Mae paced the length of her penthouse apartment, her mind racing with everything that had happened the night before. The man's words echoed in her head, refusing to fade no matter how hard she tried to push them away, "Everyone has a price." She had dealt with difficult clients before, but something about his tone had sent a chill down her spine. The unsettling encounter had shaken her in a way she hadn't expected.

Los Angeles was supposed to be her fresh start. She had come here to leave the shadows of her past behind, to embrace a new life where she could reinvent herself. But the city had its own darkness, its own set of dangers that she hadn't anticipated. And now, Mae couldn't shake the feeling that she was being pulled into something far more complicated than she had bargained for.

She walked over to the floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing out at the sprawling city below. From up here, everything looked so peaceful—endless streets lined with palm trees, the ocean glimmering in the distance, and the city skyline towering against the bright blue sky. But Mae knew better. Los Angeles was a city built on illusions, and she was beginning to see the cracks beneath the surface.

Her phone buzzed on the counter, snapping her out of her thoughts. It was her manager.

"Mae, we need to talk about last night. Call me ASAP."

She sighed, running a hand through her hair. She knew what this was about. The mysterious man, the offer for a private meeting—it had to be connected to her growing fame. The club had been riding high on her performances, and Hell's Angels had become the hottest spot in the city because of her. But with that fame came the attention of people she wasn't sure she wanted to be involved with.

Mae picked up her phone and dialed her manager's number, her heart pounding as it rang.

"Mae," he answered, his voice tense. "What the hell happened last night?"

"I don't know," she said, pacing again. "Some guy came to my dressing room after the show. He said his employer wanted to meet with me. When I said no, he didn't exactly take it well."

Her manager was silent for a moment, and when he spoke again, his voice was lower, more serious. "Did he tell you who his employer was?"

Mae shook her head, even though he couldn't see her. "No. He didn't give me any details. Just that it wasn't a request."

"Damn it," her manager muttered under his breath. "I was hoping this wouldn't happen."

Mae stopped pacing, her heart skipping a beat. "What do you mean? You knew something like this could happen?"

Her manager sighed. "Look, Mae, you're the headliner at the biggest club in LA. People are going to notice. Important people. And not all of them play by the same rules we do."

Mae's stomach tightened. "What kind of people?"

"The kind who expect to get what they want," he said, his tone grave. "The kind who don't take no for an answer."

A chill ran down her spine. Mae had heard stories about the dark side of fame—the powerful figures behind the scenes, the people who operated in the shadows, pulling strings and making demands. But she had never thought she would find herself in the middle of it. She had always thought she could stay above it, keep her distance. But now, it seemed like she was being pulled in whether she wanted to be or not.

"So what do I do?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Lay low for a bit," her manager advised. "Keep your head down, focus on your performances, and let me handle the rest. I'll see if I can figure out who this guy was working for and make sure they understand that you're not available for...private meetings."

Mae exhaled slowly, trying to calm the nerves buzzing inside her. "Okay. But what if they don't back off?"

"They will," her manager said, though there was a hint of uncertainty in his voice. "Just stay focused. You've got a lot going for you right now, Mae. Don't let this throw you off."

Mae nodded, though doubt still lingered in her mind. She thanked him and hung up, her eyes drifting back to the city outside. Everything had seemed so perfect just a few weeks ago. She had been on top of the world, headlining at Hell's Angels, living in a luxurious penthouse, her name plastered all over the city. But now, it felt like the ground beneath her was shifting, like the glittering life she had built was hiding something darker underneath.

She sat down on the couch, pulling her knees up to her chest. The man's words echoed in her head again: "Everyone has a price." She couldn't help but wonder what price she would have to pay to stay at the top. Was this the cost of fame? The cost of living in a world where power and money ruled everything?

Mae closed her eyes, trying to shake off the feeling of unease. She had come too far to let this derail her. She had worked too hard to build this new life, to leave her past behind. But as much as she wanted to believe that she could control her future, a part of her knew that things were slipping out of her hands.

Her phone buzzed again. This time, it was a message from one of the dancers at the club.

"VIP client asking about you. Said he has a personal offer. Heard about the guy last night. Be careful."

Mae's heart skipped a beat as she stared at the message. It wasn't unusual for clients to ask about private meetings with the dancers, but this felt different. There was something more dangerous at play, something she didn't fully understand yet.

Her pulse quickened as she typed a quick reply.

"Who's the client?"

The response came almost immediately.

"No name. Just said he's a powerful friend of the club. Same guy from last night, I think."

Mae's breath caught in her throat. Whoever this man was, he wasn't going away. She had thought her refusal would be the end of it, but now it was clear that this was just the beginning.

Her mind raced as she considered her options. She could go to the police, but without any real details, there wasn't much they could do. She could try to ignore it, hope that the man would eventually lose interest. Or she could confront him, find out who he was and what he wanted. But the thought of stepping deeper into that world, of facing whoever was behind the man's unsettling request, made her stomach churn.

Mae stood up, her hands shaking slightly. She wasn't sure what her next move would be, but one thing was clear: the life she had built in Los Angeles, the fame, the success—it all came with a price. And now, she had to decide how far she was willing to go to protect it.

-

Mae couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. Even after talking to her manager and getting reassurances, the unease gnawed at her. She had been living on the edge of fame for weeks now, performing every night at Hell's Angels to adoring crowds, but the unsettling incident with the man from the night before had left a dark cloud hanging over everything.

She was used to attention—Hell's Angels had turned her into a household name, and being the face of the club had brought its own set of complications. Men offering money for private meetings wasn't new. But there was something different about this. Something darker.

The man's words echoed in her head, "Everyone has a price."

The way he had said it wasn't just a sleazy pickup line. It felt like a warning, or worse, a threat.

Mae tried to distract herself with work, throwing herself into rehearsals and preparing for the VIP event her manager had mentioned. But no matter how hard she focused, the unease never left her. Every time her phone buzzed with a new message, she felt a jolt of anxiety, expecting another cryptic text or strange offer.

Late that night, after her show, she walked through the back halls of Hell's Angels toward her dressing room. The crowd had been larger than usual, packed with celebrities and influencers, but Mae had barely registered any of it. Her mind had been elsewhere, haunted by the man's proposition and the strange attention she was suddenly receiving.

When she reached her dressing room, there was an envelope slipped under the door.

Mae paused, her breath catching in her throat. The familiar unease returned, creeping up her spine as she bent down and picked up the envelope. It was thick, the kind of envelope that usually held contracts or offers too lucrative to refuse.

Her fingers trembled as she opened it, pulling out a crisp piece of stationery. The handwriting was neat, formal, but the message was brief

You can't keep saying no, Mae. We both know you're worth more than that.

Mae stared at the note, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn't know who it was from, but deep down, she knew it was connected to the man who had approached her. This wasn't just about money or a private meeting. There was something else going on, something much bigger than she had realized.

A part of her wanted to crumple up the note, throw it away, and pretend it didn't exist. But another part of her—the part that had always been curious, always driven to understand what was happening beneath the surface—wanted to know more. Who was behind this? And why was she being targeted?

She put the note down on her vanity, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Her mind was racing, trying to piece together the puzzle. She thought about the man from the night before, about his calm demeanor and the way he had spoken to her as if he already knew the answer to a question she hadn't asked.

And then, she thought about the past.

For the first time in months, Mae allowed herself to think about St. Mary's. The quiet village she had left behind, the convent, and the man she had once thought she would never see again. Father Charlie.

A cold chill ran down her spine at the thought of him. She had tried so hard to put him behind her, to forget the feelings she had buried deep inside. But now, with everything that was happening, Mae couldn't help but wonder if somehow, some way, the past had found a way to catch up to her.

No. She shook her head, pushing the thought away. Father Charlie had nothing to do with this. He was back in St. Mary's, living the life he had chosen. He wasn't part of this world, and there was no reason to think he would be involved in whatever was happening now.

But the thought refused to leave her.

Mae stood up, pacing the small room, trying to shake the growing feeling of dread. She needed to focus, to figure out what was really going on. This wasn't about the past. This was about Hell's Angels and the people she had attracted since she became its star. She had become valuable—too valuable—and now, powerful people were starting to take notice.

Her phone buzzed again, and this time, it was her manager.

"We need to talk. Meet me tomorrow morning at the club. There's more going on than I thought."

Mae's stomach dropped. More going on? What did that mean?

She typed a quick response, agreeing to meet him, and then sat back down on the vanity stool, her mind racing. The message, the man, the envelope—it all pointed to something bigger, something she didn't fully understand yet. But she was beginning to see that Hell's Angels wasn't just another nightclub, and she wasn't just another dancer. There was something darker lurking beneath the surface, and Mae had a sinking feeling that she was being drawn into it.

She looked down at the note again, her heart racing. You can't keep saying no. The words were ominous, a reminder that her choices were shrinking with each passing day.

Mae took a deep breath, steeling herself for whatever was coming next. She had made it this far—she wasn't about to back down now. But as she lay in bed that night, staring up at the ceiling, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming for her. Something she couldn't see yet.

And she had no idea how close it already was.