4: THE LAST RESORT.

NICOLE'S POV

The hospital bill was waiting for me when I woke up.

I stared at the paper in my hands, my vision still blurry from sleep, my body still weak from the fever that had nearly killed me.

Invoice. Ashford Holdings. Paid in full by Adrian Ashford.

And beneath it, a handwritten note in sharp, elegant script:

"You have a week to pay it all. — A.A."

I crumpled the paper in my fist.

He saved my life just to send me the bill.

How did he even find me there? Was he stalking me now?

I found a bag on the chair, there were new clothes inside and an envelope.

It was a jacket, an inner shirt and sweatpants, thick enough to protect me from the cold. There was some cash in the envelope.

I scoffed. I knew what he was doing.

He wants to keep helping me until I owe him a fortune and have no choice but to submit to him.

I'm not going to give him that satisfaction. I need to get a job, anything to pay him back.

I left the hospital that morning without checking out. I couldn't afford the paperwork.

I walked out into the cold morning air with new clothes on.

I walked into every business in the city, with the hope of getting hired by one.

By the end of the first day, I had been rejected eighteen times because no one wanted to be associated with a criminal.

By the fourth day, I was already running low on cash, and I could barely afford to pay the guest house for one more night.

I called my old colleagues. The ones who had smiled at me at galas and tried to build connections with me at conferences.

"Nicole? I can't talk right now." Click.

"Nicole, I'm sorry, but associating with you would be… career suicide.” Click.

"Don't call me again." Click.

I stood in the middle of a busy street, my phone in my hand, the sound of the dial tone echoing in my ear, and I felt something inside me break.

I had no one to help me.

And in two days, I would be back in prison if I can't pay back Adrian Ashford.

I can't go back to prison, I need to solve the mystery of how my company went down on my watch.

Someone did this and made me take the fall. I need to find out who it was and make him pay.

************

I ended up in a bar called Sable.

I found it by accident. Or maybe it found me.

I walked into it and ordered a drink. I was exhausted and frustrated, I needed something to cool off.

A lady placed the drink on me in front of me. “It's on the house.”

I looked up at her in disbelief. “Really?” My voice was barely audible.

“You barely escaped a difficult situation. It's the least I could do.” She smiled at me. “Hi Nicole, I'm Bailey.”

My brows shot up. “You know me?”

“Are you kidding me?” She chuckled. “Everyone in this city knows who you are. You are all over the Internet.”

My heart sank because I was trending for the wrong reasons. “Then why are you being nice to me? Everyone hates me.”

She shrugged. “Maybe it's because I believe you were wrong and my instincts tell me that you don't deserve everything that happened to you.”

“Really?” Tears pricked my eyes.

She nodded. “The truth is, I knew you before the scandal, I've always admired and respected you. I hope you get through this phase.”

“Thanks Bailey.”

“You're welcome.” She turned to leave but I stopped her.

“Uhm…” I swallowed. “I kinda need a job to pay off a debt. Is this bar hiring?”

She walked closer and leaned on the counter. “To be honest, I don't think the manager would hire you because of the scandal.”

My heart fell.

“But there's another offer.” she continued. “The boss doesn't care about your background or past as long as you do your job well and it pays really well. But…” she hesitated. “I don't think you would want that kind of job.”

My eyes lit up. “What kind of job is it?”

***************

The mask was silver, smooth against my skin. It covered the upper half of my face, leaving only my lips and chin exposed.

I looked at myself in the mirror. I didn't recognize the woman staring back.

She was beautiful, desperate and dangerous.

I drank two shots before I walked into the room. I needed to get a bit tipsy to pull this off.

The vodka burned my throat, but it did nothing to quiet the thoughts in my head.

What are you doing, Nicole? This is beneath you.

You were the queen who ruled. But now you're a masked whore in a darkened room.

I pushed the thoughts away.

I had no choice. I needed the money to pay Adrian back. I can't go back to prison.

The room was red with dim lights. I could barely see his face but I could make out his silhouette

He was sitting in a chair in the center of the room, with a perfect build, broad-shouldered. He sat like a king on a throne, waiting for his entertainment.

I had been promised two million dollars if I could spend the entire night with him. No one had ever succeeded because he always sent them away before midnight.

The boss was desperate to please him, so he hired me, immediately Bailey brought me here. Because he needed someone new for the client.

But I was not going to fail. I had to put in my all to seduce him.

The first step was to dance in the middle of the room to set the mood. Luckily, I did dance as a hobby in middle school and high-school.

The music played and I began to dance. I moved closer to him to stand directly in front of him.

My hips swayed. My hands trailed down my body. I wore a silver gown that hugged every curve, and barely covered my ass, and I let it move with me, a second skin that revealed and concealed in equal measure.

I ran my hands through my hair. I turned. I bent. I gave him every angle, every curve, every movement that men desired.

He didn't react.

I climbed the couch and straddled him, rocking him in a perfect rhythm with the music.

I let my fingers graze his shoulder. His neck. His jaw. But he still didn't react.

I was getting frustrated but I couldn't let it show.

I leaned in. My lips brushed against his ear.

"Don't you like what you see?" I whispered. “Touch me and let's have fun.”

I felt his body tense and his hand suddenly grabbed my waist. “Nicole?”

The familiar deep voice made me shiver, and the sound of my name on his lips hit me like a train.

My blood ran cold.

"Mr Ashford?”