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Description
As Lady Jane stepped out into the cool night air, her thoughts swirling with the evening's revelations and Paris's parting words, her exit was abruptly halted. A firm hand grasped her shoulder, spinning her around to face the cold, harsh barrel of a gun.

Veronica, the club's enigmatic owner, stood before her, her eyes as steely as the weapon she brandished. "I'm afraid you won't be leaving just yet, Sparrow—or should I say, Jane?" Veronica's voice was calm, but there was an edge to it that sent shivers down Jane's spine.

Jane's heart raced, her mind racing to calculate her next move. "What do you want, Veronica?" she asked, her own voice steady despite the adrenaline.

"I've been keeping an eye on you," Veronica revealed, her gaze piercing. "And not just you—I've had my suspicions about dear Paris as well." She withdrew a leather-bound ledger from her coat, waving it slightly in the dim light. "I know she's been struggling to pay for her medicine. Expensive, isn't it? And risky, given how she procures the funds."

Jane's eyes narrowed, her protective instincts flaring up for Paris despite the peril she faced. "What are you suggesting?"

Veronica smiled thinly, a predator baring her fangs. "Simple," she continued, her tone deceptively light. "You will report back to your superiors that The Velvet Touch is a legitimate establishment. In return, I won't frame Paris for the more... illicit activities that fund her medical expenses."

The threat hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. Jane knew she was cornered. To protect Paris, she would have to lie to the very people who had entrusted her with this mission.

"And if I refuse?" Jane challenged, though she knew arguing with a gun was folly.

"Then I expose everything. Paris's activities, your true identity. I wonder, Jane, how much do you think your beloved would appreciate your deceit when it's laid bare for all to see?" Veronica's question was a dagger, pointed and poisonous.

Jane clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. The choice was cruel and clear. With a heavy heart, she nodded. "I'll do as you ask," she said quietly.

Veronica's smile widened. "Wise decision. Remember, Lady Jane, walk away and never return. This is my world, and Paris is under my house—my rules."

As Veronica disappeared into the shadows, Jane stood frozen, the weight of her promise anchoring her to the spot. She had entered the night a spy, uncovered truths, and risked her heart. Now, she walked away with a burden she hadn't anticipated, her love for Paris both a beacon and a chain. As the city's clockwork heart beat on, so too did hers, fraught with love, lies, and a silent vow to somehow right the wrongs of this steam-filled night.

Lady Jane is an original character of VH62

Description
As Lady Jane stepped out into the cool night air, her thoughts swirling with the evening's revelations and Paris's parting words, her exit was abruptly halted. A firm hand grasped her shoulder, spinning her around to face the cold, harsh barrel of a gun.

Veronica, the club's enigmatic owner, stood before her, her eyes as steely as the weapon she brandished. "I'm afraid you won't be leaving just yet, Sparrow—or should I say, Jane?" Veronica's voice was calm, but there was an edge to it that sent shivers down Jane's spine.

Jane's heart raced, her mind racing to calculate her next move. "What do you want, Veronica?" she asked, her own voice steady despite the adrenaline.

"I've been keeping an eye on you," Veronica revealed, her gaze piercing. "And not just you—I've had my suspicions about dear Paris as well." She withdrew a leather-bound ledger from her coat, waving it slightly in the dim light. "I know she's been struggling to pay for her medicine. Expensive, isn't it? And risky, given how she procures the funds."

Jane's eyes narrowed, her protective instincts flaring up for Paris despite the peril she faced. "What are you suggesting?"

Veronica smiled thinly, a predator baring her fangs. "Simple," she continued, her tone deceptively light. "You will report back to your superiors that The Velvet Touch is a legitimate establishment. In return, I won't frame Paris for the more... illicit activities that fund her medical expenses."

The threat hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. Jane knew she was cornered. To protect Paris, she would have to lie to the very people who had entrusted her with this mission.

"And if I refuse?" Jane challenged, though she knew arguing with a gun was folly.

"Then I expose everything. Paris's activities, your true identity. I wonder, Jane, how much do you think your beloved would appreciate your deceit when it's laid bare for all to see?" Veronica's question was a dagger, pointed and poisonous.

Jane clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. The choice was cruel and clear. With a heavy heart, she nodded. "I'll do as you ask," she said quietly.

Veronica's smile widened. "Wise decision. Remember, Lady Jane, walk away and never return. This is my world, and Paris is under my house—my rules."

As Veronica disappeared into the shadows, Jane stood frozen, the weight of her promise anchoring her to the spot. She had entered the night a spy, uncovered truths, and risked her heart. Now, she walked away with a burden she hadn't anticipated, her love for Paris both a beacon and a chain. As the city's clockwork heart beat on, so too did hers, fraught with love, lies, and a silent vow to somehow right the wrongs of this steam-filled night.

Lady Jane is an original character of VH62