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talie

FIVE YEARS LATER

“You’re here,” Charlotte shrieked as she threw her arms around my neck. “I’ve missed you so much, Talie.”

People milled around us, collecting their luggage from baggage claim, but I was only focused on my little sister.

Her expensive perfume engulfed me, the flowery fragrance throwing me into the past. It was the same scent she used when we were teenagers.

My heart swelled as I hugged her back. She traveled to visit me last year, but it had been too long since I’d seen her.

“How does it feel to be home?” she mumbled in my ear as she squeezed me tighter.

The knots in my stomach grew. “I’m not home, Char. I won’t be setting foot in Connecticut while I’m here.”

“I know.” She pulled away from me, meeting my eyes. “But when was the last time you were in New York City? Or even in the States, for that matter?”

I didn’t respond as I grabbed the handle of my suitcase.

She knew I’d been overseas for the last five years.

I hadn’t wanted to give my dick of a husband any chance of finding me to drag me back home.

Even if his family believed I was attending college in Europe, I was surprised that he let me stay away so long.

After how I left, he wouldn’t hesitate to force me back to live out life at his side like I was supposed to when I married him at eighteen.

I had a grace period the last five years, but Damian’s father was less than pleased I wasn’t back home with his son.

I’d stayed overseas longer by lying about having an internship, but now I was running out of excuses.

Even my father was becoming furious about the whole situation.

Our fathers were in business together, and my marriage was the reason.

But now tensions were rising since I wasn’t doing the duties of a wife like expected.

The thought of living that kind of life had panic suffocating me.

“No one but me knows,” Charlotte murmured softly. “Even Dad has no idea you’re here. Let’s enjoy the next three days.”

I gave her a quick smile, nodding before we headed out of the busy airport.

Char’s heels clicked on the pavement as we crossed the road to enter the parking garage.

The summer air was sticky and hot, but my little sister looked as elegant as always in her strapless floral dress.

Her strawberry blonde hair was pulled up in a sleek ponytail, revealing the dusting of freckles covering the top of her shoulders.

Char was the golden child in our father’s eyes.

She was everything I was supposed to be as the oldest Rutherford child.

She was charming, smart, and did exactly what the family expected of her.

She was in her junior year of college, attending Columbia.

Our father never missed a chance to let me know how disappointed he was in me for my life choices.

If he knew I hadn’t spent the last five years at an upstanding university in England, he would probably disown me.

But he couldn’t. Not when my marriage was the reason his business was currently thriving.

Char stopped at a silver two-door Audi, popping the trunk. While lifting my small suitcase into the car, I could feel her stare on my back.

“Stop,” I told her as I closed the trunk before turning around. “You offered to come to me. But I know your dream was always to spend your twenty-first birthday in the city. I’m happy to be here, Char.”

Guilt flashed in her dark green eyes. “You’ve made it your life’s mission to never come home. But you did for me.”

“Not home,” I corrected her again. “New York City is hours from Connecticut. And this city is huge. The odds of us running into someone I know is small.”

She giggled as we climbed into her car. “Even if we did, I don’t think anyone would recognize you.”

Once we were both settled in the leather seats, she scanned my outfit with an amused grin. “I don’t even think Dad would recognize you right now.”

I scoffed. “Good. If he did, he’d lock me in the house until I was a carbon copy of every other woman in our city.”

Char glanced at my dyed hair before starting the engine. “No one can mistake us for twins anymore.”

“No, they can’t,” I muttered, twisting a lock of my hair as she drove out of the parking garage, merging with the craziness of city traffic.

I was tapping my foot, my heart thudding unevenly.

Culture shock was taking its toll on me.

I’d spent the last five years all over Europe and Asia.

Being back in the States was fucking with me in more than one way.

Memories were taking hold, refusing to let go.

New York City was my favorite place to be.

The city was always busy, with a never-ending list of places to go and things to do.

I loved the crowds. The noise. It was the complete opposite of how I’d grown up.

It had been the only time in my childhood I felt free.

Until I left and learned what true freedom was.

“When did you color it again?” she asked. “Last time I saw you, your hair was red.”

“A few months ago,” I replied. My hair was the same reddish blonde as hers, but it had been three years since I wore it natural.

I loved bright colors. Clothes, hair, accessories.

It was how I could express myself in a way I hadn’t been able to when I was young.

My hair had been almost every color at some point in the last couple years.

Right now, it was a mix of brown with burgundy lowlights.

If I still lived at home, my father would have forbidden me from ever dying my hair.

My eyes stayed trained on the road ahead. The traffic was stressing me out, along with Char’s driving. I didn’t know how she passed her driver’s test. Plus, I’d gotten used to driving on the other side of the road. My heart seized when she suddenly cut off a car to slide into another lane.

“Shit, Char,” I grumbled. “Don’t kill us before you get your first legal drink.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’ve been gone too long if you don’t remember how driving in the city is.”

“We never drove in the city,” I reminded her. “We always had a town car with a driver.”

“I’ve been driving for the past year. Dad caved about me getting a license after I begged for a year.”

I bit my tongue, trying hard to keep my thoughts to myself.

My sister was perfectly fine with this kind of life.

She did what she was told and had her own fun when she could.

Her life had been mapped out since she was a baby.

So far, she hadn’t strayed from that path.

Once she finished school, she’d get engaged to someone approved by our father and marry within a year of graduating.

Something she was well aware of and had no issue with.

As long as the man treated her right, and was someone she could share a house with, she would be content.

“So…” she trailed off, her voice a mix of excitement and nerves. “Plans changed a little. You remember the club I was telling you about a couple of years ago?”

“You’ve told me about a lot of clubs.”

“This one is super exclusive.” She peeked at me for a moment before focusing back on the road. “I finally got the black card.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Black card?”

“It’s the only way into the club.”

Unease slid through me. “What kind of club is this?”

She laughed. “Hot men dancing. It’s an interactive show.”

“A strip club?”

“No. It’s called Club Facade.”

I pulled out my phone, typing the name into the search engine. A website popped up with a picture of a black masquerade mask on the home page. There was nothing else. No drop-down menu. There was only a place to put your email.

I tore my eyes from the screen to stare at Char. “Is this a sex club? I know you go out on weekends, but this isn’t your kind of scene.”

“There’s no sex,” she said with a shrug. “But close enough. Men dance and bring women to the stage. We have to sign a waiver?—”

“For what?” I cut her off, wondering what she got us into. I’d been to my fair share of clubs like this through the years, but my sister didn’t share my excitement for those kinds of places.

“The guys can touch you,” she stated with a wicked smile. “Lift you up. Everything. But they have a safe word for those who don’t want to participate.”

“There’s nothing on this website,” I muttered. “Which means it’s ridiculously exclusive. Expensive too, I’m guessing.”

“It is. The waitlist to get in is insane.”

“How much is it?”

“Fifty thousand. A person.”

My eyes widened. “I’m not paying that for one night.”

“It’s a yearly membership. But each member gets to bring a guest, free of charge, for one time. That’s you.”

“How’d you get Dad to give you the money for this?” I asked, knowing our father was financially controlling.

“I might have told him my rent increased for my apartment this year.” She turned the steering wheel, getting off the highway. “I needed some money to play with.”

“If it’s this exclusive, there might be people who know us.” A chill ran down my spine. “Dad and Damian can’t know I’m here.”

“All patrons have to wear masks, like the one you saw on the website,” she informed me. “It’s also dark in there. They know their clientele, Talie.”

“How did you hear about it?”

“There are rumors going around my college all the time about it. One of my friends got into it last year, and she told me all about it. You have to be twenty-one to enter. Perfect way to celebrate my birthday.”

I continued to stare at the screen, my interest spiking.

There were a couple threads online about it, but it was all guesses.

Some thought it was an underground sex dungeon.

Others believed it was an overrated club.

Secrets layered the entire thing, but their marketing clearly worked.

If I wasn’t so close to home, I’d be dying to get into a place like this.

“If you don’t want to go?—”

“I do.” I shot her a smile. “It sounds fun.”

I’d spent most of my time overseas in the club scene, so this kind of place was perfect.

Plus, Char was excited. I was still uncomfortable we were so close to Connecticut, but if we were all wearing masks, then I wouldn’t worry too much about being recognized.

I hadn’t been around our circle of wealth in almost five years, and I didn’t look or dress anything like I did back then.

Char continued to chat about our plans for the next couple of days as I leaned back in the seat, trying to relax. I was happy to be here for my sister to celebrate her birthday. But if anyone else found out I was in town, I would be so screwed.