Laurel P.O.V
All my life, I was the good girl — mama's little church girl with perfectly ironed skirts, choir ribbons, and the kind of obedience that smells like suffocation.
High school was survival, not adolescence. While the rich kids flaunted imported perfumes and cars their daddies bought, I was the quiet one with hand-me-down shoes and big dreams. Mom worked her fingers into dust just to keep food on our table, and I…I kept dreaming of silk pillows and marble floors.
They called me "too ambitious" I called it hunger.
From that day, I made myself a promise — I would never beg life for luxury; I'd take it. No matter what it cost.
And that's how I found my girls.
Four names. Four chaos queens. My girls, my sinners, my sisters-in-heels.
Scarlett, Sofie, Sally… and me, Laurel — the "innocent" one with a halo made of lies.
We weren't angels; we were an investment team.
And men? They were our investors.
---
"What the fuck!" Scarlett's voice sliced through the crowd as we strutted out of the airport, all sunglasses and sin. She grinned like she owned the runway — because, honestly, she did.
Scarlett was the wild one — the heiress who rebelled against her own wealth. Born with a platinum spoon but still choosing chaos. She was luxury in motion: her naturally curly hair kissed with shades of copper and wine-red at the tips, her laughter loud enough to turn heads, her heart soft enough to forgive herself after.
Sally, on the other hand, was the queenpin,the mastermind. Tall, sharp-eyed, with curves like a secret weapon and confidence that could silence a room.Her beauty wasn't sweet,it was strategic. She had that "Boardroom dominance" energy — fatally serious,sexually intimidating and entirely too aware of her power.
And then there's Sofie.
Sofie was the designer bitch — perfection polished to a mirror. Her family could buy small countries, and she dressed like she owned them. Everything about her was precise — her lipstick never smudged, her hair never frizzed, her attitude never softened.Her eyes said don't try me and her smile said you'll try anyway.
"Can you believe that guy coughed up three million dollars after acting all cocky?" Scarlett cackled,dragging her luggage behind her.
I adjusted my sunglasses,hips swaying to the rhythm of our victory. "Poland was boring.I'm ready for real luxury"
Sally smirked. "Then welcome to it,babe.I bought us a white apartment.You bitches couldn't agree on a color, so I made an executive decision"
Scarlett gasped dramatically. "A white penthouse in the middle of the city? Damn,Sally, are we trying to go to heaven or rob it again?"
We laughed,the sound blending with the purr of engines and the click of our heels against the pavement.
Our taxi arrived — black, sleek, smelling like leather and success. I slid in first, crossing my legs deliberately, my short champagne-colored dress riding just high enough to turn heads. Scarlett followed, still texting some fool she'd left heartbroken at the airport.
The driver asked, "Destination?"
Sally leaned forward with a smirk. "Pris Penthouse. Eighty-sixth floor"
The driver blinked. "That's...the most expensive—"
"Exactly" Sally interrupted,leaning back.
We didn't do cheap.
When the car pulled up, my breath caught.
The skyscraper towered into the sunlight — a glass needle piercing the blue, its reflection glittering like diamonds. Every window shimmered. Every shadow promised secrets.
"Holy hell" Scarlett whispered. "This place looks like God's personal paradise"
"Your fare is five bucks" The driver said, but none of us heard him. Our eyes were glued to the building — clean streets, flawless glass, neon reflections rippling across metal surfaces like art. The city skyline stretched like a symphony of wealth.
I stepped out slowly, the heat kissing my skin, the wind teasing my hair. My heels clicked with the rhythm of satisfaction.
A middle-aged woman approached with a polite smile and ushered us toward the entrance. Inside, the air smelled of money — air conditioning, marble polish, and old power.
I sank into a blue velvet couch near the reception desk, watching a woman type on a high-tech computer that probably cost more than our last apartment.Her voice was sharp and elegant. "Miss Sally Nunabae?"
Sally straightened like royalty. "That's me"
The receptionist smiled and handed her a platinum access card. "Welcome to Pris Penthouse.You'll find your unit breathtaking"
Scarlett rolled her eyes. "If ain't not,I'm suing"
Sally laughed,taking the card. "Bitch,welcome home"
Three suited men — tall,earpieces glinting,shoes polished to perfection,appeared to carry our luggage. We followed them to the elevator, our heels clacking in harmony.But then the doors slid open, and he walked in.
The stranger.
A man in a navy tuxedo, late twenties maybe. His presence screamed confidence — expensive watch, jawline like sculpture, a faint whiff of citrus cologne. His hair was light brown, dusted with a hint of silver at the tips like he'd been kissed by moonlight instead of time.
He stood right in front of us,silent,composed,dangerous in that quiet way.
Scarlett leaned close,whispering, "That motherfucker is sin"
I smirked behind my sunglasses. "He's not rich enough for you"
"Please" She hissed, "even his shadow smells like black card"
Before I could warn her, the elevator dinged. He stepped out and.disappeared.Scarlett dashed after him,but he was already gone.
"Fuck it!" She pouted. "He didn't even glance back"
Sally snorted. "He probably has a wife,a yacht and zero patience"
---
When the elevator reached our floor, the doors opened to a hallway glowing with golden lights and rich orange walls.Every step screamed luxury lifestyle.Sally inserted the platinum card and the door slid open with a voice so elegant it made me shiver.
> "Welcome to Pris Penthouse.You are currently at the eighty-sixth floor.Enjoy your stay"
I stepped in and nearly forgot to breathe.
The living room looked like heaven redesigned by Vogue — cream-colored walls, white marshmallow sofas in perfect formation,black glass coffee tables that reflected our faces like mirrors of temptation.A glass staircase coiled upward,lined with clear banisters that caught sunlight and threw it across the room like confetti.
"Holy…shit" Scarlett threw herself onto the couch. "This is better than my sugar daddy's yacht"
"Dame!" Sofie muttered,already adjusting the hem of her designer dress before sitting gracefully. "We live here now.We are the luxury"
I slipped off my stilettos,toes sinking into the thick carpet. "This is it" I murmured. "The life I promised myself"
Sally grinned. "And this time, babe, no running.We own this city now"
Moments later,the doorbell chimed.
A tall man entered,impossibly handsome, suit tailored to perfection, the kind of man whose cologne could start a war. His posture screamed power.
"You must be the new tenants" He said politely,bowing slightly. "Please review and sign the building policy forms"
Sally signed without a blink. "We'll have maids?"
"Of course" He replied. "Complimentary for premium residents"
Sofie tilted her head flirtatiously. "Do you work part-time here?"
He smiled,the kind of smile that hides a secret. "Full-time.Though my real work isn't quite…visible"
Her curiosity sparked. "Then maybe we'll talk again...privately"
He nodded, eyes unreadable. "Anytime,Miss"
And just like that,she followed him out,leaving us with our thoughts and a rising tension none of us could explain.
"Girls" Sally said after a pause,her tone low and dangerous, "the penthouse club meets on this floor.The leader is Katy Perezato,the lawyer I told you about"
Scarlett gasped. "Wait.The Katy Perezato? The undefeated criminal lawyer?"
Sally nodded,her eyes gleaming. "If we can get her on our side,we're untouchable.No case.No cops.No problem"
Scarlett stretched on the couch with a wicked smile. "So, basically…we're golden"
I exhaled slowly, staring at the skyline through the glass wall. Below us, the city sparkled like a diamond necklace — dazzling, fragile, and ready to choke whoever wore it too tight.
"This place" I whispered, "is going to change everything"
Scarlett laughed. "Change? Babe,it's going to make us"
But somewhere, deep inside that glittering silence,I felt it.
A shadow.
A warning.
The faint echo of fate sharpening its knife.
We thought we'd just bought our dream. But maybe…we'd just walked into it.