Page 173

Epilogue

She walked confidently down the long, dim hallway, her Shadow trailing behind her as always—especially in the darkest moments. The laughter of women, the smell of smoke, and countless other odors mingled in the air, making it heavy—almost suffocating.

Several Stars and their Shadows greeted her and her own, some with faint smiles, others with discreet gestures—always subtle, always careful not to attract the Master’s attention.

At last, she reached his door. Despite herself, her heart raced. For the first time, she was going to defy him. For the first time, she wasn’t submitting. She wasn’t afraid.

She pushed the office door open without knocking. The Master sat behind his desk, laughing with one of his guards and Stars who were clearly there to entertain him.

“Ah, myStella! You’re back !” the Master exclaimed, spreading his arms with a smile that revealed his yellowing teeth.

“Leave us,” she said firmly, planting herself in front of the desk, her Shadow silent at her back. The guard looked at the Master, awaiting an order. With a flick of his hand, he dismissed the Stars and the guard.

Some brushed their fingers against her hand, others her back as they passed—small gestures of support, of silent rebellion.

The door closed behind them, muffling the noise outside. Only the Master, the Goddess, and the Shadow remained.

“Listen to me—”

“No. You’re going to listen to me,” she cut him off, her tone calm but cold. “From now on, I work on my terms. My hours. My clients.” She pointed at him—an act she knew would enrage him.

“I think you’ve forgotten that I have in my possession—”

“If you’re talking about the video, it’s useless now. I told them everything. They know.” Her voice carried a mocking edge.

“Impossible ! They would have killed you ! They would never let the murderer of one of their own live. You’re lying !”

She laughed, stepping forward until her hands were flat on his desk. She leaned in close, eyes locked on his. “Then go ahead. Send it to them. Let’s find out if they already know, shall we ?”

The Master studied her, searching her gaze for signs of bluff—but she didn’t flinch. When he saw the truth, his shoulders stiffened, his fists clenched against the armrests of his chair.

“That’s all I came to say. I’ll return when I choose. And if you ever dare lay a finger on me again or the others, you know who I'd tell about your little secrets. And they won’t let you live.”

She stood tall and turned toward the door, her Shadow falling into step behind her.

“Sienna !” the Master barked, rising from his chair, his face flushed with fury. “The Ivanovs won’t always be there to protect you! ”

She paused, then looked back over her shoulder with a wry smile.

“It’s not my back that needs protecting, Master,” she said, dragging out the word with venom, before walking out.

“You should have told him you were quitting for good,” the Shadow said quietly, now walking beside her—something strictly forbidden. The Shadow was supposed to stay three stepsbehind the Star, always. A crucial rule to avoid unsettling the clients.

“Not yet,” Sienna replied, her pace never slowing, her eyes sweeping over the young faces around her—some barely of age, others not even that. Just like she once had been.

No, she wouldn’t stop. Not until they were saved—the girls who were once her. So that they never became what she had been forced to become.

A monster.