Stripping In Private

Clara’s POV

I walked into the room meant for the strippers and began changing into something sexy that would expose my body even more.

Tonight was another chance to create another mind-blowing scene, a better performance that would definitely make my viewers spend even more money on me than before.

I couldn't wait to get over this lifestyle of being a stripper. I had never chosen to be like this; and with this pain and disagreement within me, I had chosen to try my utmost best to carve my way out.

A few minutes passed, and it was almost my turn to go on stage. Just as I was about to step out, Derick’s voice echoed behind me.

“Hold on a bit—I want to have a word with you.”

I turned to him and nodded slowly, still puzzled as to what he wanted to say to me.

“The boss wants to see you,” Derick said.

I froze.

It was as if a shock wave was beneath my skin, threatening to shatter its way out from my follicles. Even my breath felt heavy.

Could it be panic, or was I just being scared, or perhaps glad to finally have the chance to see the boss?

Maybe… just maybe I could plead and try to explain what had truly transpired.

And when I finally got hold of myself after long seconds of thought, my lips moved on their own, as I echoed, “The boss?”

“Yes, of course. The boss wants a word with you. And you have to follow me. Now,” Derick repeated, and in that instant, things became even more tense for me.

It was indeed not just a word from Derick's mouth, but an actual instruction passed from the boss himself to me, whom I hadn't seen in my entire life.

The boss's identity was a mystery. I hadn't seen his face nor known his real name. All I knew was that he owned the strip club… and that he was dangerous. Ruthless. Inhuman.

I swallowed hard, fear surging through me like ice mixed with electricity.

“Why does he want to see me? I’m trying my best to pay off the debt. Please… I don’t want to die,” my lips trembled with the words.

“Who said anything about you dying?” Derick scoffed. “Come with me now, or do you prefer me turning your fear into reality? Maybe using my hands and strangling you to death?”

I shook my head side to side, my lips pressed together in fear after he spoke.

Fear! Horror! Pain!

That was the only thing echoing in my head. Hearing a lot about the beast and meeting him for the first time was absolute horror.

I followed Derick up the stairs to a VIP section I never knew existed. It was hidden and silent—like it didn’t belong to the same noisy, crowded club below.

The door swung open, and we stepped inside. The room was luxurious—so lavish it almost felt unreal. My eyes scanned everything, but the fear in my chest never faded; it was like a tattoo that could never be washed off my skin.

We stopped. Derick bowed his head in absolute submission as he spoke. “Boss, here she is. The stripper you requested.”

The moment the last word fell from Derick's lips, the air felt completely still. I could hear my heartbeat. And in this tense moment, a voice answered, low and cold. That was when I noticed the figure sitting on a sofa with large carved armrests, laced with gold. Shadows cascaded around that exact corner.

Slowly, the light from the chandelier cast a glowing light onto him. Seated there was a man, legs crossed, arms resting casually on either side of the armrests. He wore dark sunglasses, and just looking at him sent cold shivers through my spine.

His aura reeked of dominance and authority.

I… I felt like melting.

“Your performance yesterday night was epic.” When he finished these words, he gently pulled off his dark sunglasses.

And his eyes… those eyes looked very familiar.

“It's… it is…” I couldn't form the words because they couldn't force their way out.

It was the same man from the night before—the one who sat in a secluded spot inside the club, completely unmoved by my performance. I could forget anything else, but those eyes couldn't escape my mind.

“So he’s the boss,” the words barely left my lips, nothing more than a whisper.

“Boss…” Derick's voice sounded. “She’s the one who owes the $40,000.”

After those words from Derick, the man stood up from the sofa. Oh goodness, his height and muscles were something else, added to the fact that he was shirtless.

I… I felt lost.

It was as though the tense moment shifted to something I couldn't even identify.

“Hmmm… so you’re the lady who’s in debt to me, huh? The one whose boyfriend tricked me,” the man's cold voice sounded. I instinctively stepped back, my fingers literally twisting together.

My lips were dry—I couldn’t speak. On top of that, I was as confused as a lost sheep. He spoke so casually, like he'd forgotten I even existed—a woman he’d forced into a profession that could only be described as a nightmare.

Months back, when Alaric vanished, I was kidnapped and taken to a place I never knew. That was when a man whose face was hidden from me informed me about what Alaric did and urged me to do as he said, or else he wouldn't only kill me, but torture me until I succumbed to the pain itself. All I knew was that he was the boss, and I had never had the chance to see him until today.

He raised his hand, gesturing for Derick to leave. Without a word, Derick bowed and exited.

I turned to follow, but the man's cold voice halted my steps. “I don't remember saying anything about you leaving.”

I froze, then slowly nodded, my body trembling, hands squeezing together as if that would somehow calm me.

He stared at me with a chilling, calm smile.

“As I said—I liked your performance yesterday. It was seductive and captivating. Now I want you to do the same for me.” A dark sneer tugged at his lips as he continued, “And I want it here, and now.”

Hearing his demand, I swallowed hard.

“Do the same for you?” I stuttered under my breath, almost biting my tongue, asking as though I didn't know what he meant.

I was acting strange, not just from fear, but something else entirely. But at the same time, I had no choice other than to do as he asked.

He sat back on the sofa and spread his arms and legs, his eyes locked on me.

“Don’t waste my time. Come strip for me. Make it sensational, just like you do in the club,” he demanded with a serious expression.

I took another step backward, and that was when he had enough and raged at me with a voice like thunder.

“You bitch—why the hell are you scared of me? Isn’t this part of the job you signed up for? You are mine. Mine until that debt is paid off, so don't make me lose my temper a second time. Do as I say.”

After a deep breath, he relaxed into the sofa before softly adding, “Be a bad girl for daddy, okay…”

I nodded frantically, like a lizard.

I walked over to him, each step forward feeling like it was my last. I slowly lowered myself onto his lap. My body was stiff, frozen in fear. I stayed still for a moment, unsure of what to do—not that I couldn't twist my waist or do as he requested, but because I had lost all sense of how to do it.

It was as if I wasn't in control of my body anymore, and I just prayed it wouldn't fail me at this critical time.

Suddenly, I felt his hand slap across my ass before softly grabbing it, whispering into my ear, "I want to enjoy this moment. Make it worth it… be a bad little kitty.”