The casino lights hit Cecilia like a slap.
Too bright. Too sharp. Too unforgiving.
They always were — designed to dazzle, distract, and devour. She blinked against the glare as she stepped inside, her pulse already quickening with the familiar cocktail of dread and adrenaline.
She shouldn’t be here.
She knew that.
But knowing had never stopped her before.
The moment she crossed the threshold, the noise swallowed her whole — the clatter of chips, the whir of machines, the hum of voices, the occasional shout of triumph or groan of defeat. It was chaos, but it was her kind of chaos. The kind that made her feel alive, powerful, in control… even when she wasn’t.
She clutched her purse tighter, feeling the envelope inside — the money Maya had given her. Money she had lied about needing. M
