Chapter Eighteen
Laila’s POV
The air inside the waiting lounge of The Masks was thick with the suffocating scent of expensive perfume, nervous sweat, and the sharp, fruity tang of free cocktails handed out by roaming waiters on silver trays.
I stood near the plush velvet wall, clutching a glass of sparkling water I hadn't dared to sip. For nearly an hour, I watched dozens of stunning, confident women in glitzy outfits walk into the audition wing—some coming out ecstatic and others leaving in quiet tears. My white sandals were beginning to bite painfully into my arches, and every tick of the clock sent a fresh jolt of anxiety through my stomach, but I stayed rooted to the spot.
Twelve thousand dollars a month. I kept repeating the number in my head like a desperate mantra.
Finally, a h
