Chapter 49: A Pervert?

“Not in the mood to talk? You…”

Neil’s visage darkened like a stormy sky as he watched Claire stand frozen, offering no response. The man who had been so jovial and chatty just moments ago seemed to transform into a menacing, shadowy demon in the blink of an eye.

“No, I do want to talk. I’ll talk now. I just didn’t anticipate that you, Mr. Robertson, are actually such a decent person,” Claire interjected, beginning to explain without pausing for Neil to complete his sentence.

“What? Are there rumors floating around that I’m some sort of deviant? That’s really unjust. Before Hannah, those girls who suffered had nothing to do with me. One of those girls died due to a client I brought here. I’ve invited so many people to play in this room, and there’s bound to be a slip-up, right? And since it’s my reservation, what else can I do but bear the brunt of it? And there was the girl who wasn’t here of her own volition. Her mental state was already fragile. Isn’t it only natural that she’d lose it eventually?”

“Of course, you might think my side of the story is biased. Forget it. You can leave. Call Hannah and have her attend to me instead.”

Neil offered a heartfelt explanation, but his face was etched with a look of resignation as he waved Claire off. Claire froze, suddenly feeling that perhaps Neil’s words held truth.

She pondered, “If Neil were truly as perverse as rumored, why would he let me go? Moreover, Hannah had served Neil countless times without incident, hadn’t she?”

“No, I’ll tell you my story. Mr. Robertson, don’t you want to hear a story? I’ll share my entire tale with you. Ouch!” Claire clenched her fists, ready to unveil her story to Neil. But as she raised her arms to shift her body, she realized she had been crouching on the ground for too long. Her legs had grown numb. She clutched her half-kneeling left leg, nearly toppling over.

“Come on. If you’re going to talk with me, just sit down. What’s with squatting there? Your legs will ache if you stay like that for too long,” Neil said, reaching out to help Claire get onto the sofa. His seemingly gentle gesture lowered Claire’s guard, and she sat down, beginning to weave her tale.

“Mr. Robertson, I wonder if you’ve ever felt the sting of being forsaken by everyone. I was pampered from a young age as the daughter of an aristocratic family…”

Claire contemplated, feeling that her experiences were the most dramatic and likely to pique Neil’s curiosity. Beyond that, she had little else to share. Neil appeared to be listening intently, occasionally interjecting with a question, which Claire answered one by one.

“I truly never thought I’d walk out of prison in this lifetime. I believed I’d never harbor any illusions again, but when I saw that man once more, the fierce throbbing deep within my heart was uncontrollable…”

Claire spoke for half an hour, and as she reached this point, a sharp pain pierced her nose. The memories of her and Frederick flashed before her eyes.

“Girl, your story is truly heart-wrenching. Enough tears now. Here’s your tip. Enough talks for today,” Neil said, offering Claire a tissue from the table as he noticed her reddened eyes and her choking sobs.

“Enough?” Claire took the tissue instinctively, staring at Neil. Her mind went blank. She thought, “Wasn’t Neil supposed to be a terrifying pervert? Did he just let me go after all the secrets I poured out from my heart?”

“What’s with the surprise? What are you thinking about?” Neil smiled, waving his hand in front of Claire’s eyes.

Claire snapped back to reality and hurriedly stood up. “Thank you, Mr. Robertson. If that’s all, I’ll take my leave.” She was filled with relief and turned to leave, but Neil’s face suddenly darkened once more.

“Did I say you could leave? Didn’t you hear what I just said? I said enough talks for today! But I didn’t tell you to leave! Or do you think I’m some kind of pervert?” Neil’s voice rose several notches. The veins on his neck bulged as he fiercely grabbed Claire’s hand.

“No, Mr. Robertson, please listen to me…” Claire’s face paled as she looked into Neil’s suddenly ferocious eyes. Now, she finally understood why the rumors painted Neil as a pervert.

“Listen to you? What are you going to say? I know what you hussies gossip about me behind my back! I thought you were different from them. But in the end, you’re all the same, aren’t you? You bitch!” Neil yanked Claire back and forced her down onto the sofa, ripping her clothes and pouring the wine from the table down her collar.