Chapter 3

The house was in chaos by late afternoon. Servants rushed through the halls carrying garment bags and flower arrangements while Lila’s mother barked orders from the bottom of the staircase. The annual charity gala was tonight, and the family had to look perfect.

Lila stood in the sunroom doorway with the last box of printed programs, watching it all. Her mother adjusted the emerald gown on her sister for the third time.

“Remember, darling, smile for every camera. The Blackthorn name is on the guest list. Damien Blackthorn himself might make an appearance, even if it’s only in that damned wheelchair. We need to look connected.”

Her sister twirled once, the gown catching the light. “The Broken Heir? Mother, the press calls him a tragedy. Rich, yes, but who wants to be photographed next to a man who can’t even stand?”

Their mother’s voice sharpened. “We want the fortune. Smile anyway. Lila, you’ll stay in the background tonight. Hand out programs, keep the drinks flowing for the VIP section. No one needs to notice you.”

Lila nodded, face blank. “Yes, Mother.”

Inside, her pulse hammered. ...Tonight is the callback. The limited series. Two days of shooting that start at seven this evening...

She had already told her agent she would be there. The director expected Liora Vale on set in two hours. The shoot dates clashed with the entire gala weekend, but she had committed anyway. Missing the callback meant losing the role she had fought for in secret for months.

While her sister posed for a mirror selfie and her mother fussed with jewelry, Lila slipped upstairs. She changed into the plain black dress her mother had chosen for her... something dull enough to disappear in... then layered a long coat over it. In her pocket was the cheap wig and the small makeup kit she kept hidden in the lining of her bag.

She paused at the top of the stairs, listening to the noise below. Her mother’s voice carried up clearly.

“Where is Lila? She needs to leave with us in twenty minutes.”

Lila didn’t answer. She moved down the back staircase, silent as always, and slipped out the side door into the cooling evening air. The taxi she had ordered waited two streets away. She climbed in, heart racing, and gave the driver the address of the small independent studio across town.

As the car pulled away, her phone buzzed. A message from her sister: “Don’t embarrass us tonight. Stay invisible.”

Lila deleted it without replying. She pulled the wig from her bag, adjusted it in the rear-view mirror, and let her posture change. Shoulders back. Chin up. The meek daughter vanished. Liora Vale took her place.

By the time the taxi stopped outside the studio, she was someone else. The director met her at the door, smiling.

“Liora! Perfect timing. We’re starting with the big confrontation scene. You ready?”

Lila smiled the confident, sharp smile she only allowed herself here. “Born ready.”

Inside the studio the lights were already hot. Cameras waited. The other actors nodded at her with respect. No one here knew her real name. No one here expected her to fetch drinks or sort invitations.

For the next three hours she became the woman on the page... fierce, alive, unforgettable. Every line landed. Every pause felt electric. The director called “cut” after her final take and actually clapped.

“That was fire. You’re going to break out with this one, Liora.”

She allowed herself one real smile before the high started to fade. The gala would be in full swing right now. Her mother would be scanning the crowd for her, growing angrier by the minute. Her sister would be posing for photos while complaining about “the help” not showing up.

Lila changed back into the plain black dress in the tiny bathroom, wiped off the stage makeup, and stuffed the wig into her bag. When she stepped outside, the night air felt colder.

Her phone had seven missed calls from her mother.

She stared at the screen for a long moment.

...They think I’m at the gala right now...

Instead she had just spent three hours becoming someone they would never recognize. The double life was no longer a quiet hobby. It was starting to demand choices. Real ones.

She deleted the missed calls and started walking toward the nearest bus stop. The gala lights would be blazing across town, but Lila wasn’t there.

And for the first time, that felt like the right decision.