CHAPTER ONE
LILA
“What have you done to me?” I mutter, narrowing my gaze at the stranger in the mirror.
Why did I ever agree to this?
Aster squeals beside me, doing a little victory dance. “Oh my gosh… You look like pure, drop-dead sex in heels.”
I shoot her a side-eye. “Just because it’s Halloween doesn’t mean you get to dress me like a pornstar.”
“Oh, yes it does,” she teases, giving me a cheeky swat on the butt with a wink.
“Besides, you’re the hottest Rapunzel I’ve ever seen.
” She steps back, admiring her handiwork.
“Who knows? Maybe your Flynn Rider will come along tonight…smolder and all… and sweep you off on a ride that’ll make you forget all about that tower. ”
I grab a silk pillow from her bed and launch it at her. She dodges with a laugh, disappearing into the bathroom. Left alone, I run my fingers along the edge of her vanity. Even her makeup brushes look expensive. Gold-handled, soft-bristled. The kind I’d never buy for myself.
I turn back to the mirror and let out the breath I feel like I’ve been holding since I stepped into this costume.
My fingers trail over the sparkly lavender corset Aster expertly laced me into, hugging my figure in all the right places.
The ruffled skirt sits daringly high on my thighs, shorter than anything I’d wear on a typical day.
Yet somehow… it feels enchanting.
My long, golden waves cascade over one shoulder in a loose braid, delicate purple flowers woven through the strands. A tiara rests atop my head, its golden frame encrusted with crystals that shimmer like tiny fragments of stardust.
Aster even worked her magic with my makeup. My green eyes are lined just enough to appear wide and doe-like, my cheeks dusted with a pink hue and a hint of shimmer. My lips are painted a deep mauve, full and inviting.
Not that I’d ever invite someone to use them.
Maybe it’s the oil accentuating my legs. Perhaps it’s the mischievous chameleon perched on my shoulder, daring me to step out of my comfort zone. But for the first time, I’m not just playing dress-up. I’m not the invisible girl in the background.
I look like I belong in a story worth telling. Transformed. Bold. A woman finally ready to be seen.
And it’s all thanks to her.
Growing up, Aster Sikes was my saving grace.
When I turned ten, my parents poured their life savings into transferring me to a prestigious boarding academy.
My dad even took a job as a janitor there to receive a tuition discount.
My mom had dropped out of school to raise her younger brother after their parents died in a car crash.
My dad aged out of the system, growing up in an orphanage without a proper education.
They gave up everything for me.
So, I worked. I studied. I earned scholarships and did everything I could to lighten their burden.
But no matter how hard I tried, my classmates never let me forget where I came from.
They mocked my thrift-store clothes. Snickered when I ate lunch alone.
Wrinkled their noses like poverty was contagious.
I learned to make myself invisible until Aster found me and pulled the invisibility cloak off.
Aster Sikes is everything I’m not… unapologetically cool, effortlessly rich, and totally magnetic.
Her father runs Si kes & Co. Renewables, the clean energy empire her grandfather built, and her parents turned into a global force.
The company builds solar panels and wind turbines, powering everything from luxury homes to entire cities in over sixty countries.
Forbes features them so often, they might as well have their own column.
We met when we were paired for a science project, and from that day on, we were inseparable.
We were both only children, so finding each other felt like fate, like we’d stumbled into sisterhood.
When Aster stood beside me, the bullying slowed.
She got detention for fighting kids twice her size and gave me her designer hand-me-downs.
The pastel, princessy outfits her mom insisted she wear, but she never would.
She thought dressing me up might shut the bullies up.
Sometimes, they still whispered. But I didn’t care anymore because I wasn’t alone.
Aster made me feel seen. Accepted. Wanted. Her family became my second home. Her parents treated me like I belonged, even though they were billionaires, while mine barely scraped together enough to buy groceries. And now, fifteen years later, she’s still my person.
I fidget with the hem of my skirt, tugging it down like I can shrink myself back into the shadows. I’m used to blending in and fading into the background. But this costume? It makes me stand out. It makes me visible. And I’m not sure if that excites me… or terrifies me.
“Don’t do that, Lila!” Aster’s voice snaps from the bathroom. “I know exactly what that beautiful little brain is thinking. You look freaking amazing. Now hold your head high and strut that twenty-six-year-old body with confidence!”
“Okay… I’ll try,” I murmur.
“You better! Be honest… do my boobs look amazing or what? ”
She struts out, confidence oozing from every inch of her. I laugh, taking her in. “You look so hot. Total Halle Berry Cat Woman vibes.”
“It better! Do you know how hard it was to squeeze into this latex? Someone better make me purr loud enough for Gotham to hear.”
I giggle, shaking my head, secretly wishing I had even half her ease around people.
She’s poured into a black, skin-tight bodysuit that hugs her like a second skin. Her shoulder-length black hair sways as she moves, cat ears perched atop her head. Smoky eyeshadow makes her amber eyes burn gold in the light.
Aster is everything I am not. She is the moon to my sun, night to my day, the fire to my quiet flame.
One look, one touch, and she has people at her feet, while I’m stumbling over my insecurities, just trying to disappear into the shadows.
Yet somehow, she convinced me to step out tonight.
To take up space. To be seen. To dress in a way I’d never dare.
To become someone, I never allowed myself to be.
And I can’t shake the feeling that tonight will be different.
That maybe… just maybe… I’m about to meet a version of myself I’ve kept locked away.
The part that’s been trapped in a tower, waiting for a single moment to break free.
As we descend Aster’s grand staircase, my fingers glide along the cold marble railing, our heels clacking in sync with my pounding heart. Aster moves past me, leaving behind a trail of her luxurious perfume, a captivating blend of vanilla and rose that lingers in the air like a love potion.
She grabs her custom-made shoulder bag, a shimmering masterpiece designed to look like a pile of gold and silver jewelry. It’s the perfect match for her Cat Woman ensemble, bold, dramatic, and obsessed with everything shiny. Of course, she didn’t find it. So naturally, she had it made.
Aster doesn’t do anything halfway. She pours her entire heart and soul into every detail. And because of that, she doesn’t just wear the costume… She becomes it, like she stepped straight out of the movie.
She arches a brow at me, confusion flashing across her face. “Lila, where is your purse? You need to carry something to hold your taser, pocketknife, and pepper spray.”
I roll my eyes. “It did not match my costume. Besides, where are we going that I would need all those weapons?”
She laughs, strutting over to the foyer table and picking up a blush-colored box topped with a white lace bow. With a mischievous grin stretching from ear to ear, she sets it down in front of me.
“Open it,” she says, practically bouncing with excitement.
“No way. Aster, you really didn’t have to get me anything! You already dressed me from head to toe.”
“It’s just a little something to complete your costume… I couldn’t resist.”
I tear into the box and burst out laughing, doubling over and crossing my legs as I try not to pee from laughing. I’m gasping for air, completely losing it. “Stop. You did not get me a cast-iron skillet shoulder bag.”
“Oh, I did,” Aster says proudly. “And it’s stocked with goodies in case we run into any crazy-ass guys tonight.”
Still giggling, I wrap my arms around her neck. “You’re insane, but that’s why I love you.”
She hugs me tight, then suddenly squeezes my sides, making me shriek. “Loosen up, woman! Tonight is about fun.”
“Stop!” I squeal, trying to wiggle free. “You know I’m ticklish! ”
“Exactly why I did it,” she grins, relentless. “I’m tickling the nerves out of you.”
As we make our way to her blacked-out Mercedes G Wagon, my legs feel weak with nerves.
Okay Lila… You can do this.
I usually never agree to attend events or parties. She is a celebrity, not me. I am just an ordinary girl with a simple routine. Work. Go home to my tiny apartment. Cook. Bathe. Read. Write. Sleep. Repeat. That’s my life. Safe. Predictable.
This version of me? It isn’t who I am. It has never been. But tonight… I want it to be, just for one night.
Her world is an extravagant whirlwind of shopping, traveling, interviews, and fashion shows. But truthfully? I’ve never envied it. I crave a quiet life. She thrives in chaos. I find comfort in stillness. But she promised tonight would be low-key. Just a simple Halloween party.
I hesitate, my hand hovering over the door handle, seriously considering backing out.
Come on.
Come on.
Open the damn door.
I close my eyes and yank the door. I climb up into the G-Wagon, my pulse echoing in my ears. The doors click shut behind me, soft but final, like I’ve just sealed away the girl I used to be.
It’s just a party, I tell myself.
Just a few hours of socializing.
But something stirs deep in my chest. Not fear. Anticipation. Like my skin knows something my mind hasn’t caught up to yet.
What I do know is this... I’ve stepped out of my tower tonight, ready to explore the new world waiting for me.
And the girl in the mirror? She’s done hiding.
Not from herself. Not from anyone. Tonight, she steps into the spotlight.
Head high. Heart racing. Fire pulsing through her veins. Ready or not…
Here I come.