Chapter 60
Mia stood in the changing room, staring at Emily as she pulled off her work uniform and reached for her bag.
The words were on her tongue before she could stop them.
“I want to go with you guys.”
Emily froze mid-motion, turning to look at her with a mix of confusion and surprise. “To the underground ring?” Her brows pulled together as if she needed to make sure she’d heard right.
Mia nodded, swallowing hard.
Emily hesitated. “But-”
“My house will be chaotic right now,” Mia rushed out, cutting her off. “If I go home, I won’t be able to get any rest, so why not just follow you guys and feed my eyes?”
It was a weak excuse, but it was better than the truth.
Emily stares at her like she has so much to say.
“I uhh Phantom A is-”
“I know who is Emily and it doesn’t bother me” Mia cut her short again, lying smoothly
Emily studied her for a second, then shrugged. “Yeah, sure. Okay. My boyfriend will be here any moment. Let’s hurry up.”
Mia let out a silent breath of relief.
She was glad Emily didn’t press her with questions she wasn’t ready to answer.
They finished getting dressed quickly, grabbed their bags, and stepped outside to wait for Emily’s boyfriend.
The night air was cold, carrying the distant hum of traffic and the occasional burst of laughter from lingering customers at
Casa.
As they stood there, Emily launched into a rant about work, complaining about how chaotic the lounge had been tonight
Some rich brat had thrown a birthday party.
Mia nodded
But her mind was somewhere else.
On someone else.
She hated herself for it, but she couldn’t stop thinking about Alex.
She hadn’t seen him in over a week.
Hadn’t heard from him.
And the one time she’d swallowed her pride and texted him-just a simple hi-he’d ignored her.
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Chapter 60
That should have been enough.
That should have made her push him out of her mind and move on.
But it didn’t.
Instead, she was standing here, waiting for Emily’s boyfriend, getting ready to follow them to the underground fights-just
to see him.
And for what?
What exactly was she expecting?
Alex had made it clear he didn’t want to talk to her.
And yet, she still cared.
She had no idea why.
Why she was so weak when it came to him.
She’d spent her whole life avoiding the rich brats of Willowcrest, refusing to get caught up in their games.
She had promised herself she would never end up like her sisters-never let herself be used and thrown around.
She never thought she would let herself fall for someone who saw her as nothing more than a plaything.
And yet, here she was.
Falling for one of them like a complete idiot.
A fool.
And the worst part?
She knew it.
She knew exactly what was happening.
This wasn’t just some silly crush anymore.
It wasn’t just an infatuation with the unattainable.
It was more than that.
Mia was falling for Alex.
And she didn’t even know if he saw her as anything more than a plaything for his games.
That realization hit her like a slap to the face.
She clenched her jaw, shoving her hands into her pockets, her nails digging into her palms.
She didn’t want this.
Didn’t want to feel this way.
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But she did.
Emily was still talking, something about a guy who had pissed her off, but Mia barely heard her.
Her thoughts were too loud.
Too messy.
Nothing was making sense.
Alex didn’t make sense.
One moment, he was looking at her like she was the only thing that mattered. Like she was the air he needed to breathe.
The next second, he was looking at her like he hated her, like he wanted to stone her to death.
Like she was nothing.
One moment, he was holding her like he couldn’t get enough, like he needed to feel her, to touch her, to have her.
The next, he was acting like she didn’t exist.
It was exhausting.
It was draining.
And yet, she couldn’t just get him out of her head.
She should.
She wanted to.
But she couldn’t.
And that was the worst part of all.
Mia slid into the back seat of Emily’s boyfriend’s car, pressing her forehead against the cool glass of the window.
She barely notices or hears anything.
Her mind was elsewhere.
Trapped in a loop she couldn’t escape.
She needed to get out of this Alexander hole before it completely swallowed her.
But how?
It wasn’t as simple as telling herself to stop caring. If it were, she wouldn’t be here. She wouldn’t be following Emily and her boyfriend to a place she had no business being in.
She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment.
The closer they got to the underground ring, the more anxious she became.
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She exhaled slowly.
But what would she do?
She couldn’t approach him-not when she had no idea how he would react.
Would he ignore her? Insult her? Humiliate her in front of everyone?
Or…
The more dangerous thought crept in, unbidden.
Or he could pull you close and kiss you like he did last time.
Her stomach clenched.
She hated that her mind even went there.
Because that was the problem.
Alex confused her.
One moment, he acted like she was something he needed-his hands gripping her like he couldn’t let go, his eyes dark and unreadable, his touch setting fire to her skin.
And the next?
Like she meant nothing.
Mia shook her head.
She needed to stop thinking about this.
About him.
The car slowed as they pulled into a crowded parking lot.
Mia’s heart thumped against her ribs.
Everywhere was packed. Cars filled every space, people loitered outside in small groups, and the energy in the air was thick with anticipation.
“Did we come late?” Emily asked from the front seat, her eyes scanning the lot.
“No,” her boyfriend said, still looking for a parking spot. “It’s always like this when Phantom A is fighting.”
Mia’s heart picks up another rhythm
Phantom A.
Alex.
Her fingers curled into her lap, pressing against the fabric of her jeans.
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She wasn’t sure she was ready to see him
She thought she was, but now, with the reality of seeing him so close, the anxiety settled deep in her bones.
She barely registered when the car finally came to a stop, only snapping her out of it when Emily nudged her shoulder.
“We’re here,” Emily said.
Mia forced herself to move, stepping out of the car.
The underground ring was loud and chaotic.
The smell of sweat, alcohol, and cigarette smoke clung to the air, mixing with the shouts of men placing their bets and the dull thud of fists meeting flesh.
Her gaze flickered toward the ring.
She expected to see two men fighting.
Instead….
Two women were in the ring, their bodies glistening under the dim lights.
Mia’s brows pulled together.
She had no idea women fought here too.
Her confusion deepened as she took in what they were wearing-or rather, what they weren’t wearing.
They were practically naked.
Just small, flimsy underwear that covered nothing, their bodies on full display as they clawed and grabbed at each other.
It wasn’t a fight.
Not really.
Not like the ones she’d seen before.
This was something else entirely.
She glanced at Emily, who was staring at the ring with the same puzzled expression.
Emily’s boyfriend must have noticed their confusion because he leaned in slightly, a smirk pulling at his lips.
“They’re strippers,” he said casually, waving down a waiter to order drinks,
Mia stares
Strippers?
That only made it more confusing.
“But… they’re fighting,” Emily said, voicing the question Mia hadn’t managed to.
Her boyfriend chuckled, leaning closer to whisper “A different kind of stripping.”
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Mia turned back to the ring.
She hadn’t noticed it at first, but now it was obvious.
The fight wasn’t about winning or losing.
It was about entertainment.
For the men in the crowd.
Men who were throwing money at them, their voices degrading, their laughter crude.
She looks away, shaking her head….
And that’s when her eyes caught sight of him.
She froze…
