CHAPTER 2 - THE PRICE OF POWER

The man sitting in the wheelchair seemed reluctant to believe that she was still a virgin. His gaze swept over her naked body from head to toe, as if trying to find any hint of a lie. She found it strange. Before she entered this private room, the manager had told her that her first customer was blind and disabled.

But the way he was looking at her now… it felt different.

It was a good thing she remembered that he was blind. It lessened the shame she felt, even just a little.

“Deal.”

The moment she heard his agreement, she immediately moved to help him lie down on the bed. Cindy had given her plenty of tips earlier, and aside from that, she’d even made her watch some X-rated videos to prepare her. So now, she had some idea of what to do.

Without hesitation, she undressed the man and climbed on top of him.

She immediately felt his arousal pressing hard against her, even though he hadn’t entered her yet.

“No, kiss me first,” she heard him say, making her freeze in place.

“Oh, right... I’m stupid,” she scolded herself silently, realizing she had forgotten that there should be kissing, too. He might think she was too eager.

Gently, she pressed her lips against his, but that was all she could manage. She didn’t really know how to move her lips after that.

Sensing her hesitation, the man parted his lips and guided her, teaching her how to kiss. Before she realized it, Rihanna found herself responding. Slowly at first, then matching the sweetness of his kisses.

She had to admit, he was a good kisser. His lips stirred something deep within her, making her feel things she had never felt before.

Moments later, they switched positions. He was now on top of her. His lips trailed hot kisses all over her body. When his mouth lingered on the full curves of her breasts, she gasped at the strange yet thrilling sensation his tongue left behind as it traveled along her skin.

After sucking on her nipple, his lips began to descend… until he reached her most delicate spot—and when he sucked it, a loud moan escaped her lips, raw and unfiltered.

To be honest, she didn’t feel much pain when he carefully slid his length into her. She didn’t know why, but he was so gentle with her, moving slowly at first, gauging her reaction. Only when he sensed that she was no longer hurting did he begin to thrust deeper into her warm, wet core.

After several rounds of claiming her, he pulled her into his arms and cradled her gently. His fingers combed through her hair as he whispered,

“I’ll help you escape this place if you agree to be my wife for as long as you want.”

She lifted her face to look at him, wondering if he was serious. His eyes were fixed on the ceiling, unfocused. It was clear now that he was blind, even though his eyes looked perfectly normal at a glance. Still, his blindness didn’t take away from his striking looks.

Her gaze traveled down his sculpted arms and the defined six-pack abs on his stomach. He was undeniably hot—such a waste that he was blind and disabled.

A small smile played on his lips, even though he wasn’t looking at her. Then he repeated his offer, this time more firmly.

“Be my wife.”

“If I agree… will I still be free to go if I no longer want to be your wife?”

“Of course,” he replied calmly. “But only after you complete what I’ll ask of you in exchange for your freedom. On one condition, you must not get pregnant. I’m blind. I won’t even be able to see my own child. So make sure to take contraceptives.”

“And what if you do get me pregnant?” she asked, raising a brow.

“Then our marriage will be void. You’ll no longer be my wife, and you won’t get a single cent from me.”

“Then I accept your offer,” she answered without hesitation. She would just have to be careful not to get pregnant so she could carry out her revenge as planned.

“Is there anything else you want aside from leaving this club?” he asked.

She paused for a moment to think about his question.

“No,” she whispered, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. “I only want to take revenge on the people who wronged me.”

“That’s all?” he asked again, and she nodded in response.

“Okay. As you wish.”

That night, she left the Twilight X Club with him. Just as they were about to exit through the main door, several of Madam Ritz’s guards stepped in their way.

“Hold it right there, sir. That woman can’t go with you. What you paid only covers one night,” Madam Ritz said, breathless as she blocked the path of the man’s wheelchair.

The man calmly reached into his wallet, feeling around for a specific card. His fingers brushed over the embossed name before handing it to the manager.

“Is this enough for you to leave my wife alone?”

Madam Ritz’s mouth dropped open as she stared at the silver card in her hand.

“Dustin Crawford?” she wanted to say aloud, but didn’t dare to. Her face paled as her eyes locked onto the name etched into the card. She knew exactly who he was. A close friend had once told her about this man—how he could buy an entire city with just the snap of his fingers.

Eighty percent of the world’s banks were under his name. That’s why they called him “The Golden Zillionaire”—the first ever zillionaire in history, with a wealth estimated to be in the 30-digit range. Only a select few knew that truth.

Her friend, a manager in the finance department of DC Bank Corporation—Dustin’s company, had sworn her to secrecy. She had been warned never to speak of what she knew, especially in front of Dustin himself. Because if she did… she might not live to see the next morning.

She never expected that behind all that power and influence… was a man who was both blind and bound to a wheelchair.

She immediately dropped to her knees in front of Dustin. In that moment, he was nothing less than a god in her eyes.

"Thank you so much, sir. Rihanna is all yours now," she said gratefully before stepping aside to clear their path.

Madam Ritz suddenly turned pale when she caught the fierce glare in Rihanna’s eyes as she pushed Dustin’s wheelchair past her. There was no mistaking it. Rihanna’s gaze was filled with rage, and the burning desire for revenge was written all over her face.

Even after the two had left, fear still gripped Madam Ritz’s chest. Her hands trembled as she glanced down once more at the card she held.

Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets in disbelief.

She couldn't believe she was holding that kind of card.

Across the entire world, only a few people could even touch one of these.

The Centurion Black Card was the ultimate status symbol, and its balance had no limits. Even if you shopped your way around every mall on Earth, you’d never run out of credit. That’s how unlimited it was. And to own one, you had to spend billions a year just to qualify.

The silver card she held, though not as powerful, was still elite. Anyone who had it was guaranteed to be a millionaire. After all, it also required spending millions annually to even be considered eligible.

“Madam Ritz, why did you let that girl go just because of that card? You could’ve earned so much more from her,” her bouncer asked, bringing her back to her senses.

“Are you stupid?” she snapped. “Do you even know what kind of card that man gave me? Only millionaires are allowed to own it. Hahaha! I’m going to be a millionaire! I can finally resign from this place. I don’t want all this stress anymore!”

Her bouncer frowned, clearly not sharing the same level of excitement. “No offense, Madam, but if only millionaires can hold a silver card like that, do you really think he’d just hand it over to you? What if it’s fake and they’re scamming us?”

Her face dropped instantly. The man had a point. What if that guy had stolen Dustin Crawford’s card? A cold sweat formed on her back. She quickly grabbed her phone, ready to call the bank to confirm its authenticity, but stopped cold when a new message popped up in her inbox.

“Congratulations, your name has been updated on the account with the balance of $53,234,399 (account number xxxxxxx452). It's ready for immediate use.”

“Fifty-three million dollars?” she gasped, unable to believe what she was reading. The card was real. The message came directly from the most reputable bank in the country. And more shockingly, her name had already been transferred as the new cardholder. It was lightning fast.

Of course, it made sense. The owner of the card was also the owner of the bank itself.

No one in the public knew that Dustin Crawford was the man behind DC Bank Corporation. And she certainly wasn’t foolish enough to spread that information around. One word, and she might not live to see another sunrise.

Even if she bought the entire Twilight X Club from her boss, she still wouldn’t be able to drain the money from that card. The amount was just too monstrous. She suddenly felt short of breath. Her chest tightened. The realization was too much.

And just like that, from pure shock and excitement, she fainted.

Her bouncer stood frozen, eyes wide in confusion.

She smiled softly as she looked down at the card in her hand once more before asking,

“How much is actually in this card? Just so I know my spending limit.”

She had no idea how these black cards worked. After all, she had never owned one.

For three years, she had served as the vice president of their family’s company, using only the credit cards her father allowed her to have. Each of them had a strict limit of five hundred dollars. Even so, she’d been wise with her money and managed to save enough to have millions in her personal bank account.

But not long ago, even that account was closed by her father.

Celine, at least, had it better. That girl could spend a million a month and still get everything she wanted. Maybe she knew a thing or two about these elite cards, especially since their parents spoiled her with everything she asked for.

Rihanna turned to look at her husband again, catching the amused smile on his face as he stared at her, as if he could see right through her.

He chuckled lightly, the corners of his lips lifting in quiet amusement, and pinched the tip of her nose gently with two fingers.

“Wife, didn’t I already tell you? You can buy whatever you want. That card is yours now. Do with it as you please.”

Thinking he was only teasing her, she burst out laughing and played along.

 “Oh? What if I buy the entire department store? Would this card still handle it?”

“Yes. Even if you bought the whole mall.”

She laughed harder, shaking her head. He was teasing her now.

“So, what if I try to buy my ex-boyfriend’s company? Will this card still cover it?”

Dustin’s smile slowly faded. His jaw shifted slightly as he leaned back against his seat, one arm resting on the armrest while the other remained relaxed over her shoulder.

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly—still calm, but with a cold glint in them.

“You could buy your ex-boyfriend himself,” he said coolly, “and the card still wouldn’t run out.

Just don’t bring him home. Once you do, I might kill him myself.”

She froze.

The light atmosphere between them instantly shifted.

No more laughter this time. His tone hadn’t changed, but his gaze was steel, his expression unreadable. He didn’t blink. He didn’t even flinch.

“Wait—seriously? ” she asked, trying to read his face.

Dustin tilted his head ever so slightly, his lips forming a tight, unreadable line.

“Do I look like I’m joking?”