Chapter 63: Who Had Booked Her
The moment Claire dialed the number, her hand shook uncontrollably. Her mind raced with images of the torment Harrison and Frederick might unleash upon her. Each ring of the phone felt like a hammer striking her heart, each "beep" echoing her growing anxiety. Finally, a robotic voice interrupted her spiraling thoughts, “Hello, the number you have dialed is currently unavailable.” The call ended, and with it, the tension that had been holding her together snapped.
A wave of dread washed over Claire. What awaited her tomorrow? How would Frederick and Harrison choose to torment her next? Memories of her four years in prison flooded back, and she felt a chill of fear grip her. Unbeknownst to her, Harrison was fast asleep at Prescott Manor, completely unaware of Claire’s desperate call.
Meanwhile, Claire clutched her phone tightly, her heart racing. The images that haunted her were not of Harrison’s face but of Frederick’s brooding expression. Eventually, exhaustion took over, and she drifted into a restless sleep filled with nightmares.
In her dream, Frederick loomed before her, flanked by two prison guards. “You know what to do, right? Remember, you can take her life, but make sure she suffers first. Let her feel like she’s in hell before she goes,” Frederick commanded, his back turned to her, blocking out all the light that filtered through the tiny prison window. His silhouette was menacing and cold.
Suddenly, blood began to seep from beneath her feet, warm and familiar. It surged upward, filling Claire with an overwhelming sense of dread, as if heavy stones were pressing down on her chest, suffocating her and drawing her closer to death. “Don’t!” Claire screamed, jolting awake to find it was just a nightmare.
In the underground Eclipse Nightclub, the rooms were windowless, perpetually lit regardless of the time of day. She blinked in the harsh light, disoriented, and checked her phone. It was already noon the next day. Since everyone worked late into the night, no one bothered to wake her for breakfast. This had been her routine for the past month. Taking a deep breath, Claire got dressed, washed up, and grabbed a quick bite to eat.
The entire afternoon dragged on, her thoughts consumed by the unsettling encounter with Frederick and Harrison the previous night. As evening approached, Claire reluctantly changed into her work clothes just as the nightclub was about to open. Stepping out of the changing room, she unexpectedly bumped into Emily.
“Emily, I’m so sorry!” Claire exclaimed, instinctively bowing her head in apology.
“Do I really look that scary? Am I going to eat you?” Emily replied, surprisingly lighthearted, her tone teasing rather than hostile.
“No… not at all,” Claire stammered, taken aback by Emily’s sudden shift in demeanor.
“Look, Claire, Hannah has run this underground club for years and doesn’t usually bother with the little stuff. But she’s been really good to you. Last night, she even introduced you to Logan,” Emily said, her expression shifting from playful to serious.
“Emily…” Claire’s confusion deepened. She was puzzled by Emily’s strange behavior and was about to ask for clarification when Lily walked into the room.
“Claire, Hannah mentioned that two guests specifically requested you tonight. She said if you give it your all, you’ll have a full month’s worth of bookings,” Lily said with a look of envy and resentment. Her bitterness was more apparent than her jealousy.
“Got it,” Claire nodded in acknowledgment.
“Oh, someone must have pulled out all the stops to get such a good deal so soon after arriving,” Lily sneered as she walked towards the door.
Claire ignored the bitter remarks. They didn’t bother her at all, nor did she think they were worth her attention. Emily, unable to stand Lily’s petty jabs, retorted, “Well, you’ve used plenty of your own underhanded tricks and haven’t exactly set the world on fire, have you?”
“You…” Lily’s face turned red with anger, but since it was Emily speaking, she had no choice but to swallow her frustration. Claire gave Emily a grateful smile before heading out.
She was quite curious about the clients who had booked her for a whole month. Claire hadn’t had the chance to serve many high-profile clients before. As she walked into the private room, her heart nearly stopped when she saw a familiar figure. The shock was like a thunderbolt striking her.