Reckoning

I learned early on that masks aren't just made of porcelain and paint-they're made of words, of glances, of carefully placed silences. Some people wear them to survive, to blend in. Others wear them to deceive.

Me? I wore mine to protect what was left of me.

Growing up in a world where trust was a liability, I became an expert at slipping between the cracks. My father was a ghost, a legend spoken of in hushed tones, his name both a warning and a curse. My mother? She taught me that love was a weakness, a distraction from the only thing that truly mattered-survival. I was raised in the shadows, trained to see the lies hidden in the light.

By the time I joined the agency, I had perfected the art of being someone else. The girl I once was? She no longer existed. In her place stood Lane Carter-a woman who knew how to play the game, who never let her guard down, who didn't make the mistake of caring.

And then I met him.

Kaleel wasn't like the others. He saw past my masks, past the carefully constructed walls. He saw me. And for a moment-one reckless, dangerous moment-I let him. That mistake nearly cost me everything.

Now, I'm back in the game, and this time, I won't let history repeat itself. But as much as I tell myself that I can outplay him, that I can stay one step ahead, I know the truth.

The most dangerous masks aren't the ones we wear for others. They're the ones we wear for ourselves.