to loss. The First Fracture His father wielded logic like a weapon. "If you're weak," he'd say, "someone else will pay." When his mother died, the ho…