“Welcome, Mr. Cole,” greeted the doorman at Eclipse, an exclusive club that not everyone dares to visit. Without turning his head, Lucien Cole merely nodded slightly, then pushed his way inside. He passed through the glimmer of purple lights and the scent of alcohol. Lucien stopped right at the front table. He sat back comfortably in one of the black leather chairs. Lucien’s two assistants stood at attention behind him. Silent, yet alert to her every move.
In New York’s underground scene, every stage has its own language. That night, a girl spoke through her body language, while Lucien, with a cold stare, interpreted her every move. He saw that she was not merely a dancer, but an aerial acrobat who painted a picture of freedom amidst limitations. Through gentle spins and near-impossible balances. As if pleading to be saved.
“Who is she?” Lucien murmured softly.
It wasn’t the beauty of her curves, nor the skill of her dance, that prompted Lucien to ask that question. Rather, it was something about the girl that transported Lucien back to memories of the past.
The dancer moved slowly. She gripped the metal pole, then moved gently—spinning. Her movements were like a secret code being written in the air. Her body was supple, but her gaze was vacant—as if she were dancing not for those watching her, but for someone who would never return.
The metal pole was merely a prop for the dancer; her bare hands gripped it tightly. Her black dress fit perfectly, contrasting with her pale skin. Lucien’s brow twitched slightly when their eyes met. What was the girl trying to convey? A moment later, Lucien’s gaze fell on the dancer’s chest. Yes, that was it… a memory buried for years, now staring back at him from the stage.
“That necklace…?”
“Lucien, look at this.” That night, under the dim lighting of his mother’s private room, young Lucien had seen a necklace with a pendant shaped like a water droplet, glistening. It was exactly the same as the one around the pole dancer’s neck. “If one day I disappear from your life, I’ll be with this necklace.” But why was that necklace on someone else? Lucien wondered to himself.
“What an amazing show, wasn’t it? Did you enjoy it, Lucien?” Lucien turned his head, his jaw clenching when he saw the person he’d been hoping not to encounter. Lucien then stood up and walked away without saying a word.
***
She didn’t know why, but something felt missing when the man sitting in the front row simply walked away. Elera froze, slowly climbing down from the metal pole. Her eyes were fixed on Lucien’s receding figure. A part of her felt as though it had left with him.
The sounds coming from around the Eclipse stage snapped Elera out of her reverie. The girl gave a stiff smile, then bowed her head in apology. She stepped off the stage toward a room behind the performance area. The curtain, which had just closed, was pulled open again from the outside.
“What’s wrong with you, Vail?!”
“W-what?”
“You stopped in the middle of the show, and now you’re acting all innocent. The guests outside are disappointed. Get back on stage!”
“I dance for myself, not to please others,” Elera said loudly.
“Oh, really? How much do you make here, huh?! You dare say that to my face. Bullshit! Dancing for yourself, huh…?” The man in his thirties stepped closer to Elera. He grabbed the arm of the girl, who stood stiffly, offering no resistance. Elera only hissed softly, feeling the pain at the base of her arm.
“I-I just want to rest for a moment. I’ll be back—please let go.” Elera grabbed the man’s wrist. But unexpectedly, his palm shifted to grip Elera’s cheek. He tilted her head back and briefly pressed his lips against hers.
Elera glared, but she couldn’t fight back—or what would happen would be more than just the loss of her innocence. That disgusting man walked away as Elera roughly wiped her lips, smearing the lipstick she was wearing onto her hand.
Unbeknownst to Elera, Lucien had witnessed that sordid scene from behind the curtain. Earlier, he’d decided not to leave the club after all. His curiosity about the pole dancer had led him there. “Unbelievable. What am I seeing here, Drayden?”
“Mr. Cole, are you here?” Drayden, the head of Eclipse, stammered as soon as he saw Lucien outside Elera’s locker room.
“That girl… what’s her name?” Without answering the club owner’s question, Lucien instead threw the question back at Drayden. “Forget that… I want her. Bring her to my place!” Lucien ordered. “I’ll ask her myself later—what her name is,” he muttered as he walked away.
Drayden stood frozen. A moment later, his eyebrows shot up as he realized a golden opportunity was waiting for him. Of course—the thought of how many millions of dollars he’d make by selling Elera to Lucien. He never would’ve guessed Cole Jr.’s tastes were limited to pole dancers. “But Vail is indeed attractive,” he muttered, then licked his lips. The taste was still sweet.
***
“You don’t have to perform tonight….” Drayden was already at the door, watching Elera as she got ready to change her clothes. “Come with me.”
“You mean… where?”
“Just come along—you’ve got nothing to lose.”
Lost in her reflection in the mirror, Elera then turned around, having previously had her back to Drayden. “What if I don’t want to?”
“Your career is over.”
Those were the two words Drayden uttered before he left. Elera chased after him all the way to the hallway connecting her dressing room to the backstage area. “What do you mean?”
“Do you remember the man who left yesterday before your performance ended?” Elera seemed to be thinking. “The man sitting at the front table with two aides. Do you remember him?”
Elera nodded faintly. She hadn’t forgotten. How could she… that cold stare had kept her awake all day.
“Do you know who he is?” Drayden asked.
“No. Who is he, anyway?” Elera asked in return. Her tone was very flat.
“He’s Mr. Lucien Cole. Or Cole Jr. The owner of Cole Industries. Have you ever heard of him? He’s one of the most influential people in this city….” Drayden paused to wait for Elera’s reaction. However, the girl just stared blankly, as if Drayden’s information about Lucien wasn’t all that important to her. “And he wants you.”
It wasn’t until Drayden’s next sentence that Elera reacted. “For what?” Elera’s eyes widened as if she could already guess where the club manager was going with this.
Drayden shrugged. Elera shook her head. “Oh, no, no. Don’t say it!”