a romantic novel of sacrifice,secrets and soulmate

The velvet curtains felt like heavy stones against her back. Eliana could hear the thumping bass of the music through the floorboards, vibrating up into her heels.
"Don't look at their faces, Eli," Anita whispered, adjusting the crimson lace mask that covered the upper half of Eliana’s face. "Just look at the lights. Imagine you’re alone in your room. Do it for your mom."
Eliana took a shaky breath. The scent of expensive cigars and perfume wafted in. She stepped out into the spotlight. The room went silent. She wasn't like the other girls; she didn't move with practiced seduction. She moved like a willow tree in a storm—fragile, elegant, and heartbreakingly beautiful.
In the far corner, tucked away in the shadows of the VIP section, a pair of cold, grey eyes locked onto her. Liam lowered his glass of scotch, his heart doing something it hadn't done in years. It beat.
"Who is she?" Liam asked, his voice a low growl.
"They call her the Girl in Red," his associate chuckled. "New. Mysterious. Doesn't talk to anyone."
Liam didn't hear the rest. He only saw the way her fingers trembled as she reached for the pole, and the single tear that escaped from behind the red lace. In that moment, the billionaire who had everything realized he had finally found something he couldn't resist

Eliana returned to her shared apartment that evening feeling like a hollow shell. The rejection from Benson had been the final door slamming shut. She sat on the edge of her sagging mattress, the darkness of the room closing in. When the door opened, Anita walked in, smelling of heavy floral perfume and the city's night air.


Anita took one look at Eliana's tear-streaked face and dropped her handbag. "Tobi called me," Anita said softly, sitting beside her. "I know about the surgery."


"I don't know what to do, Anita," Eliana sobbed, burying her face in her hands. "I begged Benson. I looked into personal loans, but I have no collateral. No one will give a waitress a million Naira. I'm going to lose her."


Anita stayed silent for a long moment, her dark eyes reflecting a complicated mix of pity and pragmatism. She reached into her bag and pulled out a thick wad of cash—more than Eliana earned in four months. "This is from two nights at the Night Rose, Eli. Just two nights."


Eliana looked at the money as if it were a coiled snake. "I can't... I'm not like you, Anita. I can't do what you do."


"I'm not telling you to be me," Anita said firmly. "But look at that photo of your mom. Does she care where the money comes from? Or does she just want to live?"


Chapter 6 - chapter 6