Chapter 52: Her Dream Completely Shattered

Claire’s breath hitched abruptly. “It’s over! Frederick found me!” she thought. She stood there, every pore in her body trembling with fear. She thought, “No, if Frederick really recognized me, he would have called my name directly. Yes! Frederick probably hasn’t realized it’s me.”

Claire forced herself to calm her wildly pounding heart. She took a deep breath and turned her head slightly. “Sir, do you need anything?” She kept her head down, trying to let her dishevelled hair obscure her face as much as possible. She also pinched her throat, lowering her voice to avoid recognition.

The room was dimly lit, and Frederick was sitting on the sofa, looking at the woman standing at the door, her head almost like an ostrich trying to bury itself in her own body. “Bring two dice cups.”

Frederick looked at Claire’s dishevelled appearance. Her clothes were stained with red wine, and she was a mess. This made him dismiss the suspicion in his mind. He thought to himself that even though Claire had spent four years in prison, and even without the status of the Prescott family’s daughter, once she was out, she could still find a few thugs to torment Caroline. Back at the villa, she had played her role so well, with such cunning and means. But the woman in front of him, looking so pitiful and bullied, he couldn’t imagine her being Claire.

“Yes, sir.” Claire was relieved when she realized Frederick only wanted the dice cups. She kept her voice strained and hurriedly left the room, calling a waiter to bring the cups.

“Frederick, you’ve always hated these nightclub games. Why are you asking for dice cups now?” Harrison curiously asked when he heard Frederick’s request.

“I felt like playing today. Is that a problem?” Frederick’s thoughts drifted back to Claire, and an inexplicable irritation rose in his heart.

“Of course not. It’s rare that you’re in the mood. I’ll play a few rounds with you.”

Harrison was still unaware of what was really on Frederick’s mind, thinking he was just up for some fun.

After the waiter brought the dice cups, Harrison actually joined Frederick for a few rounds. But Frederick was distracted and lost several games in a row. Once the important business was concluded, they both left.

As Frederick and Harrison departed, Neil naturally followed. With Neil gone, rumors about Claire quickly spread throughout Eclipse Nightclub.

“Ha, who would’ve thought, huh? Some people are really good at acting. They play the innocent, sweet little thing, but in reality, they’re the most manipulative. Silently, they’ve already gotten Mr. Robertson all wrapped around their finger.” Emma hadn’t gotten what she wanted, ten million dollars, so she was obviously frustrated. The moment Claire returned, she wasted no time in causing trouble. “She’s really the kind who quietly pulls all the strings. No wonder Hannah values her so much. What a conniving little witch.” “Tell us, how did you manage to serve Mr. Robertson so well? Or are you so shameless to the core that you can’t even bring yourself to talk about it?” “Claire, are you planning to take Hannah’s place next?” Others chimed in, their tones dripping with sarcasm.

“Hannah? She’s not even close. But Emily, you might want to give up your top spot soon.” Emma chuckled, fanning the flames as she cast a glance at Emily, who stood not far away, her expression unreadable.

But to Claire, these barbs meant nothing. She didn’t care in the slightest. “Emma, I know my own abilities. I know exactly where I stand. The reason Mr. Robertson let me go today is because he had an appointment with someone else. They had important business to discuss, and that’s why I was dismissed. Yes, the tips were quite good today, and we can split the money.” With her head lowered, Claire spoke humbly and placed the tips Neil had given her on the table before quietly leaving.

She had just experienced the ordeal with Frederick and genuinely wanted no attention. Thinking about how close she came to being discovered by Frederick earlier still left her shaken. All she wanted now was to disappear quietly into the crowd. As long as she could avoid standing out, she was willing to do anything.

What Claire didn’t realize was that this attitude only made the others hate her even more. In the decadent, desire-fueled Eclipse Nightclub, people lived and breathed for money and men. There was no room for anyone to be special. Anyone who stood out would inevitably become the target of envy and hatred.

“Just that much? Who are you insulting?” “Yeah, as if none of us have made money before. Why is this newcomer so high and mighty?” “Hmph, acting all pure when you’re nothing but a slut in private.” As soon as Claire left, the dressing room erupted in sneers and whispers.

Emily, however, listened to the discussions and watched Claire’s retreating figure. Her face grew darker and darker. She had already figured out what had happened that day. In all her years at Eclipse Nightclub, she had never seen a woman like Claire. Clearly, Emma had set a trap for her, and yet she remained silent. Not only that, but she even handed over her tips.

Eclipse Nightclub was like a microcosm of a city. Everything from the outside world was available here, but all necessities had to be purchased with money. People on the outside could make money in all kinds of ways, but the women here had only one option, which is to serve others in order to earn. The people here couldn’t leave. Apart from the most basic meals and lodging, all other daily expenses had to be covered with the tips they earned themselves. To them, tips weren’t just a sign of performance but a means of survival.

But this newcomer, Claire, seemed to neither need to live, nor care about performance, nor have any interest in making money. “So why did she come to Eclipse Nightclub?” Emily thought. There were only two reasons women came to a place like this: voluntarily or by force. There were many girls here who had been forced, and every one of them was desperate to escape. Those who came willingly had no choice; they needed to make money and would do anything to earn it. However, Claire was the only exception. Emily couldn’t figure her out, but Claire was only thinking about getting through this period quietly, just surviving until Frederick won the presidential election. But after that night, her dream was completely shattered.