The backstage corridors of Eclipse were dimly lit, lined with velvet curtains and
mirrors reflecting glimpses of Mia as she stormed past. Her heart pounded in
her chest, a frantic rhythm she couldn't calm. She didn't need to look back to
know Ethan was following her; the weight of his presence was suffocating.
"Mia," he called, his voice sharp as a whip.
She ignored him, quickening her steps toward the dressing room. If she could just make it to the door, she could shut him out and buy herself time to think.
But Ethan was faster. His hand closed around her wrist, spinning her around.
"What the hell is going on?" he demanded, his voice low but charged with anger.
His eyes bore into hers, stormy and relentless, and for the first time, Mia
felt the full force of his presence.
She yanked her arm free, her own anger rising to meet his. "Let go of me!"
"Not until you explain," Ethan growled, stepping closer. The dim light cast
sharp shadows across his face, making him look more like a predator than a man.
"I walk into this club and find you on stage, parading in front of strangers—"
"Stop!"
Mia hissed, her voice cutting him off. She glanced around, her cheeks burning. A couple of staff members lingered nearby, their eyes wide with curiosity.
Mia grabbed Ethan by the arm and dragged him into the nearest empty room, slamming the door shut behind them.
"This is none of your business," she said, her voice trembling with fury.
Ethan folded his arms, his expression hard. "It is my business when you're living under
my roof, pretending to be my fiancée. Do you have any idea what kind of scandal
this could create? If someone recognized you—"
"They won't," Mia snapped, cutting him off. "I wear a mask. No one knows who I am."
"But I know," Ethan shot back, his voice dropping. The quiet intensity in his
tone sent a shiver down her spine.
Mia clenched
her fists, hating the way his words made her feel exposed. "You don't know anything about me."
"Then tell me," Ethan said, his voice softening just enough to surprise her.
"Why are you doing this? Why this of all things?"
Mia hesitated, torn between the urge to lash out and the weight of the truth
pressing against her chest. For years, she'd kept this part of her life hidden.
It was her secret, her burden, and she didn't owe Ethan Cole—of all people—an explanation.
But when she looked at him, she saw something unexpected: not just anger, but curiosity. And maybe, buried beneath that, a flicker of concern.
"I do it because I have no choice," Mia said finally, her voice barely above a whisper.
Ethan frowned. "What does that mean?"
"It means my life isn't perfect," she said bitterly. "It means I have bills to pay, a mother who depends on me, and no other way to make ends meet.
This job—it's not glamorous, but it pays more in one night than I'd earn in a
week at that pastry shop."
For a moment, Ethan was silent, his expression unreadable.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked finally.
Mia let out a humorless laugh. "Because it's none of your business, Ethan. You hired
me to play a role. That's it. My life outside of this arrangement is my own."
Ethan's jaw tightened, but he didn't argue. Instead, he turned toward the door, his hand
hovering over the handle.
"This isn't over," he said, his voice cold. "We'll talk about this tomorrow."
Before Mia could respond, he was gone, leaving her alone in the suffocating silence of the room.