Chapter 1

Selena moved carefully, balancing a tray of drinks as she approached the impatient customer’s table. The man, dressed in a sharp navy suit and gold cufflinks, was already tapping his fingers loudly on the table. His impatient demeanor and piercing gaze made Selena feel even more nervous as she placed the coffee in front of him.  

“This better not be cold,” he muttered, snatching the cup from the tray. He took a sip and froze. His face twisted into a look of disgust, and Selena immediately knew something was wrong.  

“Cold coffee?” he barked, his voice loud enough for the entire café to hear. “Are you even capable of doing your job?”  

“I—I’m sorry, sir. I’ll fix it right away,” Selena stammered, trying to take the cup back.  

Before she could reach for it, the man stood up and poured the cold coffee over her, the liquid splashing onto her shirt and soaking her uniform. Gasps rippled through the café as all eyes turned to the commotion.  

“This is unacceptable!” the man shouted again, waving his hand for emphasis.  

Selena froze in place, too stunned to move. The coffee was icy, and the humiliation was even colder. Her face burned as tears threatened to spill, but she bit them back. She couldn’t cry in front of everyone.  

Mr. Carter, the café’s manager, rushed over with a fake, overly apologetic smile. “I deeply apologize for this mishap, sir,” he said, bowing slightly. “Allow me to comp your meal as a courtesy for the inconvenience.”  

The man huffed, muttering something under his breath before sitting back down.  

Mr. Carter turned to Selena, his polite demeanor replaced with a stern, scolding look. “Selena, go to the back and change your clothes. Now.”  

Selena nodded, unable to speak, and walked quickly to the staff changing room. Once inside, she leaned against the door for a moment, her hands trembling as she let out a shaky breath. Humiliation coursed through her veins, but she pushed it aside. She needed to get back to work—or at least finish her shift without making things worse.  

Her uniform was soaked and sticky, clinging uncomfortably to her skin. She pulled off the shirt, her hands fumbling as she reached for the spare one in her locker.  

Just as she was about to put it on, the door swung open without warning.  

“Mr. Carter?” Selena gasped, startled. She quickly grabbed the shirt and clutched it to her chest to cover herself.  

“Oh, sorry!” Mr. Carter said, though he didn’t look away. Instead, his gaze lingered on her exposed shoulders and the flushed look on her face. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him.  

Selena’s unease grew. “What are you doing in here?” she asked, her voice shaky.  

“I just wanted to check on you,” he said smoothly, though his tone made her skin crawl. “Listen, I had to yell at you out there, you know that, right? It’s about appearances. I couldn’t let the customers think I was taking your side.”  

“It’s fine,” Selena mumbled, wishing he would leave.  

He took a step closer, and Selena instinctively stepped back. Her bare back brushed against the cold metal locker, making her shiver.  

“You don’t need to be so tense around me,” he said, his voice dropping to a low, almost playful tone. “I’m not going to bite.”  

Selena’s heart pounded in her chest. His eyes were no longer on her face; they drifted downward, making her grip the shirt tighter.  

Before he could move closer, the door opened again.  

“Selena, are you okay?” Candy, her coworker, asked sharply, her voice cutting through the tension.  

Selena let out a breath of relief. “Yes, I’m fine. Thanks, Candy.”  

Mr. Carter straightened up and cleared his throat. “I was just checking on her,” he said quickly, brushing past Candy and leaving the room.  

Candy raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. Instead, she handed Selena a towel. “That guy’s a creep,” she muttered.  

Selena gave a small nod but didn’t say anything. She quickly finished dressing, grateful for Candy’s timely arrival. Her shift was over, and she had no intention of staying a second longer.  

The sun was setting by the time Selena walked through the front door of her tiny apartment. The dim lighting and chipped walls reflected her mood. She tossed her bag onto the couch and sank for a moment, letting out a deep sigh. Her body was exhausted, and her mind was even worse.  

But there was no time to rest. She had another shift to prepare for. Working at the club wasn’t ideal, but it paid better than the café, and she needed every penny to chip away at her father’s mountain of gambling debts.  

As she pulled off her shoes, her phone buzzed. It was Anita, her best friend.  

“Hey, Selena,” Anita said warmly.  

“Hey,” Selena replied, trying to sound upbeat.  

“How was work?”  

Selena hesitated, not wanting to unload everything. “It was fine,” she lied.  

“Still killing yourself to pay off your dad’s debts?” Anita’s tone turned sharp.  

“It’s not a big deal,” Selena said, though even she didn’t believe it.  

“Not a big deal? Selena, you’re working two shifts every day! This isn’t your mess to clean up.”  

“He’s my dad,” Selena said softly. “He’s the only family I have.”  

“That doesn’t mean you have to ruin your life for him,” Anita argued.  

Before Selena could respond, a loud crash came from downstairs.  

“What was that?” Anita asked, alarmed.  

“I don’t know,” Selena said, already moving toward the door. “I’ll call you back.”  

She hung up and hurried down the stairs, her heart pounding.  

In the living room, she froze. Her father was on the floor, surrounded by shards of their broken glass centerpiece. Standing over him were three large, intimidating men. Their rough appearances and dark expressions immediately set off warning bells in Selena’s mind.  

“Dad!” she exclaimed, rushing forward. But one of the men stepped in front of her, blocking her path.  

“Not so fast, sweetheart,” the man said with a smirk. “We were just having a little chat with your old man.”  

Selena’s stomach churned. “Who are you? What do you want?”  

The man chuckled. “Your dad owes us a lot of money. We’ve been patient, but we’re done waiting.”  

Selena’s eyes darted to her father, who was avoiding her gaze. “How much does he owe?”  

“More than you’ll ever be able to pay,” another man sneered.  

“I’ll pay,” Selena said quickly. “Just don’t hurt him.”  

Her father grabbed her arm, his grip tight. “Selena, no! Don’t do this.”  

But the men weren’t interested in her offer. Instead, one of them turned to her father. “She’s your daughter?”  

The man’s tone made Selena’s skin crawl, and the way his eyes roamed over her made her want to run.  

Her father hesitated, then nodded.  

“Pretty girl,” the man said with a grin. “Maybe she’s worth more than the money.”  

“No!” Selena said, stepping back. “Please, I’ll find a way to pay. Just give me time.”  

Her father’s grip tightened. “Take her,” he said suddenly, his voice breaking. “Take her, and we’ll call it even.”  

Selena’s breath caught in her throat. “Dad?”  

“I’m sorry, Selena,” he said, avoiding her gaze. “I don’t have any other choice.”  

The men laughed, their smirks widening as one of them grabbed Selena’s arm.  

“No! Let me go!” she shouted, struggling against his grip. "Please I will pay you back. I will work and pay you back."

"You can work other ways and pay us back. After all the sins of the father are visited upon the child." The men laughed at that.