2: The Man in Black

“Oh my god... You are seriously going to this thing?”

Winona zipped up her suitcase while Ava paced around the apartment holding a makeup brush like a microphone. “A mysterious luxury reality show personally invites two struggling women right after one gets cheated on. Either this is fate or we’re getting kidnapped.”

“I’m leaning towards kidnapping,” Winona replied.

Ava gasped dramatically. “Then at least wear waterproof mascara.”

Winona rolled her eyes but changed outfits anyway. If she was about to get kidnapped, she preferred looking hot during the experience.

Twenty minutes later, the black luxury car from earlier waited downstairs exactly where it had been before. Rain poured heavily over the city, reflecting across the polished vehicle like liquid silver.

A man in a suit opened the back door silently.

“No driver name?” Winona asked suspiciously.

“Midnight Project transportation,” the man replied politely.

“That sounds like a scam.”

“Probably,” Ava whispered before climbing inside anyway.

The interior of the car looked more expensive than Winona’s entire apartment. Soft leather seats, dim gold lighting, chilled bottled water, and a screen displaying the glowing silver logo of The Midnight Project.

Winona frowned. “Okay, either this is real or someone is spending an alarming amount of money murdering us.”

Ava grabbed her arm excitedly. “Look!” Her phone screen showed hundreds of social media posts. #MidnightProject was trending everywhere.

People online were already posting invitation screenshots while guessing which celebrities and influencers had been selected. Rumors about the project flooded every platform.

“They invited famous people too,” Ava whispered. “This is huge!”

Winona scrolled through the posts lazily until one blurry photo made her pause.

A man dressed entirely in black stepped out of another luxury car outside a hotel entrance. His face was partly hidden beneath the rain and camera blur, but the comments underneath were exploding.

WHO IS HE???

"That jawline should be illegal. Please tell me he’s participating."

Winona snorted softly.  The drive lasted nearly two hours.

As the city lights disappeared behind them, the roads became emptier and darker until only forests surrounded the highway. Rain hammered against the windows nonstop while fog slowly spread across the road ahead.

Then the hotel appeared. Winona straightened immediately.

The Midnight Hotel stood in the middle of the mountains like something pulled out of an old gothic movie. Warm golden lights glowed behind enormous glass windows while fountains shimmered beneath the storm outside. It looked luxurious, elegant, and strangely isolated from the rest of the world.

“Okay,” Ava breathed. “I would absolutely die here.”

“Comforting choice of words.”

The moment they stepped inside, warmth surrounded them.

Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead while soft piano music drifted through the massive lobby. Beautifully dressed staff welcomed guests with perfect smiles while cameras moved discreetly through the room.

And the guests themselves looked unreal.

A famous actor stood near the staircase speaking to reporters.

A popular gamer laughed loudly beside the champagne tower.

Models, influencers, creators, and social media celebrities filled the lobby like some elite party Winona definitely did not belong in.

“Maybe I should’ve worn something more expensive,” she muttered.

“You look hot,” Ava replied immediately. “Just look confident and nobody questions anything.”

A waiter suddenly passed by carrying champagne. Winona reached for a glass at the exact same moment someone else did.

Their fingers brushed lightly. “Sorry,” she said automatically before looking up.

Then she froze. Dark eyes met hers calmly.

The man from the blurry photo stood in front of her wearing an all-black suit that somehow made the entire room look dull beside him. Up close, he looked even more unfairly attractive.

But it wasn’t his face that unsettled her. It was the way he looked at her. Not curious, or surprised. Like he already knew her.

His gaze dropped briefly toward her wrist before returning to her eyes. Then he smiled faintly and released the champagne glass.

“You should keep that one,” he said softly. “You’re going to need it tonight.”