BENEATH THE MASK のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 1 - チャプター 10

POV: AkaydaMy hands were shaking.No—trembling.Not from fear but anticipation.I blinked as I read the email on my cracked laptop screen for the seventh time, but the words still didn’t change.‘Congratulations, Miss Jordan.You have passed the final stage of the interview.Please, we would like you to resume work at Knight Enterprises unfailingly by Monday.’I removed my glasses, wiped them with the edge of my shirt, and placed them back on my face—aggressively, you'd think I was fighting with them. It felt like my eyes were lying. Maybe I was seeing things. Maybe I was so used to rejection that my brain had decided to prank me today.I read it again.And again.And again.My breath caught in my throat.“Holy…” I whispered, covering my mouth. “Oh my God… Yes, yes, yes. I got it.”I had gotten the job.I got the job.The job I thought I’d never get. The job I had prayed for almost every night. The job I cried myself to sleep for every night. The job I had already given up on.My che

POV: AkaydaIt was finally sunday night.My last night here.The neon lights flickered against the hallway walls, causing the whole place to glow purple and blue as I tightened the straps of my heels. I couldn’t believe it—after today, after a few more hours of forcing a smile, after one last climb on that pole, I would finally be done. No more Jade Firefly. No more late nights dancing. No more fake flirting with drunken men.Just… Akayda Jordan. A secretary at Knight Enterprises.God, it still sounded unreal.“Girl, I’m really happy for you.” Bunny said as she brushed her curls in front of the mirror. “I mean, who would’ve thought that you’d actually get your dream job after all those countless interviews?”Melina scoffed dramatically. “I knew she would get it. It was only a matter of time.”I smiled. “Thanks, Lina.”Another stripper—Cherry—let out a long sigh. “I’m jealous, honestly. I’ve already given up on ever finding a job in the corporate world.”Before I could respond, Starli

POV: AkaydaI didn’t sleep.Couldn't sleep at all.Not for a single second. My eyes stayed open all through the night.I just laid there on my back, staring at the door of my small bedroom while the early Monday sun tried to force its way through my blue curtains.My mind had been on overdrive since last night. My body hadn’t rested. Everything inside me felt like it was vibrating.Why?Because I had done something stupid last night.Very, very stupid. And reckless.I sighed and dragged my hand through my hair for what felt like the hundredth time.“If I run my hands through my hair one more time,” I muttered, “I’ll definitely go bald.”But no matter how hard I tried, my mind kept going back to last night. To him.The man I kissed.The man who kissed me back like I was the only thing alive in that room.The man whose eyes had been pulling me in since the second I saw him from the stage.His eyes… God.I rubbed my face and groaned.Everything those crazy girls had said before I went on

POV: AkaydaI was seated behind my desk, my fingers moving quickly over my laptop keys, when the door to my office suddenly opened.I raised my head up just in time to see Eric walk in, his long strides confident as always. Behind him was Arabella — Bella — his secretary, chatting lightly as she struggled slightly with the weight of a pile of files loaded on her arms.“You can drop the files on the table, Arabella.” Eric said.Arabella did as she was told, dropping the files neatly in front of me before standing up straight and flashing me a warm smile.“Hey, Kay,” she said.“Hey,” I replied, returning the smile.Eric folded his arms. “These are the files I've been working on. I could’ve just sent them to you through email, but Damian prefers working with paper most times.”I nodded. “Understood.”“It’s nothing complicated,” Eric continued. “I’ve worked on almost all of them already. You’ll just be doing the finishing touches and then make sure he signs them.”“Okay. I’ll take care of

POV: DamianI couldn’t believe what my ears had just heard.At that very moment, I thought I’d heard her wrong.I leaned forward in my seat, my elbows resting on the table in front of me, my eyes locked on Madam Iris like she had just spoken another language and was trying to run away.“What exactly do you mean by she doesn’t work here anymore?” I asked slowly, my voice low, controlled. Too controlled even for my own liking.Madam Iris smiled. Not wide. Not kind. Just enough to tell me she knew exactly what she was doing. Like she was happy seeing me break down like a mad man.“Exactly what you heard,” she replied calmly. “Last night was her last night here.”I felt the muscle in my chest tightened painfully, squeezing the air out of me.I had come all the way back here to this strip club. I had sat in this office and breathed in this suffocating scent of cheap perfume and smoke and alcohol. All to be told that the very girl I was looking for didn't work here anymore.“As a matter of