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96. PRETENSE

Penulis: Faith Adore
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-03-09 21:55:51

MAE

"You really do not look okay. Are you sure you can still work?" Eli asked me, smacking his lips after applying lipgloss.

"I have to." I simply replied, going across the room to pick up more stuff. I was really tired—both mentally and emotionally, but I knew I would just be calling more punishment to myself if I simply laid down here.

"How? Scar is really nice. I mean, everyone here is. I do not feel like anyone here is being forced to do anything. I like the fact that everything is so transparent, even." He went on, and I almost scoffed out loud.

He sounded like an excited little kid. He had not the slightest idea of what was actually going on, and though it was dangerous for him, it was a little cute. Better to be oblivious than be traumatized like I was.

I got ready quicker, then hurried off to the stage. I did not shut my eyes throughout my performance, because every single time I did, I saw her. I had my eyes wide open as I danced, willing the images to go away.

The moment I s
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  • The Don’s Indebted Stripper   97. A CHOICE TO MAKE

    MAEThe door slammed shut behind me, and I stood in the alley for a moment, breathing in the cold night air. My hands clenched at my sides, nails pressing into my palms. I should’ve felt relieved. I’d walked away. I had my space.So why did I feel like I was suffocating?I forced myself to move, stepping out onto the sidewalk. The city hummed around me—cars passing, voices carrying through the night. Normal life, oblivious to the storm raging inside me.I needed a drink.And I needed a plan.Eric’s name sat heavy in my mind. If Joan truly believed he was a traitor, then this wasn’t just a warning. It was a test. One I couldn’t afford to fail.But Owen had given me his answer.You don’t touch him.That was easy for him to say. He wasn’t the one standing in front of Joan, balancing on a knife’s edge, trying to prove she belonged. I’d spent weeks playing my part, earning trust. Now, one wrong move could rip everything apart.And Owen expected me to stand back and do nothing?I exhaled sh

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-10
  • The Don’s Indebted Stripper   98. FOR YOU

    OWENI had watched Mae leave my car that night, her frustration hanging in the air like cigarette smoke. She hadn’t looked back.I should’ve let it go. Should’ve turned the key in the ignition and driven off, let her work through her anger alone.But I didn’t.Instead, I sat there, gripping the steering wheel, jaw locked so tight it ached.She wanted me to give in. To cross that invisible line we’d been toeing for weeks. And fuck, I almost had.Mae had no idea what kind of self-control it took to pull away. To tell her to go home when all I wanted was to drag her into my lap and kiss her until she forgot about Joan, about Eric, about the game she was playing with fire.But I wasn’t a man who made decisions based on want.I made them based on survival.And right now, Mae’s survival depended on her staying out of this mess.Which meant keeping my hands off her.At least for now.Tonight, I pulled out of the alley, steering the car toward the warehouse. Scar and Marco were already waitin

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-11
  • The Don’s Indebted Stripper   99. SCENES

    MAEThe text came an hour later.OWEN: Come to the club. Now.No explanation. No details. Just an order.I stared at the message, my pulse already picking up. He didn’t use words like that with me—not unless something was wrong.I grabbed my jacket and slipped out of my apartment, moving fast. The city blurred past as I caught a cab, my mind racing the entire way.Did Joan make a move?Did Eric?Was I already too late?By the time I reached the club, the bouncer barely spared me a glance before stepping aside. I pushed through the main floor, ignoring the pounding music and the lingering stares as I headed straight for the back offices.Owen was waiting.He stood behind his desk, his back to the door, one hand braced against the edge. He didn’t turn when I entered, didn’t acknowledge me right away.But the tension in the room was suffocating.I closed the door behind me. “What happened?”Owen’s head lifted slightly, but he still didn’t look at me. “Eric met with Javier Castelleno.”A

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-12
  • The Don’s Indebted Stripper   100. FOCUS NOW!

    OWENI was not supposed to be in Casa Eleganza tonight, but then Marco called and told me he was looking for her.Mae Rivera.Apparently, Carter had caught her making a sneaky phone call and before he could get evidence, she ended the call and threatened to lie against him if he tried to expose her. She ran off, too. Not that I fully trusted this Carter or a guy, but this awfully sounded like something that woman can do; especially after all she had been through lately.I could have left Marco to find her and teach her a lesson… or even any of my snipers could do that, but I had a surprise for her, so I could not do that.As I drove, I tried to shake off the nasty feelings I had that kept screaming in my ear about the fact that she had gone through so much. She should have thought of that before crossing me. I do worse to others, I thought. Why was it a bloody big deal with her? I did not have an answer to that, of course.Finally, after what seemed like years, I parked my car in fron

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-13
  • The Don’s Indebted Stripper   1. UNENDING DEBTS

    MAE"Ye deserve to be fucked in the arse by a man who knows how to do it proper!"That was Mr Marcello. He was not only a frequenter at the strip club where I was, but my father's former 'friend'. Their friendship which was built from going to the same gambling house sadly ended when my father decided to add him to the long list of people he owed.I forced a smile and took the old man's tip off his wrinkled hands, slipping the wad of dollar notes in my little bra with my eyes focused on his reddening face which was obviously due to his arousal.He grinned, flashing the best set of pearly whites I had ever seen in my direction. Obviously fake, but still beautiful… must have cost him a lot. "Two thousand for the night." He offered.I shook my head. "I only strip, Sir, nothing else. My colleagues here can take up your offer though, if you want.""Five thousand."His hand reached upward to feel my boobs which was only covered with a small, glittery, almost non-existent bra.I slapped his

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-11-22
  • The Don’s Indebted Stripper   2. THE DEBT COLLECTOR

    MAEFilled with fear, I quietly took a few steps back and hurriedly texted Liam on my phone.He was online, thank God, I thought as I typed out my message.ME: He's here. The Owen Powers is here, in our house. He has my dad. I think dad is owing him some money. You need to come over.How could dad be owing the most powerful businessman in Houston, literally? He owed a lot of people, granted, but how the hell did he even get the guts to add this to the list?My heart thudded in my chest as I waited for Liam to read the text, then start to reply. Dad was groaning in pain as he took every hit, but I knew I had to finish making these plans with Liam before I could even think of heading downstairs.My eyes were transfixed on the screen, so much that I had not noticed how the entire place had grown dead silent.Liam's reply popped up on my screen,LIAM: Stall them. Stay where you are. I'll try to see if I can get backup. Please, Mae, don't fuck this up. I know my colleagues will not be wil

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-11-22
  • The Don’s Indebted Stripper   3. OWEN POWERS

    OWENI never hesitated during a kill.This was business. It was meant to be a smooth in and out. Probably cut off some hands, some toes, an ear… some slow torture before I called it a night.Nobody told me Miguel had a daughter—a redhead, to be precise.She sat there on the dirty floor, begging for her father's life, even if we both knew that it would be a lot easier for her to just let me put him down, to make sure she would not have more debts to clear in the future.Her answer to my question was, "He cares about me. He just has a bad drinking habit, we are working on it."I scoffed, thinking hard. Her offer was sensible.After all, what would I gain by killing off her father for nothing, when I could just take his daughter for myself, have her work for me as whatever I want for free.She was making a point. Maybe Miguel could live."Get up." I ordered and she hesitated, probably thinking of telling me that she could not, because of her hurt leg, but thinking against it in the end.

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-11-22
  • The Don’s Indebted Stripper   4. CHANGES

    MAEAfter what he had said to me, I pretended to remain calm. But the moment dad was deposited beside me, I got an idea.I could escape.There was another man in the front, seated beside the driver's seat. I heard dad mutter from beside me, "Mae, don't do anything stupid, please.."Knew me so well, and well enough to know that I would still do whatever I wanted no matter what he said. How could I still trust that this man would spare our lives after watching him kill Liam like that? Kill those men without batting an eyelash?As soon as the car slowed slightly to navigate a sharp turn, I lunged. My hands shot forward, grabbing the driver's arm and yanking it hard to the side.The car swerved violently, tires screeching as the driver yelled, "What the fuck?!" The guy beside him twisted around at once, struggling to get a hold of me."Stop the car!" I screamed, clawing at the driver's arm. He cursed, his elbow slamming into my ribs while he struggled to maintain control over the car.D

    Terakhir Diperbarui : 2024-11-22

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  • The Don’s Indebted Stripper   100. FOCUS NOW!

    OWENI was not supposed to be in Casa Eleganza tonight, but then Marco called and told me he was looking for her.Mae Rivera.Apparently, Carter had caught her making a sneaky phone call and before he could get evidence, she ended the call and threatened to lie against him if he tried to expose her. She ran off, too. Not that I fully trusted this Carter or a guy, but this awfully sounded like something that woman can do; especially after all she had been through lately.I could have left Marco to find her and teach her a lesson… or even any of my snipers could do that, but I had a surprise for her, so I could not do that.As I drove, I tried to shake off the nasty feelings I had that kept screaming in my ear about the fact that she had gone through so much. She should have thought of that before crossing me. I do worse to others, I thought. Why was it a bloody big deal with her? I did not have an answer to that, of course.Finally, after what seemed like years, I parked my car in fron

  • The Don’s Indebted Stripper   99. SCENES

    MAEThe text came an hour later.OWEN: Come to the club. Now.No explanation. No details. Just an order.I stared at the message, my pulse already picking up. He didn’t use words like that with me—not unless something was wrong.I grabbed my jacket and slipped out of my apartment, moving fast. The city blurred past as I caught a cab, my mind racing the entire way.Did Joan make a move?Did Eric?Was I already too late?By the time I reached the club, the bouncer barely spared me a glance before stepping aside. I pushed through the main floor, ignoring the pounding music and the lingering stares as I headed straight for the back offices.Owen was waiting.He stood behind his desk, his back to the door, one hand braced against the edge. He didn’t turn when I entered, didn’t acknowledge me right away.But the tension in the room was suffocating.I closed the door behind me. “What happened?”Owen’s head lifted slightly, but he still didn’t look at me. “Eric met with Javier Castelleno.”A

  • The Don’s Indebted Stripper   98. FOR YOU

    OWENI had watched Mae leave my car that night, her frustration hanging in the air like cigarette smoke. She hadn’t looked back.I should’ve let it go. Should’ve turned the key in the ignition and driven off, let her work through her anger alone.But I didn’t.Instead, I sat there, gripping the steering wheel, jaw locked so tight it ached.She wanted me to give in. To cross that invisible line we’d been toeing for weeks. And fuck, I almost had.Mae had no idea what kind of self-control it took to pull away. To tell her to go home when all I wanted was to drag her into my lap and kiss her until she forgot about Joan, about Eric, about the game she was playing with fire.But I wasn’t a man who made decisions based on want.I made them based on survival.And right now, Mae’s survival depended on her staying out of this mess.Which meant keeping my hands off her.At least for now.Tonight, I pulled out of the alley, steering the car toward the warehouse. Scar and Marco were already waitin

  • The Don’s Indebted Stripper   97. A CHOICE TO MAKE

    MAEThe door slammed shut behind me, and I stood in the alley for a moment, breathing in the cold night air. My hands clenched at my sides, nails pressing into my palms. I should’ve felt relieved. I’d walked away. I had my space.So why did I feel like I was suffocating?I forced myself to move, stepping out onto the sidewalk. The city hummed around me—cars passing, voices carrying through the night. Normal life, oblivious to the storm raging inside me.I needed a drink.And I needed a plan.Eric’s name sat heavy in my mind. If Joan truly believed he was a traitor, then this wasn’t just a warning. It was a test. One I couldn’t afford to fail.But Owen had given me his answer.You don’t touch him.That was easy for him to say. He wasn’t the one standing in front of Joan, balancing on a knife’s edge, trying to prove she belonged. I’d spent weeks playing my part, earning trust. Now, one wrong move could rip everything apart.And Owen expected me to stand back and do nothing?I exhaled sh

  • The Don’s Indebted Stripper   96. PRETENSE

    MAE"You really do not look okay. Are you sure you can still work?" Eli asked me, smacking his lips after applying lipgloss."I have to." I simply replied, going across the room to pick up more stuff. I was really tired—both mentally and emotionally, but I knew I would just be calling more punishment to myself if I simply laid down here."How? Scar is really nice. I mean, everyone here is. I do not feel like anyone here is being forced to do anything. I like the fact that everything is so transparent, even." He went on, and I almost scoffed out loud.He sounded like an excited little kid. He had not the slightest idea of what was actually going on, and though it was dangerous for him, it was a little cute. Better to be oblivious than be traumatized like I was.I got ready quicker, then hurried off to the stage. I did not shut my eyes throughout my performance, because every single time I did, I saw her. I had my eyes wide open as I danced, willing the images to go away.The moment I s

  • The Don’s Indebted Stripper   95. HESITATION

    MAEI barely made it up the stairs to my apartment before I let out a breath I didn’t even realize I was holding.My body still felt wired, every nerve on edge. Owen’s voice echoed in my head.I shouldn’t have wanted to go back and see if he’d really lose control.I shoved the thought away, locked my door, and leaned against it. I needed to focus. I had bigger problems than the way Owen made my skin feel too tight. That could be handled later.Joan wanted Eric dead.Tomorrow, I’d have to walk into a job knowing I was either going to betray the man who trusted me or end up dead myself. And no matter which way I spun it, I couldn’t see a way out.I dropped onto my bed and pulled out my phone.No messages. No calls.I didn’t know why I thought he’d check in. He’d told me to go home. Told me to sleep. Like it was that easy.I tossed my phone aside and squeezed my eyes shut.Maybe, if I tried hard enough, I could pretend his hands hadn’t felt so damn good on me.Maybe I could pretend I had

  • The Don’s Indebted Stripper   94. NEED

    MAE"Your father is in the backseat of my car. Tonight, you will either tell me what's going on with you, or he takes a bullet to his head. I'll keep killing everyone you love until you decide if this secret you are keeping from me is really worth losing so much." Owen whispered, just as his big hand released my ass, going up to my hip instead.I pushed his hands off me completely, shock taking over my features. "Wait. What did you just say?""The exact same thing you heard. Get dressed and come with me."I did not have to be told twice. I rushed into the closet and just threw on a shirt like nightgown that stopped just above my knees then some lace panties.I had just stepped out of the closet to meet Owen leaning by the door when he thundered,"Get back inside and wear something else. I did not ask you to come with me so you can strip for your father." I opened my mouth and closed it like a fish, then looked around in search of anything I could just throw on."But it's covered…" I

  • The Don’s Indebted Stripper   93. UNRESOLVED WANT

    MAEI didn’t let myself think until I was back in the car.Amelia drove in silence, her grip tight on the wheel, knuckles white. She hadn’t said a word since we left Joan’s estate. Maybe she was waiting to see how I’d react. Maybe she was testing me just as much as Joan was.I didn’t give her anything.Eric.The name burned in my head.He was one of Owen’s men—trusted, loyal, someone who had been by his side for years. If Joan had put him on that list, it meant one of two things. Either Eric was playing both sides, or Joan only thought he was.Either way, this was a problem.A big one.And Owen needed to know.I reached into my jacket pocket, fingers brushing against the earpiece Owen had given me. A reminder of his voice, the way he had told me to be careful. I wanted to use it, to hear him tell me he had a plan, that he already knew, that he would fix this before I had to.But I couldn’t.Not here. Not now.Amelia’s sharp eyes flickered to me. “You alright?”I nodded once. “Yeah.”S

  • The Don’s Indebted Stripper   92. TRUST… TRUST WHO?

    MAEThe moment I stepped out of the car, the air felt different.Colder. Heavier.Amelia stood by the entrance, her arms crossed, face blank. No warmth, no hesitation—just business. She barely looked at me before turning on her heel. “Follow me.”I did.My pulse was steady, but my hands weren’t. I curled my fingers into fists to stop them from shaking. Owen’s words played over in my head. If anything feels off—get out.I didn’t plan on getting out. Not yet.We walked through a back entrance, the air thick with cigarette smoke. Joan’s men were everywhere. Some played cards. Others leaned against the walls, watching me like I was already a ghost.I kept my head high, my steps even. Fear would get me killed here.We reached the main hall. Joan was sitting at the center table, a glass of whiskey in one hand, a knife in the other. He was carving something into the wood, deep, slow strokes. He didn’t look up.“You’re late,” he said.Amelia stiffened beside me. “Traffic.”Joan finally glance

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