By the time she reached the mansion, it was nighttime already. She wondered how the guard must have felt. She felt bad, he didn’t deserve whatever trouble he was in. She hoped Barry wasn’t home yet.With careful steps, she slipped into the hallway, heart thudding as her shoes barely made a sound against the floor. The mansion was quiet, which gave her a little hope. Holding her breath, she climbed the stairs and made her way down the hallway. She gripped the door handle to her room, slowly turned it, and slipped inside.Exhaling softly, she closed the door behind her. Relief washed over her like a wave. He wasn’t back yet. She was safe, for now.But just as she turned the handle to lock the door, a strong hand grabbed her from behind.She gasped, but the sound was cut off by a wide palm covering her mouth.A heavy body pressed against her back, pinning her to the door. One strong hand held both of her wrists behind her. Her heart nearly stopped.Her eyes widened in fear, a scream caug
Lucy noticed that wherever Barry went, Jessica was always just a few steps behind. Whether it was the club, his meetings, or just a walk down the hall, Jessica clung to him like a shadow. And Barry didn’t push her away. In fact, he barely looked in Lucy’s direction anymore. It felt like they were back to the beginning again, when he didn’t even know her name.She hadn’t been called to his office, hadn’t seen him alone, and definitely hadn’t danced privately for him these past few days. Lucy tried to convince herself it didn’t matter, that it was all a dream she made up in her head, a fantasy that never really had a chance to bloom.That morning, she was woken up by a soft knock on her door. One of the maids stood outside.“Good morning, Miss Lucy. Master said to get dressed. He wants you to join him for a meeting today.”Lucy rubbed her eyes, surprised. “A meeting?”“Yes. He said the man you’re meeting with likes women. He thought your presence might be useful.”The words stung a litt
NEXT DAYThe sun was soft against Lucy’s skin as she walked back into the mansion from the garden, brushing a few petals from her dress. The garden had become her quiet place over the past few days, somewhere she could think without feeling watched or judged. But even the calmness outside couldn’t prepare her for what she saw next.She paused at the entrance of the wide hallway. A group of maids were moving boxes, fancy-looking ones, up the stairs. They looked expensive, like they belonged in a designer store. Lucy's brows pinched together in confusion.“Excuse me,” she said softly, stepping closer to one of the maids carrying a medium-sized box. “Is someone moving in?”The young maid turned to her, giving a small, polite smile. “Yes, Miss Jessica. Master said to prepare her room this morning.”Lucy’s lips parted slightly. She blinked, not knowing what to say for a moment.“Oh… I see. Thank you,” she murmured.The maid nodded and carried on up the stairs, disappearing around the corne
Lucy sat on the edge of the bed, her legs swinging softly above the ground. The room was quiet, too quiet, and her thoughts were spinning.She had spent most of the day alone, trying to distract herself, but her mind kept drifting back to Barry. His voice. His eyes. The way he held her on his lap last night like she belonged there.She pressed her palm lightly against her chest. It was silly, wasn’t it? Feeling this way about her boss. But the way he looked at her… the way he said she wouldn’t dance for anyone but him…Did it mean something?She sighed and stood up, stretching her arms above her head. She couldn’t sit here any longer. The silence was making her restless.“I’ll just… check if he’s around,” she mumbled to herself, brushing her fingers through her hair.She grabbed a hoodie and slipped out of her room, walking down the hallway toward Barry’s office. Maybe she could talk to him for a little while, just something light. Something normal. She just needed to see his face.Wh
Lucy lay on her bed, one hand under her cheek, the other resting over her stomach. The room was quiet except for the soft hum of the ceiling fan. Her eyes stared at the ceiling, but her mind was replaying every second of earlier that evening.“You won’t be dancing again… at least not for anyone else but me.”Barry’s words echoed in her ears. Her cheeks warmed at the memory. The way he had pulled her onto his lap. The way he held her. So close. Like he had a right to her.She didn’t know what any of it meant.Maybe he was just being possessive because she worked for him. Maybe it didn’t mean anything. But it felt like it meant something.She turned onto her side and sighed.Meanwhile, back at the club office, Barry was leaning over his desk. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, and his fingers moved fast across the papers, flipping through reports and inventory sheets from the bar. The club was steady tonight, not too crowded, not too slow. But his mind wasn’t fully in the numbers.He kep
Lucy was just about wrapping up her shift, wiping down the last table, when one of the other girls leaned in toward her."Master wants to see you," she said casually, tossing her hair over her shoulder.Lucy blinked. "Me?"The girl nodded, already walking away.A knot formed in Lucy’s stomach. She hadn’t done anything wrong… had she? Her mind immediately began racing. Had she missed a tray? Dropped something? Looked at someone she shouldn’t have? The night had been a blur, especially after she caught his eyes during her dance. Her chest still tightened when she thought about it.She smoothed down her dress and headed toward the hallway that led to the private offices. When she reached the familiar tall door at the end, she paused and knocked softly.No response.She hesitated for a second, then slowly turned the handle and stepped in.The room was dimly lit, the smell of paper, leather, and faint cologne lingering in the air. Barry sat behind his desk, head bowed slightly as he flippe