27

Was that a smile I detected? I tried to convince myself it was a good sign. Hope started to flare in my chest, pushing back against the despair that had been growing in my gut from the moment Jayson rejected me.

The half-demon raised his head, sweeping his eyes up and down my body once more. “There is an entrance fee for all contestants, including the lead. You do realize that. Is that something you can afford?”

He must have been referring to my old T-shirt and jeans. The decision to come here had been spur-of-the-moment and desperate enough that I hadn’t even thought to change into something nicer like the other women had. Gods, I knew the fee was steep. I’d checked my account in the waiting room to ensure I could pay it. It would basically deplete my savings, but I could swing it. Barely.

With a nod, I said, “That’s no problem. I can pay.” Throwing caution to the wind, I added, “Besides, I’m going to win. What’s a little money now when I’ll have that much more at the end?”

“Ooh.” Th