Kindra held up a faded cotton t-shirt with two fingers. She wrinkled her nose.

Adelynn snatched the shirt from her hand.

"This cotton is a hundred times better than that glowing plastic dress you're wearing."

"If you wear this, the bouncers will think you're there to take out the trash."

Adelynn fell back onto her mattress. She closed her eyes.

"Good. I can sleep."

Kindra jumped onto the bed. She grabbed Adelynn's shoulders and shook her hard.

"Get up or I will smash your laptop."

Adelynn's eyes snapped open, and the look in them was no longer just angry, it was feral. She shot up into a sitting position. "Touch it," she whispered, her voice dangerously low, "and I will break both of your hands." Kindra froze, genuinely scared. She pulled her hands back slowly.

Kindra reached into a designer shopping bag on the floor. She pulled out a black velvet slip dress. The price tag still hung from the strap.

"I borrowed this for you. It will fix your terrible taste."

Adelynn looked at the numbers on the tag. Her stomach dropped. She pushed the dress away.

"I am not wearing that. It smells like rich people."

Kindra rolled her eyes. "Your weird hatred for anyone with money is going to ruin your life."

Adelynn felt a cold sweat break out on the back of her neck. The word 'money' brought a flash of cold marble floors into her head. The Callahan estate. She rubbed her thumb over her knuckles, pressing hard enough to hurt.

"I am allergic to consumerism." Adelynn raised her voice to cover the shake in it.

Kindra didn't argue. She pulled the velvet dress over Adelynn's head.

Adelynn fought against the fabric. The material was tight. She let out a muffled curse as her head popped through the neck hole.

Kindra pushed her toward the water-stained mirror on the back of the door.

Adelynn looked at the glass. The black velvet hugged her ribs and hips. Her pale skin stood out against the dark fabric. The exhaustion in her posture was hidden by the expensive cut of the dress.

She hated it. She looked exactly like the girl she used to be. The girl forced to sit at long dining tables with people who despised her.

She reached behind her back to pull the zipper down.

Kindra grabbed both of her wrists and pinned them to her sides.

"If you take this off, you get no Wagyu beef. No champagne."

Wagyu beef. Adelynn's mouth watered. She stopped fighting. Her arms dropped to her sides.

Kindra kicked a pair of thin stilettos across the floor.

"Put them on."

Adelynn stared at the shoes. They looked like torture devices.

"I only wear Converse."

Kindra grabbed one of the heels and walked toward the window. She opened the glass.

"Fine. I'll throw them out."

Adelynn gritted her teeth. She grabbed the other shoe. She forced her feet into the tight leather.

She stood up. Her ankle wobbled. She grabbed the edge of the closet door to stop herself from falling.

Kindra grabbed her chin. She swiped a thick layer of mascara over Adelynn's lashes, covering the dark circles under her eyes.

Adelynn looked in the mirror again. A bitter smile pulled at the corner of her mouth.

Kindra checked her phone. "The Uber is downstairs."

Adelynn reached for her faded canvas tote bag. Kindra slapped her hand away.

Kindra shoved a tiny, hard clutch into Adelynn's hands. She grabbed Adelynn's arm and pulled her out of the apartment.

The Uber stopped in front of a massive black door.

Adelynn pushed herself out of the car. The stilettos pinched her toes. The freezing Manhattan wind hit her bare shoulders. The skin on her arms broke out in goosebumps. She pulled her arms tightly across her chest.

She looked at the building. There was no sign. Just two massive men in black suits standing by the door.

"This place looks like a high-end money laundering front."

Kindra slapped a hand over Adelynn's mouth. She looked around with wide eyes.

"Shut up."

Adelynn walked toward the back of the long line on the sidewalk. Kindra grabbed her elbow and pulled her toward the VIP entrance.

The bouncer's eyes dragged over Adelynn, assessing her worth and finding it lacking. He held up a thick arm.

"Invitation or membership."

Kindra stuttered. "My boyfriend. Gilbert."

The bouncer didn't even look at his tablet. "Everyone's boyfriend is Gilbert tonight. Back of the line."

Adelynn felt her stomach turn. She hated that look. She turned around to walk away.

Just then, the heavy black doors pushed open. A man in a tailored charcoal suit walked out.

Kindra squealed. She threw herself into his arms.

Gilbert caught her. He smiled. Then he looked over Kindra's shoulder. His eyes locked onto Adelynn.

Gilbert's smile faded slightly. A deep crease formed between his eyebrows. He stared at her face. He tilted his head, a look of pure confusion crossing his features.

Adelynn crossed her arms over her chest. She glared back at him.

Gilbert blinked. He forced a perfect, polite smile onto his face. He held out his hand.

"I'm Gilbert."

Adelynn stared at his hand. She reached out and tapped his fingers with hers before pulling away. Her skin was freezing.

Gilbert didn't react to her rudeness. He turned to the bouncer and nodded.

The bouncer stepped aside. The heavy doors opened all the way.

A wall of heavy bass and hot air hit Adelynn in the face. The smell of expensive cologne and sweat made her throat close up.

She took a step back. Her stomach rolled. She was starving, but the smell made her want to throw up.

Kindra held Gilbert's arm and walked inside. Adelynn followed them.

They walked down a dark hallway. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceiling. The bright light stabbed at Adelynn's eyes. She calculated how many months of rent one of those crystals could pay for.

Gilbert looked back at her. He slowed his pace.

"Is it too loud for you?"

"The noise is perfect for covering up the sound of capitalists sucking blood."

Kindra let out a loud, fake laugh. She squeezed Gilbert's arm.

Gilbert didn't get angry. A low laugh rumbled in his chest.

"That's a new metaphor."

Adelynn stared at him. She decided he was insane.

They walked into the main room. Hundreds of bodies jumped and pushed against each other. The air was thick.

A waiter rushed past them with a tray of drinks. His shoulder slammed into Adelynn's back.

Adelynn's ankle rolled in the stiletto. She fell sideways.

Gilbert reached out. His large hand grabbed her bare arm. He pulled her upright.

Adelynn gasped. She looked up at him. Her eyes were wide with shock.

Gilbert looked down into her eyes. His breath caught. His fingers tightened on her arm for a fraction of a second. An inexplicable feeling of familiarity, sharp and unsettling, struck him.

A manager ran up to Gilbert and whispered in his ear. Gilbert frowned and walked toward the front desk. Kindra followed him without looking back.

Adelynn stood on the edge of the dance floor. A group of girls pushed past her, knocking her backward.

When she caught her balance, Kindra and Gilbert were gone.

Adelynn let out a breath. Her chest felt lighter. She just needed to find a corner and wait for the food.

She pressed her back against the wall and started walking. She dodged men holding glasses of amber liquid.

A hand slammed down on her shoulder.

Adelynn spun around. Her heart jumped into her throat.

Beatrice stood there. She wore a silver fringe dress and held a martini glass.

"Oh my god! I almost didn't recognize you in that dress!" Beatrice screamed over the music.

Adelynn pushed Beatrice's hand off her shoulder.

"When do we eat?"

Beatrice rolled her eyes. She grabbed Adelynn's wrist and pulled her away from the wall.

They walked through a velvet rope into a raised seating area. The couches were black leather. It was quieter here.

A man sat in the center of the largest couch. He had a dark beard and cold eyes. Jax. The owner of the club.

Beatrice pulled Adelynn forward.

"Look who I found."

Jax leaned back against the leather. His eyes started at Adelynn's feet and moved slowly up to her face. He looked at her like she was a car he was thinking about buying.

The muscles in Adelynn's neck tightened. The nausea returned. This was how Festus Callahan looked at her before deciding which business partner to sell her to.

Jax lifted his chin. "Sit down. Drinks are on me tonight."

Adelynn didn't move. She looked down at him. A bitter smile formed on her lips.

"Trading other people's liver health for your own ego. What a great business model."

The people on the couches stopped talking. The silence in the booth was heavy. Everyone stared at Adelynn.

Jax's smile vanished. His jaw clenched.

Beatrice turned pale. She grabbed the fabric of Adelynn's dress and pulled it.

"Shut up," Beatrice hissed.

Adelynn ripped her dress out of Beatrice's grip. She stared straight into Jax's eyes. She didn't blink.

Jax let out a harsh laugh. He opened his mouth to speak.

A green laser light from the second-floor balcony flashed across Jax's face.

Adelynn looked up. The second floor was enclosed in one-way glass. She couldn't see anything. But the hairs on her arms stood up. A cold shiver ran down her spine. Someone was watching her.

The feeling was suffocating. She needed to get out of this booth.

She looked at Beatrice. "I'm going to the bar to find food."

Beatrice reached for her again, but Adelynn turned around. She pushed her way past the velvet rope and walked into the crowd.

Jax stared at her back. He slammed his glass down on the table. Ice spilled over the edge.

Beatrice sat down next to him and touched his chest.

Adelynn kept walking. She headed straight for the most crowded part of the room. The bar.