chapter 2

"What do you mean you won't be at work tonight?" Anastasia, Freya's best friend at the pharmacy, asked with a confused look.

"I know, Anastasia, but you just have to cover for me tonight. I promise I will cover your shift when I get back," Freya pleaded, her hands shaking as she grabbed her bag.

"If you get back," Anastasia corrected her, her voice full of worry. "You said it yourself that Mr. Grant is dangerous. He almost got you in big trouble the last time you worked for him. He owns a casino, Freya! A casino is the scariest place to be at night. Dark things happen in those back rooms."

"I know," Freya said, her voice dropping to a whisper. But even after telling michael about my mum, he humiliated me front of his friends and laughed as if I meant nothing to him”

"Freya, I have watched you suffer with your mother since the day of the accident. You have tried everything to save her life, even risking your life in the process. Don't you think that maybe it's time you let her…”

“No’!”Freya cut her friend short, her eyes flashing with determination. "My mum will live. No matter what happens, no matter what anyone says, I won't give up on her. She’s all I have left."

"Fine," Anastasia sighed, giving her a quick hug. "Go. I will cover your shift. Just... if anything happens, call me immediately, okay?"

"Thanks, Anastasia," Freya said. She walked out of the pharmacy and quickly booked a cab to the Blue Lantern Casino.

When she arrived, the casino was alive with dangerous energy. The entrance was guarded by bright, flashy blue lights that seemed to warn people to stay away.

Freya made her way through the thick crowd, feeling like a small fish in a sea of sharks. She headed to the back, arriving at the private hallway where Mr. Grant usually stayed. Two huge men stood at the door, their arms crossed over their thick chests.

"I'm sorry, miss, but you can't enter. This is for VIPs only," the tall man said, his voice deep and cold.

"You are mistaken, sir. Mr. Grant sent for me. He called me today to meet him here," Freya explained, trying to sound brave.

"Sorry, miss, you are not on the list," the guard repeated.

Just then, a door opened and a man stepped out. "Let her in. Her face is very familiar around here." It was Clinton, Mr. Grant’s personal assistant. He looked Freya up and down with a smirk. "Long time, Freya. I’m guessing you need help now, since you ran away like a thief after all these years."

"Can we not talk about the past?" Freya said as they entered the room where Mr. Grant sat. He was sitting behind a large mahogany desk, sorting through black files.

"If it isn't my favorite worker," Mr. Grant said with a wide smile. "I won't lie, business has been a little slow since you left. I've missed your talents."

"Can we just get to the point?" Freya said sharply. "I don't have much time."

"Well, I’m guessing you won't be needing your old pharmacy job anymore. The job I have for you tonight is enough to pay your mum's bills, clear your debts to me, and leave you with enough to live like a queen for years."

"I’m guessing it’s very dangerous then," Freya said, her suspicion growing.

"Not too dangerous," Mr. Grant replied, pulling out a file full of photos. "Miss Freya, I present to you: The Seduction Contract."

"What does that even mean?"

"All you need to do is pretend to be someone and get something I need," he said, spreading out photos of a young man. He was striking - handsome, but with eyes that looked like they had seen too much blood. "This is Darlington Knight. The most dangerous and mysterious billionaire in the city. He controls an underground operation that is interfering with my business. They say he is a ghost; no one knows how he got his power after leaving prison four years ago."

"So what does that have to do with me?"

"Everything," Mr. Grant said, leaning forward. "Darlington needs to appear with his contract girlfriend, Natalie Kate, next week to save his company image. But he has never actually met her. They are supposed to meet tomorrow in private. My hackers will change the records. All you have to do is pretend to be Natalie Kate. Move into his mansion, make him trust you, and steal the files I need from his safe."

Freya’s heart hammered against her ribs. "I’m sorry, Mr. Grant, but this is suicide! I’ve heard about this guy. He’s dangerous and If he finds out I’m a fake, he will end me. I won't be alive to see my mother."

"No pain, no gain, Freya. Think about your mum’s heart. She only has thirty days."

"No, I won't do it!" Freya said, her voice rising. "I want to save her, but I won't become a sacrifice. I'll pass."

Mr. Grant’s smile vanished instantly. His face turned into a mask of rage. "You think you have a choice? You owe me thousands, Freya. If you say no, you pay me every cent right now, or things would end very badly for you ."

Freya looked at the guards closing in. Panic took over. She didn't think; she just turned and bolted out the door.

"Catch her! Don't let her reach the exit!" Mr. Grant screamed.

Freya ran like her life depended on it - because it did. She burst through the VIP doors and into the main casino, but the guards were everywhere. She saw a service door leading to a back alley and dove through it, hoping to lose them in the dark.

She ran into the shadows of a narrow, cold alleyway. It was pitch black, lit only by a single flickering light. She turned a corner, panting for breath, but stopped dead in her tracks.

The alley wasn't empty.

Three large black SUVs were parked in a circle. Grouped around them were at least a dozen men dressed in identical black suits and dark ties.

They stood in a circle, talking calmly. Different boxes were in the middle of them. One box was open, filled with bundles of cash. It looked like a gang exchange, quietly washing dirty money.

The atmosphere was freezing. This wasn't a party; it was like something dark was happening.

Freya tried to back away, but her foot hit a metal trash can. CLANG.

Every single man in a black suit turned at once.

"Who's there?" a voice commanded.

A man stepped out from the shadows of the middle SUV. He was tall, with broad shoulders and a presence that made the air feel heavy. He stepped into the light, and Freya’s breath hitched.

It was him. Darlington Knight.

In person, he was much more terrifying than the photos. His eyes were cold, dark, and dead. He looked at her like she was an ant he was about to crush.

"A spy?" Darlington asked, his voice a low, dangerous growl. He began to walk toward her, the sound of his expensive shoes clicking on the pavement like a countdown.

Freya was trapped. Mr. Grant’s men were fast approaching behind her, and the city’s most dangerous man was standing in front of her. She couldn't move. She couldn't even scream. Darlington stopped just inches away from her and said.

"Give me one reason," he whispered, "How you got here?”