The pounding bass reverberated through the dimly lit club, its vibrations coursing through Crystal's body as she moved effortlessly across the stage. The Velvet Mirage was alive tonight, packed shoulder to shoulder with a rowdy mix of regulars, first-timers, and VIPs tucked away in shadowed corners. Under the kaleidoscope of swirling lights, she felt untouchable, each sway of her hips drawing eyes, her confidence masking the tension she carried beneath the surface.

And then she saw her.

It started as a flicker of recognition amidst the crowd—a face she knew as intimately as her own. Her breath caught in her throat. There, near the edge of the bar, surrounded by laughter and drinks, stood the woman who had once been everything to her. Crystal's pulse quickened. She almost stumbled but caught herself, gripping the pole tighter as she spun, using the movement to steal another glance.

It was her. Her ex looked out of place in this world, her wide eyes scanning the room until they locked onto Crystal. In that moment, time slowed. The noise faded to a dull roar, and the stage lights felt unbearably hot. Crystal froze mid-dance, the sultry sway of her body faltering for a split second before muscle memory took over. She forced herself to continue, her movements mechanical now, a façade for the boiling panic beneath her skin.

What is she doing here?

Crystal's mind raced, replaying a hundred scenarios in an instant. Did she come here by chance? Or was this some cruel twist of fate, dredging up their broken past and thrusting it into the spotlight? She dared another glance, hoping against hope that she would look away, but she didn't. The shock on her ex's face was unmistakable, and it pierced Crystal like a blade.

She could see the questions swirling in her ex's expression—the disbelief, the betrayal, the hurt. Crystal clenched her jaw, her practiced smile feeling like a leaden mask. Her skimpy outfit, designed to captivate, now felt exposing under scrutiny. She wanted to vanish, to retreat backstage and hide from the judgment she feared was coming. But she couldn't. The stage demanded her presence, and so did the hungry eyes of the crowd.

Swallowing her panic, Crystal leaned into the performance, making her dance even more suggestive as she started to remove the layers of her clothing one by one. If her ex was going to see her like this, she would see her strong, unshaken—or at least, that's what Crystal told herself.