The investigation;
Liam sat in his executive suite, the Lagos skyline shimmering outside his window, but his mind was trapped in the memory of a bistro and a neon-lit stage. He picked up his desk phone and dialed the private extension for the manager of L'Etoile.
"This is Liam Sterling. I need the full file on a server named Eliana. Employment history, home address, next of kin—everything. And I want it on my desk by the end of the hour." He hung up before the manager could stutter an excuse. He knew it was an overreach, a violation of privacy he usually found distasteful, but the "Iceman" was being consumed by a fire he couldn't extinguish. He needed to know who she was when the apron and the mask were off.
David walked in ten minutes later, leaning against the doorframe as he watched his friend pace the length of the office. "You're going back tonight, aren't you? To the Night Rose."
Liam stopped, staring at a piece of modern art on the wall without seeing it. "I have a business meeting nearby. It would be inefficient not to stop by and check on the club's performance."
David let out a short, dry laugh. "Efficient? Liam, you haven't been 'efficient' since you saw that girl fall. You're obsessed. Is this about the waitress or the dancer?"
"It's about the truth," Liam snapped, though his heart hammered a different rhythm. He turned away so David couldn't see the conflict in his eyes. Deep down, in the silent places he never showed anyone, he knew it wasn't about the merger or his father's legacy anymore. He was going to the club because the Girl in Red was the only person who made him feel like he was actually alive.