chapter 6 : A Game of masks

Ivanka's POV:

Pretending to be someone I'm not—most people would claim they'd never do it if asked directly. They'd say no without hesitation. But the irony is, they've mastered the art of pretending. Every day, they wear masks, hiding who they truly are, afraid of revealing their authentic selves. That's not my story. I wasn't shaped by my family, my past, or childhood trauma—no, no, and no. Every part of who I am today is my choice. Pretending isn't in my playbook, because I don't just play the game—I own it. I don't only choose the players in my world; I've chosen to be the villain in their stories.

That's why I raced today—because I'm not afraid, nor do I hide behind a mask. I own that mask, and if I choose to remove it, it's on my terms. Honestly, I savored the look on their faces when I won—the irony of a little girl costing them millions. And him? He walks through the school every day, so sure of what he knows, so certain he'll never find himself in the shadows.

But the shock in those deep eyes sent a surge of adrenaline through me like I'd never felt before. My blood was on fire. In that exact moment, a thought struck me—what if he saw the real me? My new goal became clear. I warned Veronika not to mess with the Garcias' brother, but as for me? I'll be there when he finally sees me. I'll make sure of it, no matter the cost. It's my thrill, my risk—and I'm all in.

Not long after the race, I left to avoid running into the kings. Arman would recognize me in a heartbeat. I hid at home, but something felt off—like I was being followed. Riding my motorcycle, I glanced slowly into the side mirror. A black car trailed me, unmistakably one of the Alexiou guards' vehicles.

Why would the Alexious be following me? The only Alexiou I saw at the race was... oh, well, well. Little Leo Alexiou, daddy's golden boy. I'm impressed. Finally, he feels something. The idiot probably thinks I'll try to escape.

You want a show? I'll give you one.

I drove as casually as possible, avoiding suspicion, and stopped near the sea. Perfect. I came here to put on a performance. The car pulled up, and someone stepped out. I grabbed my phone and dialed Akira. Before he could even speak, I started crying dramatically.

"Hi, Mom," I sobbed into the phone. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't take the money from the race—it was mafia-controlled, and it wasn't enough. Do you understand? We'll find another way to pay off your debts. Don't worry about my school; my scholarship was already accepted."

On the other end, Akira burst out laughing. He knows I'm a sociopath, and he could tell I was fooling someone nearby. Once I hung up, I started screaming and crying loudly, drawing attention to myself.

"Miss, are you okay?"

Gotcha.

I turned around, making myself look shocked, my eyes red and wide. "Who are you? What do you want?"

And the Oscar goes to...

"Don't be scared," he said, laughing awkwardly. "I'm in school with you. I raced, too, but I lost."

Oh, poor thing. For a moment, I almost felt sorry for him—until I noticed his eyes lingering on my chest. Really, dude? We get it. I have great boobs for my age.

"If you were in the race, then..." I trailed off, looking scared.

"Okay, don't freak out," he interrupted. "I'm Lucius Alexiou's heir."

Darling, I'm freaking out because you are Lucius Alexiou's heir, not because you're anyone special. For fuck's sake.

He kept talking, his gaze reluctantly shifting back to my face. Thank God. I was this close to asking if he wanted to take a picture of my boobs to admire at home.

"My apologies," he said, his tone softening. "I overheard your call by coincidence. If you really need money, why didn't you take it? And why mock the announcer?"

I didn't waste time answering. "Honestly, I acted strong to keep the mafia from coming after me. And I didn't take the money because it wasn't enough. It wouldn't have helped, and taking money from the mafia would only cause more trouble. I hesitated when Mr. Akira, my previous client, offered me the chance to race. Knowing my love for cars, I came here hoping it could solve things."

God, I even sound convincing for my own ears.

He gave me a slow once-over, his eyes scanning my body before wetting his lips with his tongue. "Your previous client?"

Ew. Dude. No.

I covered my face, playing the shy, innocent girl—even though the only shy one here was him. "I... I dance in a bar sometimes to earn money. Please don't tell anyone."

He smiled, leaning in slightly. "Don't worry. It's just between us. We're friends now."

Oh, yes. Definitely friends.

After a few minutes of awkward small talk, I excused myself and headed back to my apartment. It wasn't often I actually spent time there, but when I walked in, Kira and V were already waiting for me.

The moment Kira saw me, he started laughing like the lunatic he is. "Ah, my beloved daughter! It's so late! Come to Mommy's lap."

V immediately threw herself on the floor, laughing hysterically with him. These two, I swear...

I groaned and shot them both a glare. "I haven't forgotten about you two showing up uninvited. And trust me, I'll make you regret it. But not now. We need to talk. There are some... changes in my game. Liza Alexiou is out. Leo Alexiou is in."

They both stared at me, wide-eyed, like I was crafting ideas straight from the devil himself.

***********

The next morning, I headed to school with V practically glued to my side. She insisted on joining me at this school, and while she's an absolute pain in the ass, I could use a little entertainment.

We spent the morning in class—me writing notes and V dozing off like she owned the place. By lunchtime, we were starving since we'd skipped breakfast, so we went to the cafeteria. Today, I had to stick to the role I'd sold Leo: the poor, struggling girl drowning in debts. It might seem tricky, considering I walked into this school as the exact opposite, but boys are boys. They think with their other head. A glimpse of my body, a few carefully dropped lines, and he'd believe anything I said.

I noticed the Garcias weren't around today—good. I wasn't in the mood for their meddling. They wouldn't fall for my act, but there wasn't much they could do to stop me.

When I was leaving for the day, Leo stepped in my way, flashing a wide smile. "Hello, crying baby. How are you doing? Want to do something after school with me?"

Crying baby? Really? Tsss, what a cliché.

I needed to make my next move. "I'm good, but no, sorry. I can't. Maybe tomorrow?" I said, letting a tinge of disappointment creep into my voice.

"Why? Do you have something to do today?"

Right into the trap. Good boy.

I hesitated, lowering my voice and adding just the right amount of shyness. "Umm... I ne—need to work after... you know... uhhh, the bar."

His smile widened as he looked down at me. "It's okay, beautiful. Give me the address, and we can meet there."

I pretended to hesitate, acting shy and reluctant, but of course, the bloody idiot insisted. So, I gave it to him.

Later, back at my apartment, I changed and prepared myself for the night ahead. To wear masks, you have to master them, and I can be anything I want to be—anything I need to be.

By the time I arrived at the bar, everything was set. It wasn't hard to slip the owner some cash to take a spot for the night. I slipped into something sexy—just enough to make Lucius's golden boy lose his mind.

If he only knew who I really was, the same girl who told him "don't freak out," he'd be losing his fucking mind for all the wrong reasons.

Soon after the man in charge introduced me, I stepped out in my sexy dress, I let my hair fall loosely, grazing my shoulders.. I took a slow scan of the room, moving with purpose, my hips swaying as I searched for my golden boy. It didn't take long—his eyes were already glued to my body. Perfect. Just the way I wanted him, a blind servant to my every move.

I spun on my heel, positioning myself against the pole. I leaned into it, letting the music guide me as I slowly lowered myself, the heels of my boots clicking on the floor, echoing through the bar. My body moved like liquid, every curve accentuated as I twerked twice, each motion more deliberate than the last.

I rose, wrapping myself around the pole with expert precision, making sure Leo's eyes were locked on me every second. I danced down toward him, then up again, grinding slowly with a practiced rhythm. When I slid back down, I felt his gaze heat every inch of my body—his hungry eyes tracing every movement. I gave him a seductive smile, twisting around the pole like it was an extension of me, savoring the control.

Boys... Leo was like a puppy, lost in the show. But then, I felt something shift. A familiar presence, watching with intensity. My movements slowed, my body still but searching the crowd. I found him—his eyes, deep and unwavering, locked with mine. Unlike Leo, who was devouring me with his eyes, this one wasn't looking at my body. He was looking into me.

Achilles Garcia was here.