Chapter 3: Handsome, How Much Per Night?

Julian Sterling handed over the check without ceremony.

It was the money Lucian had meant to give the Harts, to soften the blow once the engagement was called off.

Now it was a "betrothal gift."

Mrs. Hart's face glowed at the sight of the hundred million.

The Harts were rich, but in Silverhaven they were only a second-tier family. She had never rubbed shoulders with the real titans.

And a hundred million was nearly a quarter of the Harts' yearly income.

She turned to Evelyn at once. "Evie, dear, hurry and thank Young Lord Ashford, then take the check."

Evelyn shook her head. She had no wish to hold this hot coal.

Julian gave her no chance to refuse. He set the check on the table and rose to his feet.

"I have other matters to attend to. Excuse me."

Time to find Lucian and ask what on earth has gotten into him.

Mrs. Hart told Clara to see the guests out, then reached for the check the moment Julian was gone.

Evelyn was faster.

"Mrs. Hart," she said coldly, "this is my betrothal gift."

Mrs. Hart gave a sheepish smile. "Evie, Mama only wants to keep it safe for you. I'm afraid you'll squander it on strange herbs and potions."

Greed had turned her into a loving mother again.

Evelyn had no interest in the performance.

She had seen through this woman long ago.

If I can't escape this marriage yet, I'll endure it for now. But this money stays with me.

If the engagement collapses, the gift must be returned. And what will I return it with?

"Safekeeping" will end up as Clara's dowry in the blink of an eye.

And that would let Clara and Damien live happily ever after.

The thought made her seethe.

A whole year together, and Damien hadn't sent one message. Not one call.

Scum!

Rot in the pit you crawled out of!

I hope you stay useless for the rest of your life!

Inside a noisy bar, Evelyn lifted her glass again and again.

She drank the strong cocktails as though they were water.

Her best friend, Sophie Marlowe, tried to rein her in. "Evie, slow down. He's not worth it."

Evelyn was tipsy now, dizzy, slumped against the booth. She laughed bitterly.

"I did everything for them. For him."

Why did I work myself raw for so many years? Why did I pour my life into the Hart family and give up everything I loved?

All so Clara could be spoiled and I could be bullied. I won't accept it. I won't...

Her voice caught on a sob.

In front of the Harts she played the cold, unshakable one. Only she knew how deeply it hurt.

She had lost her father at seven and been shipped off to a remote mountain village.

Without the old hermit healer who took her in, she would have died there.

When she came of age, the Harts hit hard times and needed help, so they brought her home.

She had believed she was finally getting a family's warmth. It had all been a scheme.

She had even begun to wonder whether she was really Mrs. Hart's daughter at all.

Otherwise, why would that woman be so cruel?

The more she thought, the worse she felt. She drained another glass in silence.

Sophie couldn't bear it.

Where's my fierce, spirited best friend?

So she put on her brightest grin. "Girl, no more tears! Right next door is Nightfall Club, the most famous male companion lounge in Silverhaven!"

"Come on, I'm taking you to do something wild!"

"Tonight you can pick any man you like!"

"Forget Damien! Forget Young Lord Ashford!"

With that, she hauled Evelyn out of the booth.

The word "tonight" lit something in Evelyn. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was the grief.

"Fine!" she cried. "Take me to Nightfall! I want their top man!"

"Done! Whatever it costs, I'm paying!" Sophie flashed a platinum card.

Arm in arm, the two staggered out of the bar.

They arrived at the entrance of Nightfall Club.

At that very moment, Lucian Ashford stepped out of the shadows.

He had come to settle accounts with the person who drugged him yesterday.

When it was over, the scene was too bloody for his taste. He ordered his men to clean up and turned to leave.

He never expected to see a familiar face at the door.

What a coincidence.

It was the woman who had saved him.

And his fiancée, on paper.

When he told Julian not to cancel the engagement, he had only just learned who she was, and seized the chance to lock the marriage in.

Before he could even demand an explanation for yesterday, she had walked right up to him.

Fate, indeed.

Evelyn, thoroughly drunk, spotted the man the moment she arrived. What a coincidence.

So he works here. No wonder that drug hadn't stopped him the other night. Men in this trade go all out.

Perhaps it was the drink. Perhaps it was a lifetime of holding herself in. Perhaps he was simply her type.

Her mind drifted to his strong shoulders, the hard lines of his body, the feeling she couldn't put into words.

Hmph. He took advantage of me yesterday. Today I take my revenge.

She let go of Sophie, strode boldly up to Lucian, and asked, "Handsome, how much do you charge per night?"

Lucian caught the strong scent of alcohol on her and knew she was drunk. He set aside his plan to settle the score.

Keeping accounts is pointless right now.

Then Evelyn looped her arm through his and said, "Let's go upstairs and get a room!"

Sophie had drunk far less and her head was still clear.

She was stunned by her best friend's daring!

The man before them radiated a sharp, formidable aura.

Yes, he was gorgeous, and yes, he stood at the entrance of Nightfall Club.

But anyone with a grain of sense could tell he was no hired companion.

Sophie tried to pull Evelyn back. But Lucian simply scooped her up in his arms as she swayed on her feet.

Sophie stared, startled all over again.

What is going on?!

Could he really work here?

Why don't I ever get this kind of luck with men?

"Handsome, can you take one more?" she couldn't help joking.

Lucian shot her a glance, sharp as a blade.

Sophie froze.

It felt as though death itself had clamped a hand around her throat. Her soul shook, and she didn't dare utter another word.

Only now did she understand that this man was no ordinary person, and probably no hired companion at all.

But by the time she grasped it, the entrance of Nightfall Club was empty.

Her Evie had vanished!

Sophie stood there, unsure whether to call the police or to envy her best friend.