[Darcy]Today was a long day. The day that was both painful and shocking. I had a troubled family, but I didn't expect my father to borrow that much money without my knowledge. Why didn't he learn from his mistakes?I was the CEO of our family company. Twice, the company collapsed in my hands because he wasn't honest about financial management. How could he ruin my good name for his own pleasure? They must have used the money for splurges.I had little time and needed to save my son. The new problem came when I thought I was at the lowest point in my life. Was I being punished for my past sins? My eyes heated up, remembering all my crimes.“We're here,” Felicia, my boss, said. She opened the car door and gestured for me to get out on the same side.I complied. The building ahead of me was the nearest apartment to Sinclair's nightclub. That was the name of the heartless man. Felicia approached the entrance, so I followed her. Two men walked with us to the elevator.Felicia pressed the
Sinclair looked at me expressionlessly. He scrutinized my body from foot to head slowly, but I felt confident with my body. His eyes couldn't intimidate me. Although some parts of my body were chubby, I could make people look at me with admiration.The man stood up and walked toward the door. Felicia shifted, so I did the same. Sinclair left his office and walked towards the practice room. I took a deep breath, preparing to show him my skills.“Show her the movements for tonight's performance,” he ordered Felicia.My instructor nodded. She stood near one of the poles and prepared the opening pose. Sinclair pressed a button on the remote in his hand, and music filled the room. Felicia moved gracefully around the pole to the music.I watched her move by move and memorized it in my head. The curves of her fingers, hands, waist, and legs were perfect. If only she'd let her hair down, she'd look even sexier. No man could resist her charms.The music stopped, and Felicia stood up perfectly.
[Sinclair]My nightclub had many professional dancers. They chose the job because of their choice, a friend's invitation, or economic pressure. Whatever their reason for working at my place, they worked well and had many loyal fans.The HRD strictly selected them. Those women must undergo a complete physical and mental health examination before becoming a dancer at my club. I didn't want to get into trouble if she transmitted diseases to her colleagues or customers.Therefore, my club dancers were gorgeous, surpassing other clubs. They had good bodies and were very talented. The guests looked forward to their performances the most. As a result, my club was full on Saturday and Sunday nights.Yet none of them were able to give me chills. Some tried to flirt with me, aiming for Mrs. Sinclair Wyndham's position. No matter how sexy their dances were, I wasn't feeling it.Darcy was the first woman, my club dancer, who could arouse me. I didn't realize my pants were getting tighter because o
I returned to the VVIP room before people saw me. They were focused on the dancers' performance on stage. The song was about to end, and I couldn't be in a crowded place. I didn't want to make small talk with anyone.Enzo opened the door. Two other guests were in the room besides Dustin. They didn't take their eyes off the stage. I sat and watched the dancer's closing moves.“Wow, Sin!” Dustin praised. He clapped his hands. “Your dancer is getting better by the day. They say she's your new dancer. Where did you get a woman as skilled as her?”“You know the rules, Dust. You can't ask about the origin or personal details of the club's dancers. You can only find out from her,” Ralph, my club's VVIP customer, reminded him.“I'm just trying my luck.” Dustin chuckled.“The first two performances were amazing. Are your dancers going to be that good until morning, Sin?” Ralph teased.“Thanks for the compliment,” I replied, not answering his question directly.Enzo took over the conversation.
[Darcy]I should have known I didn't work as a regular dancer at the nightclub. My instructor wouldn't have taught me those seductive moves if I'd worn the same clothes during a performance as during practice.However, I didn't expect the clothes to be that revealing. It wasn't even a dress. The fabric was so skimpy that it only covered a small part of my chest and the part between my thighs. I only wore such clothes when flirting with my husband in our bedroom.How could I dance in such minimal clothing? The audience could see the private parts of my body if I moved even a little. My head suddenly throbbed at the thought of people's eyes staring at me on stage.“What's wrong, Darcy?” Felicia asked, breaking my reverie. “Is there anything I can do for you?”“Um,” I muttered.“She must be shocked to have to wear that outfit on stage,” a woman in the room taunted. “Don't worry. You'll get used to it. Just think about the money you'll make in one performance.”“Aren't you going to introdu
My blood boiled at her threat. I was sick of dealing with everything alone. Being at the club tonight wasn't my choice. My father borrowed so much money. It doubled, and he hadn't paid it back.Without discussing it with me, he made me collateral for the loan. I put my body on display in public because of the urgent situation. That selfish woman shouldn't have used my son to threaten me.However, I hid my anger. I was at a disadvantage. Bridget was influential. She could do anything without being touched by the law. Even though Keane was her grandson, she didn't mess around when she made threats.“You're here,” I stared at her and her bodyguards, “because you know the club owner. Do you think the dancer could easily walk out of this place?”“I don't care about—” Bridget cut in.“Again,” I tilted my head, “I'm dead, Bridget. You want to hurt Keane? Go ahead. Your threats won't get me out of this place or stop me from dancing.”The arrogant woman looked at me intently. “I regret approvi
[Sinclair]My club's employees occasionally had internal issues that caused drama in the workplace. They competed to be the best for higher positions and prestigious perks. It was natural and happened in other worksites.However, it was the first time a new person caused trouble on her first day. Although I knew Darcy was a troublemaker, I thought she needed a job. I didn't realize she had enemies a few hours into the workplace.“This is the footage of Mrs. Channing talking to Darcy, boss,” Neil, my bodyguard, said.I looked at the monitor and smiled as I saw something interesting. “Save this recording and send a copy to my email.”“Yes, boss.” Neil nodded to the man handling the monitor. “This is the footage in the locker room.”The monitor showed a woman entering the room suspiciously. She looked around while approaching a locker. After using something to open the locker, she took a bag, stuck something behind the door, and closed it.After the woman left, other women came and went.
Sean's face paled after hearing my offer. The man might not believe that I would be honest with my words. People like him were used to dealing with blackmail. It wasn't my fault that Bridget couldn't behave herself in public.His wife, on the other hand, was calm. Even so, she was thinking about something inside her head. Bridget shook her head as her husband opened his mouth, wanting to say something to me. The man complied.Their cautious demeanor wasn't a surprise. I would have done the same thing if someone had tried to blackmail me. The difference was I had evidence, and the woman's actions were against the law. I would win if the case went to court.“You're saying you want to sue me with that video? Did you forget who we are?” Bridget asked.“You're Channing,” I replied casually.“You can't touch us, Sinclair,” she said.“Why not? Channing and Wyndham have equal standing in this town. Or do you think you're superior to me?” I challenged her.“We're close to many influential peop
“Welcome, Mr. Wyndham.” The receptionist bowed, greeting Sinclair respectfully. “My colleague will escort you and your companion to your seats.”“Thank you.” Sinclair accepted the paper from the woman.I stared straight ahead as I entered the hall. The decoration of the room was luxurious and grand. They decorated the chairs with beautiful fabrics and ribbons. The tablecloths were the same color as the chairs, and crystal containers filled with roses and tulips adorned the tables.People turned to us. I focused on the stage, not returning anyone's gaze. I had learned that they weren't my friends or companions. The usher stopped by a table and pointed to Sinclair and his partner's names on the table.Sinclair opened a chair for me. I thanked him before sitting down. The man sat by my side and fixed his gaze on the stage. We came at the right time. The host started the show, so we didn't have to make small talk with whoever was sitting near us.“Without further ado, please welcome Mr. E
My heart skipped a beat. Did I hear it right? Damn it. Why didn't I carefully read the contract? I missed an important point about obeying his orders. How could I have passed up the point about dancing without clothes?No. I remembered it well. There was no point in vulgar appearance. I was a dancer, not a striptease. Sinclair didn't hire me to be a stripper at his club. I would rather die than show my private parts to the public.“No,” I refused.He whispered in my ear. “That's the reason you're performing as an opening act. Didn't you see your partner do that?”My heart pounded. I couldn't believe it. Sinclair couldn't have done that, but I had promised to do the job to pay back the debt. Oh, God. My son would hate me if he found out.I didn't care about other people or what they thought. I was worried about how Keane would feel if he saw it when he grew up. I couldn't bear to look into his disappointed eyes. I wanted my son to be proud of me.“You're shaking.” Sinclair sat me down
[Darcy]Sinclair came out of the practice room carrying a medicine box. I looked over at my hand, which he had bandaged. His work was quite neat. He had probably tended to wounds many times. The incision marks on his forearms were both a frightening and concerning sight.I didn't know what happened, but I prepared to go home. I took the towel to the locker room and put it in the dirty clothes basket. After grabbing my bag and cooler, I turned off the lights and closed the practice room.Wesley waited on his motorcycle when I went out the back door. He accepted the cooler and helped me onto the back seat. We arrived at the apartment and parted ways before my unit's door.I quickly cleaned the breast pump and cooler. Waiting for the pump to dry, I went to my room. I took off my clothes and washed up in the shower room. After drying off, I was stunned to see my reflection in the mirror.My lips were swollen and reddened. Bite marks covered my neck and the top of my right breast. I sighed
Other women didn't ask. They wished I danced with them or stared at them. They would let me touch and kiss them whenever I felt like it. Darcy was different, of course.In the heat of the dance, she didn't get carried away. She outwitted me with her touches and moans. I thought she would surrender to my kisses. Instead, her mind was alert, and her eyes stared at me.“Dance with you,” I answered.“Kissing isn't dancing.” She glanced at my lips.“I always get what I want.” I kissed her lips when she was caught off guard.I put my hands behind her head when she tried to distance herself from me. Darcy pushed against my chest, but her strength wasn't strong enough to keep me away from her. When she bit my lips, I caressed her chest.She moaned, releasing my lips. I took advantage of it by deepening my kiss. Her husband died a few days ago, but they hadn't slept together for a long time. I knew she wanted it but denied her need.I didn't care why my body responded to her temptation. When I
Only Enzo could contact me through my phone when I wasn't at the club. Other employees had to report to my assistant, who passed the report on to me. Felicia was different because she was in charge of a special person.“Speak,” I said.“Someone injured Darcy. I need access to the camera footage in the training room,” Felicia reported. She sounded serious and urgent.“You should have told Enzo, not called me. Only the security guards, Enzo, and I can enter the security room. So, report it to my assistant,” I ordered.“Sin,” Felicia said. Her voice turned soft and pleading. “What happened to us?”I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Did Felicia seriously ask about us? What happened to us? I didn't understand. We were being professional towards each other. Why was she suddenly asking about us as if we had a special relationship?One dance. I only had one dance with Felicia when she accompanied me to an event. We didn't have any relationship or sleep together. She didn't mention the inc
[Sinclair]After texting Enzo the dancer's name that Dustin wanted, I put my phone in the inner pocket of my jacket. I stepped out of the car into the hotel lobby. After mentioning my name to the restaurant's front desk, she appointed her colleague to escort me.The woman led me to a room. She knocked on the door before opening it. A man inside stood up and extended his hand to me.“Sorry, I'm late.” I shook his hand.“You're not late,” Errol said. He let go of my hand and pointed to the chair across from him. “Have a seat. Let's order some food before we talk.”Errol Fiander was a well-known hotel owner who was constantly expanding his business. That ambitious man had borrowed a considerable amount of money from my company. He didn't let me down by repaying the debt on time. I used half of it to buy shares in his hotel.It was the right decision because the profit sharing was huge. Hans' business gave me more than Errol's hotel, though. I knew why he asked me to meet. He needed a loa
The motorcycle tires screeched. My heart pounded loudly, deafening my ears. I almost stopped breathing because death was so close. I didn't want to die. My son needed me. If I was gone, who would raise him?Realizing I was okay, and the bike was still upright, I opened my eyes. Wesley took his hand away from my back. He wanted to continue, but a woman got out of the driver's side of the car and blocked his way.Another woman came out of the passenger side. She gave me a sharp look and stopped at the back of the car. Seeing the serious expressions on their faces, I sighed. They wouldn't leave until I complied with their wishes.I got off the motorcycle and took off my helmet. Thankfully, my legs weren't shaking anymore. “What is it?” I asked, challenging their piercing gazes.Wesley held out his hand, shielding me from Jean. The woman approached me with a fierce face. She was wrong if she thought I would be afraid of her with that expression.“Shut up and stay out of this, Wesley. Or I
I came to the park to calm myself and escape my routine. My thoughts went back to my son and the pain of our separation. I didn't know if we would survive not seeing each other for three months.A woman came over when I was sad thinking about my baby. She looked at me with a happy face with the baby in her arms, making me jealous. Oh. The woman's face was familiar, but I couldn't remember where I met her.“I knew you wouldn't recognize me. My name's Lydia Tonkin. I'm a dancer at Sinclair's club,” she said, introducing herself.“Oh. I'm sorry.” I was stunned. Gosh. I said the word sorry.“I understand. You're a new dancer and don't know all of us yet.” Lydia glanced at my side. “Are you alone, or will someone be sitting there?”“Oh. Please.” I moved my bag to let her sit beside me.“Thank you.” She sat down and put her big bag on her right side. “I should make some milk before my daughter wakes up. She may be hungry.”The baby was small. She might be about four or five months old. The
[Darcy]I put my bag on the couch and sat down. Tonight's events were completely unexpected. I was almost free from my big problem. I could be free from that humiliating job and live a normal life again.However, I couldn't do that without my son. My eyes heated up. I wanted to leave that job as soon as possible. But I needed a job to get my son back. Leaving Sinclair's club without a job was suicide.My friends abandoned me. They wouldn't give me a job no matter how low the level. How could I survive without working? I didn't want to beg or go to social centers. I could survive without other people's pity.Sean coming and redeeming me was unexpected. What was so lucrative about the mayor's position that he would throw away fifty million dollars for me? Had Bridget not committed that crime against me, none would have happened.Feeling my chest hurt, I dragged my feet to the kitchen. I grabbed the breast pump. Sadly, I wasted a lot of milk I should have given to my son. But I wouldn't