Chapter 51 Exposed (1/4)

“Mr. Robertson, are you enjoying yourself?”

Harrison strode into the room, not even glancing at the person on the floor. He stepped right over Claire as if she wasn’t even there. He didn’t even consider the possibility that the person on the ground could be Claire.

Frederick, on the other hand, immediately noticed the woman on the floor as he walked in, and a vague recollection stirred in his mind. He remembered his earlier orders, but all he had done was instruct Richard to give Claire a hard time at the Eclipse Nightclub. He didn’t think she would end up in the underground section of the club. He knew all too well what went on down here.

In this place, women were mere toys for men’s pleasure, with every possible kind of play imaginable. Here, money could buy you anything, and indulgence could take you to the brink of death, with no one ever stepping in to stop it. For some women, however, this was also the most lucrative spot in all of Kingstown. As long as you weren’t afraid of death, and as long as you were bold and wild enough, there was a fortune to be made. So even though the risks included being beaten to a bloody pulp or, worse, possibly being played to death, women still fought tooth and nail to get in.

Thinking of money, an image of Claire cleaning at the Eclipse Nightclub to earn her keep floated before Frederick’s eyes. He glanced at the woman lying on the floor again. Claire lay there, her messy hair covering her face, smeared with alcohol. She buried her head against her chest, desperately hoping that neither Frederick nor Harrison would recognize her. The two of them despised her. After everything that had happened between them, they wouldn’t show her any mercy. Frederick had been the one to throw her into this place. If they found out it was her here now, she feared the torture might be even more brutal than what Neil had put her through.

Chapter 51 Exposed (2/4)

“Mr. Robertson, have your fun, but don’t let a woman distract you from business.”

Frederick sat down on the sofa, his gaze still locked on the woman on the floor. The longer he stared, the more she reminded him of Claire. A wave of inexplicable irritation surged within him. Claire could feel Frederick’s piercing stare, and her heart pounded uncontrollably. She prayed silently, over and over, begging him not to recognize her.

“You’re absolutely right. All right, you filthy whore, get lost!”

Neil nodded respectfully at Frederick’s words and immediately ordered Claire to leave.

“Yes…”

Claire’s heart surged with relief when she heard she could leave. She responded in a faint, trembling voice. Then, she began to crawl forward, carefully keeping her face hidden under her tangled hair as she inched toward the door. She moved with painstaking slowness, terrified that any sudden movement might expose her face to Frederick and Harrison. The distance from the table to the door was only a few steps, but it took her a full ten minutes to crawl there. By the time she reached the door, sweat had drenched her entire body. She reached out a trembling arm to grasp the door handle. With a faint click, the door finally opened.

Chapter 51 Exposed (3/4)

But just as she stood up, a waiter carrying a tray of drinks appeared from outside. She quickly tried to halt her steps, but it was too late. She collided with the waiter, sending the tray crashing to the floor and the drinks spilling everywhere.

“Ah!”

Claire gasped in shock. The moment the sound escaped her lips, she realized her mistake; Frederick and Harrison were still inside. She had given herself away. She barely noticed the broken glass or the spilt liquor as she scrambled to her feet and prepared to run, but it was already too late.

“Wait.”

She had barely taken a step when Frederick’s voice came from behind her.

Chapter 51 Exposed (4/4)