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“Good morning.”

“And to you…”

“Something wrong?” Victoria asked, stretching and yawning like a flexible little red-haired cat.

Lana lowered her eyes.

“Not really…”

They lived in a dormitory connected to a small factory. The girls were doing their internship after graduating from the Rostov Institute for Entrepreneurial Protection. They shared a tiny room for two. It had only the bare essentials—a table with chairs, a wardrobe, and two beds—but it was enough for them.

Lana was sitting cross-legged on her bed, lost in gloomy thoughts. After a while, she looked at her friend and asked:

“How was your date last night?”

Victoria stood up and, tossing her head slightly, replied:

“I think I drank a bit too much. But otherwise, it was great—as always!”

She opened the wardrobe door against the wall, rummaged through the shelf, pulled out a towel, and slowly left the room. As she walked away, she threw over her shoulder:

“Lanushka, put the kettle on—we’ll have some coffee!”

Left sitting in place, Lana watched her go with a gloomy expression.

Half an hour later, they were already having breakfast—sandwiches and coffee. Victoria was doing her makeup at the same time, looking into the small mirror in her powder compact.

“Soon, I’ll have my own beauty salon,” she said dreamily, brushing her already long lashes from below upwards.

“Uh-huh…”

“Well, come on, tell me—what happened with you?”

“Nothing,” Lana muttered, stirring her lukewarm coffee with a spoon, her head lowered.

Victoria set her makeup aside and looked at her friend attentively.

“Didn’t work out again?”

Without lifting her eyes, Lana shook her head.

Smirking slightly and thinking for a moment, Victoria suggested:

“How about we give you a little makeover? New hairstyle, some makeup, hmm?” A spark lit up in her eyes.

Lana looked at her with a sullen expression.

“You think that’ll help?”

“I’m sure of it!”

That evening, the girls went to a disco at a private club called Mona Lisa, where they were let in thanks to one of Victoria’s good connections. As planned, Lana’s hair had been styled into long wavy curls, she had bold makeup on, and she wore a beautiful turquoise dress that showed off her figure.

When they entered, Lana’s eyes widened at the variety of fashionable and attractive people. A mix of perfumes hit her nose. Judging by her slightly bewildered look, it was clear she had never been to a place like this before.

“Oh, relax already!” Victoria said, tugging at her sleeve.

Someone then pulled Victoria aside, and she shouted to Lana, pointing toward the far end of the room, telling her to go to a reserved table. Then she disappeared into the crowd.

Lana slowly made her way through the dancing bodies, watching her step and trying not to bump into anyone. Suddenly, a guy grabbed her arm, stopping her. He started dancing and motioned for her to join his circle. Rhythmic lights shattered into beams, rapidly switching from darkness to bright flashes, creating a slow-motion effect. Everything around her felt surreal, as if she were dreaming. The thundering bass mixed with the hum of voices and noises pounded not just in her head but seemed to vibrate through her whole body. As she turned, her elbow accidentally knocked into a man holding a drink.