From barre to bar, sweet to sin.
When her parents died, Roxie’s dream of being a ballet dancer died with them.
The once sweet and innocent girl was now a woman who stripped for a living.

This wasn’t the life she thought she’d be living.
Her world was turned upside down.
She told herself the pole was like the barre—just vertical.
At least she still got to do what she loved most, the only thing that kept her sane—dancing.

Now, she has a new life and friends who love her.
She thought her old life was done and dusted... until he appeared.

Lincoln—the swim team captain turned tech billionaire.
Gorgeous, clean-shaven, and… oh so vanilla. There’s no space for him in this dark world of hers.
Especially if she wants to leave the past where it belongs and her secrets hidden.

They made a deal.
And Roxie will honor it, no matter what it takes.

Lincoln is back in her life, there’s no denying it.
He made her an offer she couldn’t refuse.

She thought it would be over quickly. Then she’d be rid of him.
But now, a simple deal has turned into something more.
It was a mistake—a big fat one.
The same one that she had made ten years ago.
The same one that she never thought she’d repeat.

Roxie spent years putting herself back together.
Seeing Lincoln again hasn’t been easy.
He brings up too many emotions that she tried to bury: guilt, shame, fear, pain, grief.
She hated him for showing up.
For snaking his way back not only into her life, but her heart.

The longer she stays, the harder it is for her to leave.
Now, cracks have started to appear, and if she’s not careful, she’ll be back in pieces...

She plays hide. He plays seek.
Except she disappeared for a reason.
Because her life was in danger.

After all these years, Roxie still has no idea if it’s safe to come out of hiding.
It’s not a risk that she’s willing to take.
But the more time she spends with Lincoln, the more he reminds her of who she used to be.

Just as she thought he could keep her safe...
Someone from her past shows up.
Feeling betrayed, Roxie now has to face things she wasn’t ready to deal with.

How much more trouble will Lincoln bring her?
Can she really trust him?

Ready or not, here I come.

When it’s his turn to disappear, Roxie doesn’t like it one bit.
Not that Lincoln was in hiding—he was taken.
His life was in danger because of her.

She hated herself for letting it happen.
She should have stayed hidden, or pulled away when they got close.
That’s the reason she hid in the first place.
All she wanted was for Lincoln to come back to her safely.

But now that he’s back, he isn’t the same Lincoln.
Something happened when he was held captive.
Did he finally realize that Roxie was no good for him, that she was toxic?
Now she’s fallen for him, but is it all too late?
Will he leave her for good?

Lies beneath the lovers. Lovers beneath the lies.

Custody battles are never easy… Especially when the father is a powerful, wealthy man like Lincoln. Roxie could only blame herself. She was in the wrong for keeping their daughter, Lily, from him. But did that justify taking a child from their mother?

He was no saint either. He hid the truth about her parents. The thing that had caused her to run. Not to mention the countless sleepless nights… Fearing for the safety of Lily, herself, and everyone around her.

Lily is her only chance left to have a happy family. She used to think that Lincoln could be a part of that picture. Until she realized that he wasn’t the man she once thought he was.

Enough is enough. She’s sick of all the lies and secrets. She needs answers. She needs closure. She needs to come out from hiding. For once in her life, she’s decided to fight back and face her demons head-on.