Page 243 of Ruthless Knot

Tonight, I let myself feel this.

The hope.

The want.

The terrifying, exhilarating possibility that maybe—just maybe—I get to have something good.

My fingers brush against my lips one more time.

Still warm.

Still real.

Still the best thing that's happened to me in years.

We're going to keep her.

Which means taking Kai's dad down.

CHAPTER 24

Silk And Secrets

~SERAPHINE~

"Why are we here?"

The question comes out before I can filter it, confusion lacing through the words as Kai's hand finds mine, helping me out of the sleek black car that brought us to this unfamiliar part of Savage Knot sector.

The building in front of us is... intimidating.

Three stories of gleaming glass and polished marble, with a facade that screamsmoneyin a language I stopped being fluent in a decade ago. Mannequins pose in the windows, draped in fabrics that catch the light like they're woven from precious metals. The signage above the entrance is elegant, understated—Maison Seraphine—and I feel a weird jolt at the similarity to my own name.

Coincidence.

Has to be.

The street around us is quiet—too quiet for a commercial district, which tells me this isn't the kind of place that deals with foot traffic or casual browsers. This is appointment-onlyterritory. The kind of establishment where you need to prove you deserve to spend your money before they'll let you through the door.

What are we doing here?

Kai's grip on my hand is firm but not crushing—guiding rather than controlling. His dark gold eyes scan the street with the automatic vigilance of someone who's learned to expect threats from every direction, but when they land on my confused expression, something almost soft flickers through them.

"We need to get you an outfit," he says. "For your performance."

My performance.

The audition.

Three days away.

The reminder sends a spike of anxiety through my chest, accompanied by the familiar flutter of nerves that's been building since I woke up this morning.

"I can just use one of my?—"

The words die in my throat.

My costumes.