Chapter Two

Rowena’s POV

"Rowena, please hurry," Cressida pleaded over the loud club music.

"Stop pulling me," I argued. I gently yanked my wrist out of her soft grip.

"We are already late," she fretted. Her big, innocent doe eyes filled with genuine worry. "The manager will be so upset with us."

"Let him get mad," I muttered.

I struggled to breathe. I recognized this exact hallway. I knew the bright neon signs on the walls. This was the exact chapter I read just an hour ago. Tonight was the night Arlo Kensington noticed Cressida. Tonight was the night the original Rowena started plotting her own downfall. I looked down at my scandalous crimson silk outfit and swallowed hard. I refused to die for a fictional plot.

"Are you feeling okay?" Cressida asked softly. She reached out and gently touched my arm. "You look so pale."

"I am fine," I answered quickly, taking a step back.

"Did you drink something in the dressing room?" she asked, her voice dripping with sweet concern. "You know you can tell me."

"I didn't drink anything, Cressida."

"I just want us to do a good job tonight," she whispered. She nervously played with the hem of her pure white dress. "Mr. Kensington is here tonight. He took over the whole VIP section."

"I don't care," I told her honestly. "You can serve him."

"But the manager asked for both of us," she said nervously. "I can't go out there alone."

"Hi, sweetie," a friendly voice interrupted us.

Mila, another dancer, walked past us in the hallway. She smiled warmly at Cressida. Then her eyes darted to me, and her friendly smile instantly dropped into a hard glare.

"Is she giving you a hard time again, Cressida?" Mila asked, crossing her arms.

"I'm not doing anything," I defended myself.

"Rowena is just feeling a little sick," Cressida jumped in quickly. She was always the sweet peacemaker, which only made people love her more. "She isn't giving me a hard time."

"You are way too nice to her," Mila sighed, giving me a disgusted look. "Everyone knows she just uses you to get better tips."

"That isn't true," Cressida said softly.

"Whatever you say, hun," Mila told her. "Good luck in the VIP section."

Mila quickly walked away down the hall. I rubbed my temples. This was exactly how the book described it. Everyone adored Cressida. Everyone naturally hated Rowena.

"Why are you girls dragging your feet?" a harsh voice boomed behind us.

I jumped. The club manager stood at the end of the hallway.

"I am so sorry, sir," Cressida apologized quickly. She lowered her head respectfully. "We were just heading out."

"It isn't your fault, Cressida," the manager said. His angry tone instantly softened when he looked at her. Then he turned a harsh, cold glare on me. "It's always you, Rowena. Always causing problems."

"I just needed a minute," I told him.

"I don't pay you to take minutes," the manager snapped. "I pay you to entertain. Get out there right now. Section four. Mr. Kensington requested my best girls. If you mess this up, Rowena, you are fired."

"Fired?" I asked, my heart skipping a beat.

"You heard me," he threatened. "Do not ruin this for Cressida."

"I will help her, sir," Cressida promised sweetly. "I won't let her mess up."

The manager turned and walked away.

"Come on," Cressida whispered to me. "Let's just get this over with."

We stepped out onto the main club floor. The intense heat of a hundred sweating bodies hit me instantly. The music was deafening.

"Stay close to me, please," Cressida asked timidly.

"No," I refused. I immediately took a step away from her. "You go ahead."

"But we always walk together," she said, looking genuinely confused.

"I will catch up," I insisted. I stepped back into the dark shadows near the heavy velvet curtains.

"Don't leave me alone," she pleaded, looking around the crowded club with wide, scared eyes.

"Just walk," I told her.

Cressida sighed softly and turned around. She walked forward, her hips swaying naturally with the music. She looked like an actual angel walking through a dark, sinful room. She neared the gold roped section. Arlo sat in the dark behind the ropes. He was a terrifying, imposing silhouette.

I watched her get closer to the spilled drink on the floor. Just as she reached the puddle, she hesitated. She stopped walking and looked back at me. She looked terrified, as if asking me for a bit of courage.

"Rowena, I'm scared," she mouthed over the loud music.

"Keep walking," I mouthed back from the shadows.

She stood right next to the puddle. She nervously wrung her hands together. She refused to take another step without me by her side. In the original book, this was the moment Rowena ran up to steal the spotlight, causing the accident.

I groaned in frustration. She was taking too long. If I stayed near her, Arlo would notice me too. I needed to get out of his sight fast.

I stepped out of the shadows and walked up right behind her.

"Hold my hand?" she asked sweetly, holding her hand out to me.

I didn't take her hand. I didn't step forward to compete with her. Instead, I reached out from behind her. I placed both of my hands flat on her back, and I practically shoved her forward.

"Hey!" Cressida yelped in surprise.

I pushed her hard enough to ensure she fell right into Arlo's path. Then I immediately ducked back into the dark shadows near the curtains.

Cressida let out a loud, breathy gasp. She tumbled forward over the spilled drink. Her arms reached out to land perfectly in Arlo's lap.

I held my breath in the dark. I waited for the famous romance to start.

But it didn't happen.

Arlo Kensington didn't catch her. With lightning speed and cold precision, he simply stepped to the side.

Cressida hit the hard floor with a loud smack. Her drink spilled all over her innocent white dress.

"Ouch!" she cried out in actual pain. She grabbed her knee, looking up at him with wide, tearful eyes. "That really hurt!"

Arlo didn't even look down at her. His cold, predatory gaze swept right over her embarrassed form. He looked straight through the dark club. I felt a cold chill run down my spine. His dark, bottomless eyes locked directly onto mine. He found me hiding in the shadows.

He saw me push her.

"Help me up, please," Cressida whimpered softly from the floor.

Arlo ignored her completely. I tried to back away, looking for an exit, but my legs felt like heavy lead.

Arlo slowly raised his hand. He snapped his fingers just once.

His massive, terrifying bodyguard stepped right over Cressida's crying form.

"Watch where you are stepping!" Cressida yelled at the huge man, her sweet voice breaking with tears.

The bodyguard ignored her. He walked straight up to my dark corner. He stopped right in front of me and pointed a thick finger directly at my chest.

"You," the bodyguard growled. "Mr. Kensington wants you in his private booth. Right now.”