Kara's sister is critically ill and needs surgery to survive, but Kara is drowning in debt and unable to afford the treatment. Desperate and overwhelmed, she steals money from dangerous gamblers, only to find herself hunted by them. Kara rushes to the hospital to pay for her sister's surgery, but when she arrives, they tell her the money isn't enough to begin the treatment. Determined to save her sister, Kara takes a job at a nightclub, cross-dressing as a man to earn the money she desperately needs. Elena, needing a fake boyfriend to introduce to her parents, visits the club and meets Kara-completely convinced she is a man. Seeing the perfect opportunity, Elena proposes a deal: Kara will pretend to be her boyfriend, and in return, Elena will cover all the expenses for Kara's sister's surgery. But as their arrangement continues, an undeniable bond forms between them. By the time Elena begins to suspect the truth, her heart is already entangled in a way she never expected. When Kara's secret is finally revealed, Elena must confront feelings she can no longer deny.
Chapter 1 A Night of Desperation.
The cold night air bit at Kara's skin as she sprinted through the narrow alleyways, her heart pounding violently against her ribs. The city lights flickered overhead, casting eerie shadows that twisted with her every movement. Behind her, heavy footsteps echoed-a warning that she wasn't alone.
"Find that bastard! She took our money!"
The angry voices sent a bolt of fear through her, but Kara couldn't stop now. She clutched the wad of stolen cash tighter, her breath ragged. It wasn't enough-not even close-but it was all she could get.
Lina doesn't have time.
Her little sister lay in a hospital bed, her body fragile, her breath weak. The doctors had made it clear-without the full payment, they wouldn't start the surgery. Kara had begged, pleaded, but rules were rules.
So she did what she had to.
She stole.
A sharp turn led her into a dead-end alley. Shit. She spun around, only to see three figures blocking her escape. One of them, a towering brute with a scar running across his jaw, cracked his knuckles.
"You made a big mistake, kid."
Kara forced herself to stand tall, even as fear curled in her stomach. "I'll get you the rest," she lied. "Just give me time."
Scar-Jaw chuckled darkly. "Oh, you'll pay-one way or another."
He lunged.
Kara reacted on instinct, ducking low and kicking off the ground. She twisted past him, slamming her elbow into his ribs, making him grunt. She didn't stop-couldn't. She bolted past the others, knocking over trash cans to slow them down.
Her pulse roared in her ears as she tore down the streets, breathless, desperate.
The hospital came into view-a beacon of hope in the suffocating darkness. She didn't stop running until she burst through the entrance doors.
"Miss?" The receptionist looked startled as Kara shoved the crumpled bills onto the counter.
"This is all I have," Kara gasped, hands trembling. "Please. My sister needs the surgery."
The woman hesitated before glancing at the money. A sympathetic look flickered across her face, but it was quickly replaced by professionalism.
"I'm sorry, but this is only twenty percent of the cost. Hospital policy states that we need at least eighty percent upfront to begin treatment."
Kara's stomach dropped. The room spun. No. She had risked everything, stolen from dangerous people, and still-it wasn't enough?
Her vision blurred with unshed tears.
"Isn't there anything you can do?" Her voice cracked. "She's just a kid. She-"
"I understand," the receptionist interrupted, a flicker of pity in her eyes. "But rules are rules."
Kara's fingers curled into fists.
What now?
She had nothing left. No savings, no family to ask for help. Just Lina... and a city that didn't care if she lived or died.
Her body swayed slightly from exhaustion, but she forced herself to stand firm. Crying won't save her.
Think, Kara. Think.
Then she spotted it.
A flyer, discarded on the counter. The bold letters caught her attention:
Looking for male nightclub performers. High pay.
Kara inhaled sharply.
She wasn't a man. But right now, that detail didn't matter.
What mattered was getting the money.
What mattered was saving Lina.
And if that meant hiding behind a mask, so be it.
She would become someone else.
And that someone... was about to change everything.
Other books by annazacharia284
More