Her Heart’s Not Yours Anymore

"Now that you're here, get to work. Change into your uniform and head straight to V8."

Kylie Cooper took the uniform from Lily Smith and turned toward the dressing room.

Lily sized her up as she walked away. It had been over three years since they last met, and the young woman had only become more enchanting with time.

What surprised Lily, though, was that Kylie was willing to return to this line of work.

This was a newly opened high-end club in the city of Jorundale. Kylie had taken a job here as a hostess, serving drinks and taking song requests in private rooms for the clients. The club catered to the city's elite—young, rich men who spent big. The tips they gave could be pretty substantial.

Kylie was short on cash, and this hostess job seemed like a decent part-time gig.

The club's uniform was daring and borderline revealing—tight, low-cut shirts paired with skirts that barely reached the tops of her thighs. One wrong move, and it was easy for everything underneath to show.

Looking at her own reflection in the mirror, Kylie felt a twinge of self-consciousness. She instinctively tugged the skirt down a bit, adjusting the loose strands of hair falling in front of her face. Then, she made her way to the V8 room.

V8 was the largest private room in the club. Kylie opened the door and was immediately hit by a mix of cigar smoke and expensive perfume—an atmosphere of wealth and desire.

It was Samuel Quinton's birthday celebration tonight, and his family was a prominent name in Jorundale. Naturally, the event was lavish, attended by high society figures and rising stars from the entertainment world.

Kylie silently crouched beside the guests, refilling drinks one by one.

She squatted slowly, one hand holding the bottle, the other instinctively pressing against her chest.

Suddenly, the door to the room swung open. The chatter in the room quieted. Samuel, the birthday boy, stood up from the sofa and walked to the door to greet the newcomer.

"Bro, you're finally here!" Samuel called.

"Had some work at the company," came the reply.

Kylie's hand trembled slightly as she poured. With her back to the door, she hadn't seen who had entered, but the voice was unmistakable.

"See? I didn't dare cut the cake until you got here," Samuel added, gesturing to a massive five-layer cake in the center of the room.

The man chuckled softly before walking in.

"It's Jonathan Sinclair. Mr. Sinclair has arrived," someone murmured.

The others quickly rose to their feet, giving Jonathan a respectful seat at the center of the room.

Even though it was Samuel's birthday, Jonathan was given the prime spot.

Kylie stood up too, lowering her head and stepping into the shadows near the wall.

Jonathan leaned back on the sofa, his posture relaxed. But when his eyes landed on Kylie, his brow furrowed slightly, a hint of displeasure crossing his face.

Noticing the tension, Samuel assumed it was a dissatisfaction with the service. He quickly tapped his fingers on the glass tabletop and turned to Kylie.

"Why aren't you serving Mr. Sinclair his drink yet?"

Kylie hadn't expected to run into Jonathan here. She kept her head lowered and refused to look up, then replied in a soft voice, "The bottle's empty. I'll get a new one."

With that, she hurriedly backed out of the room, silently praying that Jonathan hadn't recognized her.

But, of course, she didn't escape Jonathan's sharp gaze.

Jonathan stood and followed her out of the room, blocking her path in the hallway.

"What's this? It's only been a few days, and you're pretending not to know me already?" His eyes were dark, his words laced with contempt.

Kylie turned her face away and answered quietly, "Mr. Sinclair, what a... coincidence."

In front of him, she felt like a scared rabbit. Her curves were only more accentuated by the tight uniform, her chest almost spilling out of the fabric.

Jonathan's mind flashed back to their time together in bed—her innocence paired with desire, a combination that made his heart tighten. But then, he remembered that she had thrown herself into the nightlife again. It had barely been a week since they had parted ways, and his anger flared up.

"Kylie, is this how low you've fallen? You couldn't wait to come here and find another sugar daddy?"

Kylie was taken aback. Before she could respond, Jonathan grabbed her wrist and slammed her against the hallway wall.

"Who are you planning to seduce tonight?" His eyes were dark with menace.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Kylie struggled to push him away, but Jonathan only held her tighter. He leaned in close to her ear, his voice dangerously low.

"I won't allow it."

Kylie could feel the warmth of his breath on her skin, his fingers grazing her. Just like the foreplay they used to share, it made her shiver.

They had already broken up. Jonathan had no right to interfere in her life.

Anger rose in Kylie, and she turned to face him, meeting his intense gaze.

"You have no right to control me. Let go of me."

Jonathan sneered and roughly dragged her into an empty room nearby.

With a sharp click, he locked the door behind them.