The buzz of the phone still lingered in the quiet room, its message echoing in Nia's mind. Luciano. The world was watching. She shivered involuntarily, the weight of his words pressing against her chest.
She should have known. This was never just about the job, the people, or the fame. It was always something bigger, something darker lurking in the shadows.
Nia walked over to the window, peering out at the city lights below. She was just a small piece in a much larger game, and no matter how hard she tried to escape, the walls kept pulling her back. Tonight was supposed to be a fresh start, a chance to prove herself, but now... the stakes had changed.
Her phone buzzed again, this time an incoming call from an unknown number. Nia hesitated for a moment, her thumb hovering over the screen. She could ignore it, but the thrill of not knowing what would happen next was too strong. With a deep breath, she accepted the call.
"Hello?"
"Are you ready, Nia?" The voice on the other end was calm, too calm.
She tightened her grip on the phone, her heart pounding. "What do you want from me?"
"Everything you have." Luciano's voice sent a chill down her spine. "Tonight, you'll show the world just who you are. And maybe... just maybe... you'll discover who I really am."
The line went dead.
Nia stood still for a moment, her phone pressed to her ear. The world was watching, but it seemed that Luciano wasn't the only one who had eyes on her. She couldn't run anymore. Not from him. Not from what was about to happen.
Nia set the phone down, her pulse still racing. She tried to steady her breathing, but it was no use. The room felt smaller now, suffocating even. She glanced at the clock—only a few more hours until the night she had been both dreading and anticipating would unfold.
Her mind raced as she paced the room, every thought pulling her in different directions. What had she gotten herself into? What had Luciano meant by "everything you have"? Was she truly ready to step into the role he seemed to be crafting for her, or was this a game she would never be able to win?
She grabbed her coat from the chair and threw it on, not even bothering to check the mirror as she hurried out the door. The cool evening air hit her face as she stepped into the street, and for a moment, she felt free. But that freedom was fleeting. There was no escaping now.
The city was buzzing with energy, the streets alive with people on their own paths, but Nia felt like an outsider in her own life. She was being pulled into something much larger than herself, and no matter how much she tried to resist, she could already feel the pull tightening around her.
Her phone buzzed again. She didn't need to check it. She already knew who it was.
"Where are you?" Luciano's message read. "You don't want to keep me waiting."
She didn't know what to say to him. A knock on the door, sharp and deliberate distracted her and before she could react, the handle turned, and a woman in a sleek black suit stepped inside uninvited, yet completely unfazed.
"Nia," the woman said calmly, "I'm here to prepare you."
Prepare her?
The woman laid a garment bag on the bed and unzipped it with precise care. Inside was a dress—silk, crimson, backless. Expensive didn't begin to describe it. It looked like it belonged on a red carpet, not on a girl who felt like she was drowning in secrets.
"This was selected for you," the woman said, already pulling out a pair of matching heels. "He wants you ready in twenty minutes."
Nia stared at the dress, at the perfect seams and impossible elegance. "I didn't agree to this," she whispered.
But the woman only smiled. "You didn't have to."
Guided—controlled—that's what this was. Every move, every step, orchestrated. She could feel the walls closing in.
She tried to push back, to say no, but somehow her voice didn't come. Instead, she found herself standing before the mirror, wearing a stranger's skin. The dress fit like it had been sewn from her shadow. The heels clicked against the hardwood as she turned, watching herself become the very thing she feared: a pawn that looked like a queen.
Ten minutes later, a man in a black suit appeared to escort her down. No introductions. No small talk. Just a nod—and the door clicked
shut behind them.