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Prologue

Constance

Backstage, I sat in front of my vanity and wiped away the makeup that was pounded into my flesh My eyes were heavy from the fake eyelashes and rabbed the corners of both eyelashes and ripped them off at once

My ballet slippers came next, carefully unwrapped and removed My bruised feet were visible underneath, dried and cracked I dug ed the aches away

Ballet came at a price

I would continue to pay that price until I went broke

Ato one of the dancers “Have you seen them?”

I liftedthe conversation taking place behind me A tallher a picture of soht around the muscles of his forearms and the array of muscles of his upper arm He had short blond hair, cords visible down his neck With broad shoulders and a narroaist, he looked strong enough to rip a tree straight out of the ground

I watched Allison glance at his phone for a aze and looked at him once et going—”

He shifted with her “She’s a dancer here Are you sure?”

She looked again, but her ansas the same—a shake of her head

He lowered his phone and turned around, exposing his face to me for the first time

With bright-blue eyes and a face tight with tension, he looked around the area for the next person to question His large body was tight with unease, and even though he didn’t look outwardly panicked, there was a sea of trouble behind his eyes After a scan of the area, he locked his eyes on mine in the reflection of the mirror

My hands were still on one ofinto the ers paused when he looked at me like that, when hope shone in his eyes, like perhaps I would have the information he wanted