Mia's carefully compartmentalized life began to unravel two weeks into her
arrangement with Ethan.
One evening, Ethan returned home earlier than expected. As he entered the penthouse, he noticed Mia stuffing something into her bag.
"Going somewhere?" he asked, his voice laced with curiosity.
"Just out," Mia replied, her tone clipped.
Ethan raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. However, his instincts told him something wasn't right.
Later that night, he decided to follow her.
Mia arrived at Eclipse just before midnight, slipping through the staff entrance. She had
barely changed into her costume—a shimmering black bodysuit paired with an
intricate gold mask—when the club manager called her over.
"Big crowd tonight," he said. "Don't disappoint."
Mia nodded,her stomach twisting. She hated this life, but the money was too good to walk away. When she stepped onto the stage, the crowd roared. She moved with practiced ease, her every motion calculated to maintain the mystery surrounding Veil. No one ever saw her face, and that was how she intended to keep it.
But tonight, something was different.
As she scanned the crowd, her eyes locked on a familiar figure sitting in the shadows.
Her breath hitched.
Ethan.