Chapter 11: The Mask of Luxury

"Huh!" I gasped in shock. "Did Marcus finally figure it out already?" I whispered to myself as I quickly tapped the numbers on the keypad. My fingers were trembling slightly, not from fear, but from the weight of the game I had chosen to play. I waited. For a second, nothing happened. Then, suddenly, the soft sound of the lock releasing came. A small click, so quiet but so loud in my ears. The door opened by itself.

I stepped inside slowly, blinking as the apartment came alive. It was like stepping into another world. The lights turned on one after the other, not with switches but as if the house could sense my presence. The curtains on the massive windows glided open gently, revealing the night sky and the city stretching endlessly beneath it. The lights outside twinkled like fallen stars had scattered across the land. The buildings stood tall and proud, like the kings and queens of the city.

Then came a soft voice. It was calm, smooth, almost robotic, but with a strange touch of warmth.

"Welcome. Would you like the windows to remain open or closed?"

I blinked, speechless for a moment. I had never had anyone ask me how I wanted my windows. My old apartment barely had proper curtains, let alone automated ones.

"Uh... open is fine," I answered, my voice a bit shaky from everything.

"As you wish," the voice replied politely.

I walked farther into the room, my heels making soft taps against the smooth shiny floor. I could not hold back the smile tugging at my lips. My heart felt heavy and light at the same time. This place, this space, was something out of a dream. Plush carpets, a huge bed that looked like a cloud, walls painted with such softness it felt like art.

I rushed to the window, my purse falling from my shoulder and landing on the carpeted floor behind me. I leaned against the cold glass window. It was cold, yes, but for some reason I did not feel the cold. I felt warm, so warm. The kind of warmth that hugs your chest and makes you forget pain for a moment.

My eyes watered a little but I did not let the tears fall. I had cried too many nights already. Right now, I was going to enjoy this even if it was fake. I knew the truth. I knew this wasn't mine. I knew it was all arranged, all temporary, all built on lies. But still, this moment felt like something I deserved to taste, even if just once.

My old room back in the apartment I rented was small and dark. The walls had peeled in some places. The mattress made my back hurt every morning. I had no view, just the street where garbage men shouted and dogs barked. But here, I was a queen, even if it was all a play. And I would play this role well.

I had to. Marcus had promised. He said if I pulled this off, if I gave a performance so believable that even Ethan Malcovich would fall for it, then we could get my father's company back. The same company the Malcovich family stole after they killed my parents.

The bitterness in my heart burned hotter. I would never fall for Ethan, even if I have to be laid on his bed a thousand times I would never love him. I would never forgive the Malcovichs. Every smile, every look, every kiss, every intense moment, every word from me was fake. But necessary.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed. It rang loudly and dragged me out of my thoughts. I turned and walked towards the plush chair where I had tossed my bag earlier. I reached for my phone quickly. It was Emily.

I answered immediately.

"Emily! How did you pull this off?" I asked in a rush, my fingers going to my lips as I bit my nails out of habit. I waited for her voice. Emily was the only real person left in my life. The only person who knew all of me.

I had met Emily when I was barely eleven. I had no parents anymore. I had no money. I had nothing. Emily found me in the street crying and hungry. She took me in. She taught me how to survive in the hoods. How to talk, how to hide, how to lie if needed. She wasn't perfect. She dealt drugs. She sold information to the highest bidder. But she protected me like a sister.

Her voice came through the speaker.

"I saw you left with Ethan, Aria and I had to call Marcus immediately," she said.

I frowned.

"But... How did Marcus do this so fast? He said he needed two days to sort everything out. This place looks like it's been waiting for me forever. Emily, it’s perfect."

She chuckled softly.

"You know Marcus. If he tells you he needs two days, he probably already finished it before even saying it. The man has legs in every corner of this city. He knows where to push and who to push. Money talks, Aria. And Marcus knows how to make it scream."

I laughed a little.

"You need to come take a look, Emily. It’s so beautiful, you’ll lose your breath."

There was a long pause on the other end. I could hear Emily breathing.

"I would love to come baby.... But that place is not meant for me," she said quietly, while I felt a little tear tickle down my cheek. "But this place... even if it’s fake, it suits you, Aria….. You know I miss you so much baby. You know that, right?."

My chest tightened. Emily was my only friend and my lover. We've been through thick and thin and to think we could separate just because of this job made my stomach churn.

"Emily..."

But before I could say more, a second call came through. My screen showed the name.

Marcus.

Without thinking, I muttered, forgetting Emily was still on the line,

"Speak of the devil."

Emily’s voice returned sharply.

"Marcus?”