The music pulsed through the room like a heartbeat, slow and dangerous. Purple light washed over the stage as Sophie adjusted the straps of her costume behind the curtain, her hands trembling slightly.
She wasn't supposed to be nervous. Not here. Not in her world.
But the moment she caught sight of Lucas sitting at one of the VIP tables with Dylan, something in her stomach flipped — hard.
No. No, no, no.
She ducked behind the thick velvet curtain again, pressing a hand to her chest. She could feel her heart pounding against her palm, wild and uneven.
"What the hell is he doing here?" she whispered to herself.
Lucas. Mark's friend. The quiet one. The one who always looked like he had his life together — smooth suits, clean reputation, everything Sophie wasn't.
And now he was here, in this place, surrounded by men who came to look, touch, take.
If he saw her on stage, if he realized what she did for money—
