# Flashback…
The gun was still pressed against my temple, Cassian's eyes cold and merciless.
Yet instead of fear, a memory surged forward.
Music. Loud. Wild. Reckless.
That night I had thought I was going to enjoy my graduation party together with my family…
I had expected laughter, warmth, and the company of the family I'd grown up with.
Instead, Vanessa became the centre of attention… The newfound heiress, who was raised outside, needed more attention than I, the fake daughter, who had stolen her place.
So for the first time, I accepted Cara's invite even though I didn't want to be caught up in her wild lifestyle.
That was how I ended up in the Eclipse club.
The club had been drowning in neon lights and laughter that night.
As I predicted, my graduation party spiralled into chaos the way it always did when Cara and her friends got drunk, and obviously, we began spinning bottles… Truth or dare.
I should never have accepted the dare: wearing a mask and dancing with a stranger.
Yet there I was, standing backstage with a black mask covering half my face while one of the dancers shoved glittering heels into my hands.
"Just one dance," Cara giggled. "Pick a stranger and make it unforgettable."
The music changed.
Heavy bass rolled through the club like thunder as I stepped onto the floor.
I could barely see through the flashing lights, but I felt the eyes on me. Men watching. Laughing. Waiting.
Then I saw him.
He sat alone in the VIP section, leaning back in a leather chair like a king observing his kingdom.
Dark hair.
Sharp jaw.
Those cold blue eyes that didn't look amused like everyone else… In fact, he looked bored, as if he were uninterested in everything and everyone around him.
Another man was standing behind him, hidden in the shadows, and even though the lights were almost dim, he wore dark shades.
Without thinking, I walked straight toward Mr. Blue Eyes.
The crowd whistled as I climbed onto the low platform beside his table.
The stranger didn't move.
He simply watched as I leaned closer, my hands resting lightly on his shoulders while the music pulsed around us.
Up close, his presence felt overwhelming.
Dangerous.
He was watching me with unsettling focus. As if he could already see through the mask.
Something about that gaze made my pulse jump, but maybe it was the lights, the alcohol, or the sudden rush of adrenaline coursing through me.
I took his hand, jutting my chin towards the dance floor.
"Hi, handsome. Can I have this dance?" My voice came out sultrier than intended.
"You're brave, Kitten," he murmured, his voice almost lost beneath the music.
Kitten? Was he mistaking me for someone else?
For a brief moment, I froze, my gaze trained on him.
His hands rested casually on the armrests of his chair, but the tension in his posture made it clear he was anything but relaxed.
"I…I think you've mistaken me for someone," I breathed, my eyes darting around warily, realising everyone seemed to be watching us.
For the first time, his lips curved slightly.
His gaze drifted over the mask, the glittering dress, and the hair spilling down my shoulders.
"You'll do," he said, his voice dangerously smooth. "You are exactly what I've been waiting for."
A shiver ran down my spine, but my feet were glued to the floor, unable to move. But before I could take a step back, he held my wrist, pulling me closer.
That was when I saw there was a gun tucked into the belt of the second man behind the stranger.
"Now, where's that earlier boldness?" He smirked, tugging me forward, causing our faces to be mere inches apart, our breaths mingling.
I smiled behind the mask, pretending to be feisty.
"You can't blame a girl for being intimidated… Does the Young Master want something different tonight?" I asked in mock seriousness, smiling brightly.
His eyes bored into mine.
"What's your name?" he asked.
I smiled. "Tonight, I'm nobody."
His eyes darkened as he pressed his lips against mine, holding them there. "You're playing with fire," he whispered against my skin.
"What if I want to burn?" I whispered, locking eyes with him. "I accepted a dare to dance… if you dance with me, I might reconsider. I'd even give you my real name."
The strength in his arms as he twirled me made me gasp.
And far from what Cara said, I didn't know if I could call what we did dancing, but it was more than 'unforgettable'.
I didn't want it to end, but I felt my mask slipping, causing me to hold it against my face with my palms pressed against it, exposing the crescent-shaped birthmark at the back of my hand.
"Is this a tattoo?" he asked, pointing to the birthmark, and I froze.
For reasons I couldn't explain, I didn't want to tell him it was a birthmark even though he had gotten away with kissing me… He was the exception. I told myself.
After all, he was a very hot, irresistible stranger.
Besides, the Swans thought my birthmark was auspicious, so I always covered it up with concealer. It might have smudged.
So I leaned closer and whispered a lie, with the intention of changing the subject.
"Mia… My name… the reward for dancing with me."
His eyes narrowed, and the music ended right then.
I stepped back before the moment could stretch any longer.
But as I turned to leave, his voice stopped me.
"Mia."
I glanced over my shoulder. He was still watching me. As if committing the remaining half of my face to memory.
"Next time," he said quietly, "tell me the truth."
# End of flashback.
~~~♧♧♧~~~
The memory shattered as the cold muzzle of the gun pressed harder against my temple.
And the stranger from that night 6 months ago was no longer a man hidden in shadows.
He was standing in front of me now.
Cassian Knight.
I stared into those sharp blue eyes, my heart a frantic bird against my ribs.
He was nothing like the man I danced with.
His eyes were a storm of ocean blue, merciless and light, every glance sharp and calculated…
"I asked you a question." Cassian's voice dropped, vibrating through the small space between us.
"I…" I swallowed hard. "I'm not spying. I swear."
"Liar." The word left his mouth like a verdict.
He pushed the gun harder against my skin.
"What did you hear?"
I could see the steady pulse at the side of his neck.
If I said the wrong thing, I'd die before the Quinns even learned I failed my first test.
I forced myself to meet his gaze.
"I didn't hear anything."
"Young Master, she's lying," the second man reminded him, and I nearly rolled my eyes at him.
"How much did you hear?" Cassian coldly interrogated.
"You want the truth?" I asked, and his eyes narrowed. "Fine, I heard everything."
"Young Master…" His subordinate began, and Cassian looked like he was a second away from pulling the trigger.
That single second felt like the edge of a cliff.
"You can't kill me," I said, raising my free hand in surrender.
"You heard too much," he said in a dangerously low voice. "Tell me why I shouldn't kill you."
"Because you'd have to explain to the Quinns why their daughter never made it back home after her 'private' lunch."
His eyes flickered, confusion cutting through the fury for a split second.
"You're late, Cassian Knight," I continued. "You're pointing a gun at your future wife."
His eyes narrowed. His expression didn't change immediately.
For a long moment, he simply stared at me.
He didn't pull the gun away, but the pressure of the gun eased slightly, and his grip on my wrist tightened, his thumb pressing against my pulse point.
He could feel it. He could feel my heart racing.
"Isabelle?" He breathed the name like a curse and leaned in closer, his scent of sandalwood and rain filling my senses. He studied my face with a clinical, haunting intensity.
"Why are you hiding behind the curtain?"