Alle Kapitel von BENEATH THE MASK : Kapitel 31 – Kapitel 40

POV: AkaydaIt was another day to go to work and go make some money.I had been working at Knight Enterprises for a while now and I had just realized something surprising.I was gradually getting used to the office life.The long hours.The constant movement.And also the quiet pressure that came with working on the seventy second floor of one of the most powerful and biggest buildings in the city.And honestly, I knew it could have been worse.The most interesting part of all this was that the work itself wasn’t even the major problem anymore. I had successfully learned and mastered how to organize Damian Knight’s schedule, anticipate and predict his moods, and stay ten steps ahead of whatever the day threw at my face. And somewhere along the line, the chaos had started to feel… like my new normal.I also hadn’t seen Vivian Hale since that day.The day she smiled at me like I was her friend and then tried to end my career in the same breath.And then there was Jamila?I had also not

POV: Damian We were presently sitting around the dining table in my penthouse—my mother, Amy Knight, Vivian… and me. I was currently sitting upright, my shoulders were relaxed in my seat and my face as usual, was carefully unreadable. Every instinct in my body wanted to drag Vivian out by the hair and ask her why she was here and then tell her to leave. But my mother was watching. So for tonight, I was going to pretend to tolerate her presence. It seems Vivian, on the other hand, didn't know what silence meant. Because tell me why her mouth had not stopped moving since we sat down to eat. She talked while chewing. Talked while swallowing. Talked while reaching for her drink and even while drinking it too. At this point, I was genuinely impressed. How the food had not yet choked her was a wonder to me. It had to be a skill. Nope, it was definitely a skill. “And then she said—mmph—that I was being dramatic,” Vivian continued, waving her fork slightly as she spoke. “Can you

POV: AkaydaI hate mornings. Especially Monday mornings.Monday mornings were usually very hard for me especially after a peaceful weekend, but this one felt like I was serving a punishment. And that was because the weekend jad not really been peaceful at all.I had stayed indoors for the entire weekend. My curtains remained drawn.u phone remained on silent throughout. Every small sound felt like my heart was about to pop out from my chest. And all this started ever since I had run into Madam Iris at the office, I had been looking over my shoulder like someone was following me.I mean, just seeing her only had scared me shitless.And then everything she had said, added more to my already existing fears.I mean, how did she know that I had been wearing contact lenses every night I worked at the club.For two years.Two whole years of working at the club, hiding behind my colored medicated lenses, fake lashes, stage lights, and a name that wasn’t mine. Jade Firefly. I had been so car

POV: DamianIt was already way past closing hours, but I was still in my office.The lights on the 72nd floor where my office was, were dimmed, the usual office noise had become silent. Even the constant movement and activity from other floors had gone silent. The building felt peaceful now, like it was holding its breath waiting for me to do something.But I knew exactly why I was still here.I was stalling.My jacket was thrown over the back of my chair, my tie was loose, my sleeves were rolled up. The documents on my desk had not changed position for the past hour. My laptop screen had gone off twice, and twice now I had tapped the mouse just to keep the screen awake—like that would somehow delay what was waiting for me.Or rather who was waiting for me.Eric.Truth be told, Eric was a very jovial and carefree person. The most fun person in my life. He was always joking, always acting like nothing truly bothered him. But when he switched into damage control mode… that was the Eri

POV: Damian By the time we got back to the office from the medical checkup, it was already past noon. At least I knew that much. What I didn’t know—what I honestly couldn’t remember—was the exact time we got in. Was it by twelve? Twelve thirty? One? The hours at the hospital had blurred together into one long stretch of white walls, antiseptic smells, clipped voices, with medical terms I couldn't understand and too much silence. I really hated the hospital. My medicals had gone fine. Perfect, even. Nothing alarming. Nothing unexpected. And that was a good thing seeing as I had not been sleeping for a while now. But that wasn’t what had disturbed me all day long. What or rather who had bothered me was Eric. From the very moment we left the office and walked into the hospital till the moment we left, he had been in a very sour mood. He had been too quiet. Too watchful. And his eyes had remained sharp. His eyes had remained glued to Akayda and had followed her everywhere