Chapter 28 The Double Life
Eliana's fever had broken, but the exhaustion remained, a heavy cloak she couldn't shake off. To the world, she was still the invisible waitress, but her world had split in two. By night, she was the "Girl in Red," a shimmering mystery that people whispered about at the Night Rose. By day, she had found a new job at L'Etoile, a high-end bistro in Victoria Island that catered to the corporate elite. It paid slightly better than "The Golden Spoon," but the work was twice as demanding.
She stood in the kitchen of the bistro, adjusting her modest white apron and tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. Her face was bare, her eyes tired, and her hands slightly red from the industrial soap. There was no lace mask here, no crimson silk. Here, she was just "Table 4's server." She preferred the anonymity of the day, even if it meant her feet felt like lead. She had managed to pay the first installment of the hospital deposit, but the clock was still ticking. As she picked up a heavy silver tray to head into the dining room,
Liam sat across from Chief Otunba, a man whose wealth was as vast as his lack of ethics. They were there to discuss a land acquisition deal in the New Lagos district. Liam loathed the man, but in his world, you often had to shake hands with the devil to build a cathedral. Otunba was loud, his rings clicking against his wine glass as he boasted about his latest acquisitions. Liam, as usual, remained a silent observer, his mind elsewhere—
"You're too quiet, Liam," Otunba chuckled, his eyes wandering toward the waitstaff. "A man with your billions should be enjoying the scenery. Look at that one coming toward us. Now that is a rare flower. A bit thin, maybe, but those eyes... they look like they've seen things." Liam didn't look up at first. He was tired of men like Otunba treating the world like a buffet. But as the shadow of the waitress fell over their table, he felt a strange, electric pull in the air. He looked up, and for a heartbeat, the bustling restaurant vanished.