The Casino Secret

CHAPTER FOUR

LAUREN’S POV

When I finally gathered the courage to unlock the bathroom door and step back into the bedroom, it was completely empty. Julian had left.

I let out a massive sigh of relief. My shoulders dropped, and my shaking hands finally went still. I crawled into the massive, empty bed and pulled the heavy covers all the way up to my chin. Despite the absolute terror of the night and the terrible things I had discovered on that phone, pure exhaustion took over my body. I was actually able to sleep very well.

He did not return to the room that night.

The next morning, the sound of movement woke me up. I opened my eyes slowly. The bright morning light filled the room. Julian was already awake. He stood near the large open closet, dressing up. He was putting on a sharp black dress shirt and dark pants. He moved with a terrifying, quiet grace.

I sat up against the headboard. I waited for him to yell at me. I waited for him to bring up the hard slap from last night. But he did not mention what had happened last night at all.

He did not even turn around to look at me.

"You are attending an art auctioning with me tomorrow," he informed me coldly. His voice was flat and hard, like ice. It was a strict order, not a question.

I pressed my lips together. He had choked me last night, and now he was giving me orders like I was just another one of his workers. I decided to not say a single word. I stayed completely quiet.

Julian buttoned the cuffs of his shirt. He had to look up, looking at me through the large mirror on the closet door when I did not respond. His dark eyes locked onto mine in the reflection. The silence stretched between us. It was a mix of absolute hate and something else I refused to name.

"Why won't you respond?" he asked. His voice dropped lower, carrying a quiet, angry threat.

I kept my face perfectly straight. "Ask me more nicely," I said.

Julian stopped moving completely. He turned his body slightly. He stared at me through the mirror in pure disbelief. His eyes narrowed with deep contempt. He looked at me like I was dirt on his shoe. The hatred he poured on me with just that single look was heavy. I returned the look right back at him, matching his dark energy.

My heart pounded against my ribs. Just when I thought my cup was finally full, and Julian would finally walk over to the bed and end my life right there, he took a slow breath. His jaw clenched very tight.

"Will you please join me at the art auction tomorrow, Serena?" he asked nicely.

The words sounded completely forced coming out of his mouth. It looked like it caused him physical pain to say them.

I gave him a small, tight smile. "Okay, sure," I replied.

Julian looked at me in deep curiosity one more time. His eyes scanned my face, searching for something he could not find. Then, he grabbed his watch and started leaving the room.

"When will you be returning?" I asked before he could exit through the large bedroom doors.

He stopped walking. His broad back tightened. It was very clear he did not want to respond to me. The silence dragged on, but he finally turned his head just a bit. "I will be returning tomorrow morning," he said.

I felt a massive rush of excitement hit me. A whole day and night without this monster. I made sure to keep my face totally blank. I did not show him any of my excitement until he finally walked out and shut the heavy door behind him.

I let the afternoon settle very well before I got out of the bed. I had a life to keep up. I went into the closet and found some plain, dark clothes. I had to get dressed for my poker dealer work. Yes, I was acting as a rich man's wife right now, but Serena’s wealth would never be mine. I knew the real truth. Once Serena was found, I would return back to my life of poverty like I never left. I had to continue surviving. I needed to keep making my own money.

As I was stepping out of the penthouse into the long hallway, I bumped right into a hard chest.

I stumbled back. It was Silas. He stood in the hallway, looking down at me.

"You need to be careful. Julian has an eagle eye," Silas warned me again.

I looked up at him. I expected to see his usual cold stare. But this time, his tone was completely different. It was filled with real worry for me. It caught me off guard.

"I will be careful," I said softly. "Thank you for worrying."

As I spoke, I looked right into his eyes. They were actually very pretty eyes. They held a strange, soft kindness that did not match his dangerous job. I realized I was staring too much. My cheeks felt a little hot. I quickly looked away, nodded my head, and left the hallway fast.

I took a cab away from the rich side of the city. I first went back to my studio apartment to grab my uniform then, I branched into a dirty, loud bar that was exactly three blocks before my underground shop. I went straight to the back restroom of the bar. I stood in front of the cracked mirror and cleaned off all the heavy, expensive makeup my parents had put on me. I washed away Serena’s face. Then, I got dressed in my plain dealer uniform.

I left the bar and headed straight down into the underground casino.

It was a very stressful shift. The hours dragged on in the smoky basement. Angry customers hollered at me from across the card table all night.

"Deal the cards faster, you stupid girl!" one drunk man yelled. He acted as if it were my fault that he lost his bets.

I kept my face blank and dealt the cards. My boss, a large man, barked at me from across the busy floor. He yelled at me for being lazy, even though I was definitely not lazy. I was working harder than anyone else in the room.

But I survived. I always survived this place. It was hard work, but it kept me grounded.

When my shift finally ended, my feet ached terribly. I went back to the tiny employee restroom. I pulled out the makeup case. With tired hands, I quickly wore the makeup again. I painted Serena's mask back on my face.

Then, I got dressed in the nice, expensive gown I had worn out of the penthouse.

It was around twelve midnight when I finally started leaving the casino.

I started walking toward the main entrance of the casino, the casino still very much alive in the background.

Suddenly, I heard a name call me from behind me.

The sound made my blood freeze in my veins. The voice did not call my real name. It called her name.

"Serena?"

It was a soft voice. It was very curious.

I stopped walking entirely. My breath hitched in my throat. My heart slammed painfully against my ribs. I slowly turned my back around to face the person.

My entire world somersaulted when I saw who it was.

Standing right there in the midst of the chaos of the casino, looking completely out of place in this underground basement, was Julian. He was dressed in the exact same black dress shirt and dark pants he wore in the morning.