Page 9 of The Bratva's Secret Twins

In the mirror, I caught a glimpse of Asher poking his head through the door.

“She’s up in five!” he announced.

“She’s ready!” Bianca replied. Then, she leaned to whisper to my ear, “Get dressed.”

Quickly, I rushed out of my chair and stepped into my outfit—a stunning creation that hugged me in all the right places. The dress made me feel both powerful and elegant.

I peered at Bianca, and she smiled encouragingly, giving me a subtle nod. As I exited the dressing room, the murmur of the crowd beyond the curtains grew louder, and so did the sound of my beating heart.

“You look pretty,” Asher said as he approached from behind.

I turned to him, struggling to hide my anxiety. I knew he could sense my nervousness, but somehow, he believed I would do just fine, even though he’d never actually said those words.

“It’s time,” he said after the announcer’s voice boomed through the building. “Now, get out there.”

He patted my shoulder.

I inhaled deeply as the curtains parted and the bright lights shone on my face. This was my cue.

Here goes nothing.

I stepped out on the runway, struggling with the fright and anxiety that turned my stomach and made my limbs wobble, and in a split second, I was convinced I was going to flop. Beams of lights and flashing cameras created a dazzling sea before me, and I was almost overwhelmed with tension.

Tyler’s words and Bianca's encouragement replayed in my head, and immediately, I got a hold of myself, triumphing over my fears as I slipped back into what I knew best.

Like a pageant queen, I graced the runway, sashaying my way with my most charming look. A few seconds into the walk, I was already feeling confident; my body was moving exactly as I wanted it to. The experience was exhilarating—thrilling—and I was lost in my performance.

Not bad. Not bad at all, Viv.

As I continued down the runway, my focus was ahead, and I tried as much as possible to avoid eye contact with anyone. In my mind, this was my room, and I was the only one present.

However, while walking, I noticed a pair of dashing brown eyes in the crowd, forcing me to look in that direction.

Fuck!

Focus, Vivian. He’s just a man.

A really hot one!

Focus!

The wild girl inside me and my voice of reasoning argued, but I couldn’t deny the fact that he was gorgeous.

His dark hair was neatly combed back, framing a face with intimidating light brown eyes. He looked like he was thirty or within that age range—older but handsome, maybe even dangerous, judging by the serious look on his face. Looking closer, I realized that his shoulders were broad, and his meticulously dry-cleaned suit exuded wealth.

Girl, I think he’s looking at you.

No way. Fuck! He is.

All of this happened in seconds, and truly, the man was staring at me. It was distracting, but I had to stay focused. I couldn’t understand his attention, but he had his eyes fixed on me. Of course, everyone else did, but there was something different about the way he watched me.

The aura coming from him was rather dangerous, and I figured that he might be a bad boy of some sort, even though he was most definitely not a boy. He was a man. A full-grown man. I’d always been attracted to his type. But at this point in my life, men like him were the least of my problems.

Our eyes met again for a split second, and I watched him smirk, a hand gently stroking his chiseled jaw. He was the only one that I could see in the crowd.

The man’s gaze was mesmerizing, but this wasn’t the time to dwell on such thoughts. I was on a job, and I had to focus.

Maybe I would see him again some other time.

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