Chapter one

"Prisoner 359, you've been cleared and can now return to the community as the good citizen that you ought to be”. The voice of the prison warden, followed by the clashing sound of metals, sent waves of joy into my body.

It was still 4 AM in the morning, an hour before correctional service begins. What was he up to?

I stared into his eyes, waiting for him to declare it was a joke. He kept his gaze stern, shutting my ideal of him.

"I have no idea what you're planning to do to me, but it better be good," I replied, rising from my bunk.

"Meet me at the clearance office, mind you, don't try anything funny on your way out. This is the only chance you have to get out of here, Silent Mira." He disappeared into the darkness, leaving me to imagine what awaits me.

"Don't play games with me if you want to live," I slammed my fist into the bars, ignoring the pain that came afterwards.

"It's your choice, Mirabel; it's either you follow me or live in that filthy cell till you're dead.".

Is this really the prison warden in charge of me? This must be one of my nightmares; it will probably just go away.

"Come on in Prisoner 359," a thick masculine voice penetrated my ears as I reached the door of the clearance office.

"I heard I've been cleared. Wasn't this supposed to be a lifetime thing?" I inquired, staring at the muscular man right in front of me.

"Welcome, Miss Mirabel”. The name is Harry, Second Division Commander of the Elite Force.".

"How can I help you?".

"I would really like it if you dropped the keys you stole from the warden on your way in before I state my conditions.".

"You really are something." I reached for my pocket, offloading the set of keys I had picked from the warden's pocket.

"Silent Mira, one of the high-ranking members of the house of Hades. The wanted billionaire robber in 19 countries with over 140 successful operations. You're quite the woman, you know?" A soft voice rolled out, shutting the division commander up.

I veered towards the right, settling on a figure in a black cloak. Everything about her spelled mystery, one peculiar to the head of the house of Hades.

"What do I owe this visit of yours, Mistress?" I let out a smile.

"You shouldn't call me that, after all, we're the same." The figure grabbed her cloak, pulling it off in a swift movement.

Her bland brown eyes and her petite face sent shivers down my spine. Her ponytail hair with her tattooed arm made me stagger back.

This is impossible. How can this be? Tell me I'm in one of my oblivious nightmares.

"I can see you're shocked, Mirabel. Rest assured, this isn't a dream," the lieutenant's voice creeped out, adding to the pressure I had placed on myself.

"I didn't come here to see you in such a terrible phase. I only came here for a business proposal that would benefit the both of us, she said, moving closer to me, her gown moving with the wind.

"You…you… you're me." I stammered, seeing the resemblance in our faces.

"I'm not you, darling. You're just a replica of me, an idol," she spat out, wrapping her hands around mine.

"Miss Mirabel, this is Miss Annabel, California Superstar Actress, model, and Brand Ambassador of Operas," the lieutenant explained, staring at the connection between us.

"What's a superstar actress doing in a place like this?."

"As I stated before, I've come here for business." She walked back to her seat, drawing a red file from her bag.

"It's a thing of benefit. I owe Miss Annabel one; that's the only reason you're getting to see her."

"So what's this business proposal you have for me?" I asked.

"I have a mission to accomplish in Morocco, and I can't tell how easy it will be."

"So you want me to go on ahead with this so-called mission of yours?" I halted her, knowing how greedy the rich can be.

"Nothing like that. It's more of a complex proposal than the usual martial arts concept in the movies," the lieutenant stated.

"So what exactly do you want from me? Just so you know, I'm not a killer; I'm just a robber associated with the house of Hades."

"I'm not interested in your stealth. In fact, I don't want you to use it; this proposal is more of a correctional service that provides you freedom and wipes your traces off the earth."

"So you want to kill me?"

"What Miss Annabel is trying to say is that she wants you to fill in for her while she's away. You'll have to act as Miss Annabel till she's back from her trip.

"Meaning, you want me to pretend to be someone I'm not while she goes around playing Mission?".

"Yes, that's the proposal." Harry confirmed.

"So what is in it for me?"

"You get to become a lead actress, model, and ambassador for the mean time. Isn't that enough for you?" She moved towards me with her furrowed eyebrows and her clutched fist.

"If that's the proposal, then I might just take my chance in prison. It is more serene than the outside world." I turned to leave, hoping for better days ahead.

"A million dollars with your charges removed, how does that sound?" her voice resonated in my ears.

A grin suddenly appeared on my face. "What are the terms?"

"We break you out of this prison and cover your tracks till you get the job done. If you fail, you will be returned with a more severe punishment, which may be death at the very least." The lieutenant explained, his arms folded as he stared at me.

"You wouldn't be able to testify against us as we've edited a video of you escaping. "She positions her laptop on his desk, playing the scene.

“So what's it going to be, Miss Mirabel? Will you take your chances in prison, or you'll take the risk for a glimpse of sunshine?"

Annabel slid a photograph across the table and I picked it up .

My blood turned cold.

The man staring back at me was Raymond Clutches—the billionaire who had personally put me behind bars.

"You'll be living with him while I'm gone," she said.