Mirage

<p>They say a mask hides more than a face-it conceals secrets intentions and sometimes even the truth you can't admit to yourself. For me it's all of the above. I didn't come to the masquerade to dance under chandeliers or sip overpriced champagne. I came for business-the kind that thrives in shadows and whispers the kind that gets messy if you don't tread carefully. But then he saw me. Not just the gown or the carefully curated persona I wore but the pieces of me I've spent years keeping buried. His stare was a puzzle and a challenge and I hated how it made my heart race. And when the night went from glittering to blood-soaked and the lights cut to black I realized that I wasn't just a player in this game-I was the mark. Now I'm tangled in a web of lies betrayal and the magnetic pull of a man who knows far too much about the art of unraveling. The question is: am I clever enough to win or will I lose myself in the process?</p>