●Carlton●
She blinked at me and momentarily turned to look at the pole before refocusing back on me.
My girl was actually shy despite the facade she always put on. That bold mouth, that steady gaze, it was all a shield.
Her blue eyes always did something to me and I clenched my fist at my side.
This girl would so easily undo me. She actually had me at her mercy and I hated how willing I was to surrender to that. If she asked, I would bend. If she needed me to destroy someone, I would.
But that was not the agenda here.
I had been digging into every scrape I could find about her and I came to know that she actually came from a well off family. Her father was rich. Not just comfortable rich, but powerful rich. Her brother and sister seemed to be doing perfectly fine too. Clean records. Good schools. Stable lives.
Which only made her situation look worse.
She was forced into this lifestyle.
"Tell me Catherine, who is forcing you into living like this?" I asked calmly, my gaze fixed on her as she tried her best not to look away.
"Who told you I was being forced?" she shot back almost immediately.
The corner of my lips lifted into a small smile as I swirled the glass in my hand. The ice clinked softly, the only sound between us for a second. I honestly didn't like that she was working here. I would soon take her out of here. I would probably lock her in my place for eternity where I would be the only one to worship her. The thought that I wasn't the only man who wanted to do things to her irritated me more than I cared to admit. I wanted her out of this place. As soon as possible.
"You aren't forced?" I asked.
She nodded confidently.
"Then you wouldn't mind if I had specific requests. Things I want you to do for me."
She stared at me for a long moment. I could see the war behind her eyes — pride against fear.
"I am a stripper, not a hooker, so if you're looking for one, this is not the place." She finally said.
That made me laugh. She was trying so hard to sound bold, but her cheeks were already red.
"Harry told me otherwise."
I hadn't spoken to Harry about any of these. It was a lie. I only wanted to see her reaction.
And I got it.
Her body stiffened almost instantly. The confidence in her posture faltered just a little. Unease flickered across her face before she masked it.
"What do you want?" she had asked the same question not long ago and the way she said it made something dark stir inside me.
Images flashed through my mind — her on her knees, that stubborn mouth finally quiet for the right reasons, those blue eyes looking up at me instead of challenging me. The thought alone made me hard. My jaw tightened and I adjusted slightly in my seat, forcing myself to remain composed.
"Would you give me what I wanted?"
She finally averted her gaze when I asked that.
She was going to hate me when she found out what I was planning to do. I knew that much. But I needed her free. I had known what had been going on long before tonight. Ever since I found out she existed, I had dug into everything about her — every transaction, every contract, every shadow around her name. And in the process, I realized that her freedom had a price.
And I could afford it.
I had been asking those questions to see if she would open up. To see if she would admit how deep she was in this mess. But she was stubborn. Proud. She would rather bleed quietly than confess she was drowning.
I pulled out my phone and glanced at the time.
Right on cue, there was a knock on the door.
"Why don't you go and open it," I ordered calmly.
She hesitated for only a second before walking toward it. Her steps were slower now.
She opened the door.
I couldn't see her face from where I was seated, but I could imagine it — the shock when she saw Harry standing there.
"Come inside," I said, my voice cutting through the silence.
Her body stiffened before she stepped aside to let him in.
"Took you long enough," I muttered as I finished the last of my drink. "Did you have all the paperwork prepared?"
Catherine hadn't moved from the door. She was probably spiraling, thinking I had told him about her attempt to drug me.
"All done, sir. She is now all yours."
He handed me a brown envelope.
I pulled out the papers and skimmed through them. Transfer agreements. Settlement documents. Termination of contract. Financial clearance.
Paid in full.
My eyes lifted briefly to Catherine before returning to Harry.
"Then that will be it. We will be leaving."
I stood up.
When I walked toward her and she didn't move, I took her wrist gently — but firmly enough to make a point. She followed me in silence, confusion radiating off her in waves.
We didn't stop until we reached the parking area.
That was when she yanked her hand away from me.
"What the hell was that?" her voice echoed sharply in the nearly empty lot.
I looked at her for a long moment before answering.