Chapter 3

Isabella’s POV

Mia’s question caught me off guard.

I couldn’t tell her the truth, so I had to make something up.

“Nothing really. I’m from a small town, so I came here to explore the big city,” I said.

It wasn’t entirely a lie.

Mia and Aiden nodded, smiling at my answer as we continued eating breakfast.

“So, Isabella,” Aiden said, finishing his coffee, “what’s your plan? Are you going to get a job?”

“Yes, definitely. I have to find a job. I can’t live here rent-free,” I replied, smiling as I took another bite of his delicious French toast.

“Isa, I know you have to find a job and all that boring adult stuff,” Mia said dramatically, “but first you need to see the city and have some fun. You just got here.”

She leaned forward with excitement.

“So I’m going to do you a favour and be your tour guide. What do you say?”

I giggled softly. Mia’s energy was impossible to resist, even though I noticed Aiden rolling his eyes beside her.

“Yeah, Mia. I would love that,” I said.

Mia immediately jumped up from her chair.

“Finally! Someone I can pass my wisdom onto,” she said excitedly. “I’m going to teach you how to have fun.”

She pointed at my plate.

“So hurry up and finish your food. Your lesson starts today.”

Aiden clearly wasn’t thrilled with the idea.

The scowl on his face said everything.

“Mia…” he started.

But she cut him off instantly.

“Relax, Aiden. Why do you always have to be such a party pooper?” she complained.

“I’m not,” he said calmly. “I just think she should focus on finding a job first.”

“Yeah, right,” Mia scoffed, rolling her eyes.

“If you don’t want to come with us, then don’t ruin our fun.”

She even tossed a piece of leftover food at him.

Aiden sighed in defeat.

“Fine. You win, Mia. I’ll come along… just to make sure Isabella stays safe.”

He smiled at me.

And just like that, my new life in New York truly began.

---

The next few weeks flew by.

Mia and Aiden showed me everything the city had to offer.

Restaurants.

Nightclubs.

Hidden little spots only locals seemed to know.

Everything felt new and exciting.

For a while, I allowed myself to forget.

Forget the past.

Forget the pain that brought me here.

Inside my small bubble, I just enjoyed exploring the city with my two amazing roommates.

During that time, I also got to know them better.

Mia was a struggling musician and dancer, chasing her dream in the city.

Aiden was an artist who managed his own small art gallery.

They both had dreams they were fighting for.

But eventually, reality caught up with me.

Fun couldn’t last forever.

Soon, I had to start looking for a job.

And that was when things became difficult.

Finding a job in this city was much harder than I expected.

It was even worse because I didn’t have a college degree.

Most places didn’t even consider me once they realised that.

Still, I kept trying.

I couldn’t keep relying on Mia and Aiden forever, even though they kept insisting it wasn’t a problem.

---

Four months passed.

And I still didn’t have a job.

Not a single place wanted to hire me.

I had sent applications everywhere I could think of, but rejection after rejection kept filling my inbox.

Maybe coming here had been a mistake.

Maybe I should have stayed in my hometown and dealt with my pain instead of running away.

“Maybe this new start wasn’t meant for me after all,” I sighed quietly.

“Isabella.”

Aiden’s voice pulled me back to reality.

I looked up and saw him standing in the living room doorway.

“What are you doing up so late?” he asked, sitting beside me.

“Nothing,” I said quietly. “Just checking my emails… hoping for a job response.”

“Oh,” he said gently. “Any luck yet?”

Something about the way he asked the question broke something inside me.

Before I could stop myself, tears suddenly poured down my face.

“There’s nothing, Aiden,” I cried. “I can’t find anything. It’s been four months.”

My voice trembled.

“I can’t do this anymore.”

Without saying a word, Aiden pulled me into his arms.

He held me tightly as his hand slowly moved through my hair, trying to calm me down.

And somehow… it worked.

His touch felt comforting.

Safe.

My breathing slowly steadied as I rested against his chest.

Being in his arms brought me a surprising sense of peace.

“Isabella…” he murmured.

“You don’t have to get like this, okay? The city can be overwhelming.”

His voice softened.

“And besides… you’re too beautiful to cry like this.”

My heart skipped.

I pulled back slightly so I could look at him.

Did he really think I was beautiful?

His eyes told me more than his words.

There was something there.

Something intense.

Something that pulled me closer without thinking.

Our faces were only inches apart now.

His gaze slowly dropped to my lips.

I knew he wanted to kiss me.

And deep down, I wanted it too.

But just when I thought he might close the distance…

Aiden suddenly looked away.

He cleared his throat and stepped back.

“Don’t worry, Isabella. You’ll find a job soon,” he said gently. “You should get some rest.”

Then he stood up and helped me to my feet.

---

The next morning felt gloomy.

I didn’t even want to get out of bed.

The only thing that made me smile was remembering my moment with Aiden the night before.

But before I could think about it too much, my bedroom door suddenly burst open.

“What’s up, girlfriend!”

Mia’s loud voice filled the room as she jumped onto my bed.

“Hey Mia… good morning,” I mumbled.

She immediately noticed my mood.

“Isa, why do you look so sad this early in the morning?” she asked, frowning.

“It’s nothing,” I said quickly, getting out of bed.

Mia crossed her arms.

“You can’t say it’s nothing when you look like someone just stole your favourite puppy.”

She waited.

“So… what’s wrong?”

I sighed in frustration.

“I can’t find a job,” I finally admitted. “No matter how hard I try.”

“Oh, Isa,” Mia said sympathetically.

“Don’t worry. Something will come up.”

“But Mia… I’m running out of money,” I said quietly. “How am I supposed to survive here without a job?”

Silence filled the room.

Mia suddenly looked up at me thoughtfully.

“I might have a solution,” she said slowly.

“But I’m not sure you’ll like it.”

“Mia, just tell me already,” I said impatiently.

“What solution?”

She hesitated for a second.

Then she said it.

“What do you think about becoming a stripper?”

I froze.