Lily
I stood before the full-length mirror in my dressing room, the bright LED lights reflecting off the surface of my gown in a way that made me look almost translucent. The dress was a breathtaking white mermaid silhouette that felt like a second skin. Intricate silver beadwork spiraled down the bodice, and the sleeves flared into dramatic, ethereal white feathers that shifted with every breath I took. I looked like a manifestation of the Moon Goddess herself—radiant, distant, and completely untouchable.
I stared at my reflection, my fingers grazing the cool, heavy silk of the skirt. Tonight was the endgame. Every humiliation I had endured and every move I had carefully calculated was about to collide in that banquet hall. I took a slow, deep breath, trying to steady the frantic beatin
