Mask Gaze

I've always been good at seeing what others want to hide. It's a talent that comes in handy when you're trading secrets for survival-especially in a city like this one, where every handshake hides a dagger and every smile is laced with poison. New Orleans isn't just a place, it's a performance, and I'm an expert at reading the script. But when Adrien LaRoche stepped onto the stage, all sharp edges and unreadable charm, my perfectly constructed world tilted on its axis. He's too perceptive, too relentless, and far too interested in the secrets I've spent years burying. He thinks I'm dangerous. He's right. Because I don't just see through people-I pull their truths out of them, whether they're ready or not. The problem is, Adrien's got secrets of his own, and his shadows are darker than any I've faced. We're circling each other in this gilded city of masks and magic, where no one plays fair, and the stakes are far higher than either of us realize. What's the endgame, you ask? Honestly, I haven't decided yet. But one thing is certain: I'm not losing. Not to him. And not to the secrets clawing their way to the surface.