Chapter 5

MARILYN~

Like a thunderbolt through the air, Lord Lucian burst in and rushed to my sister.

He grabbed her hand and held her frozen in place.

Unlike the icy blue that I was addicted to, his eyes were glowing almost red with anger.

Doris froze in shock while I stood rooted, silently watching the drama unfold.

“What is happening here?” Madam Diana’s voice asked with a tone that betrayed her relaxed aura.

I frowned and turned to leave the room since I was sure Lord Lucian would come to find me before leaving.

“Marilyn,” I suddenly heard my name from the most graceful voice I couldn’t imagine.

I turned around, and the expression on his face was priceless as he snapped Doris’s hand away.

He comes to me and holds my shoulder, “Marilyn, are you fine?”

At this moment, my dirty name that used to be breathed out from horny men’s lips when they’re cumming suddenly sounded like the most graceful war song that I was dying to hear again.

“Mary?” Madam Diana tapped me, jerking me back from my trance and nodding silently even though I’m not fine, “Hun. I’m fine.”

I tried leaving again, but then Lucian grabbed my hand, “Come with me, Marilyn. I will give you anything you want.”

His eyes scream honesty, but hers… Doris’s eyes held nothing but hatred, which reminded me of how they abandoned me here.

I yanked my hand away adamantly, “No, Lord Lucian, I won’t come with you.”

The second time, this is the second time I’d pushed him away.

My heart screamed at me to take his hand, but my head reminded me— everyone leaves.

Doris did, Dad and mum…why would he be different?

“Marilyn!” He took my hand again before I could walk off, “Lucifer is dangerous; he might come here again.”

“Oh, did you mean your twin brother?” I smirked, “I would prefer him because he doesn’t hide his teeth, unlike you”

Immediately, I breathed out all those words, knives of pain and regret stabbed my heart but I couldn’t cry out.

I want Lucian. I want him so badly that it hurts.

But Doris? Her eyes pierced me like hole drillers. Full of repulsiveness.

The warning her eyes gave off made me understand that if she was a part of his world, then I’ll never be safe.

Maybe pushing him away was right.

Lucifer may be brutal and doesn’t capture my heart like Lucian, but at least he doesn’t pretend.

But was that true? Or was I just convincing myself to reject him before he could reject me first? I’d defended him to Madam Diana days ago.

I knew he wasn’t fake… I was just scared. If he breaks my heart, I’m sure I won’t survive it. Better to run now than die later.

I walked out of the office. Without listening to anyone.

~

I was preparing to resume my business and forget about whatever mates I have when a whore came in.

She threw a parcel on my bed, “The barrister lady dropped it for you before going.”

I stopped my makeup and looked at the parcel, “Share it with the others I don’t want.”

“She said it’s only for you to open. She’d given us our own parcels,” The lady urged, and I felt I didn’t have a choice but to accede.

I pretended to concentrate on my makeup until she left, but immediately she exited the door, I dropped the mirror and stripped the parcel open.

Opening it, I saw a document there. I was surprised at first and doubted if I should open it, but then again, Rina howled, “Let’s see first.”

I concurred and opened the file only to see a photocopy of the document that was titled: DORIS MCALLEN & GAMMA LUCIAN SHALL BE MARRIED….

I dropped it immediately as my hand trembled in fear.

Doris was clearly threatening me and daring me to a duel for love. I shrieked in anger before leaving the room in anger to show the madam.

I got to Madam Diana’s office and met her watching TV as usual, and I angrily dropped the document on her table. “Is this the reason you’re against me accepting Lord Lucian as my mate?”

She raised her eyebrows and took the document without a word. It wasn’t until she read the content that she paused her movie and looked at me with surprise, “Your sister is betrothed to Lord Lucian?”

“She’s not my sister!!” I replied angrily. “Why can’t they let me be happy, why!!!?”

“Sit down, Mary,” she urged, “This is a very critical matter.”

I pulled the chair and sank into it reluctantly. “Madam, why can’t they let me have what I want for once?” I questioned with tears almost choking my throat.

She dropped the document. “If Doris hadn’t appeared, would you have followed Lucifer or Lucian?”

I blinked. The feeling with Lucifer is the same as I felt for Lucian, but I prefer Lucian to him. On second thoughts, Lucian is a pretender. Lucifer isn’t. But then again, of what use is following any one of them only to get betrayed at the end?

Madam Diana is right. They could also abandon me later and say I’m just a prostitute.

“I won’t have followed any of them, Madam,” I replied as a matter of fact, “I can’t choose between the two of them because the pull is with both of them. And I keep refusing Lucian even though I want him. I’m a coward, Old Hag. I’m afraid he’d throw me away…”

“I’m not asking about two mates, Mary!” She retorted, “Would you have followed any of them without Doris?”

“No”

“Then why are you so worked up about her? Let her have Lucian and then reject him. Talk to Lucifer, he’s easier to approach.”

I shot her a glance, “What did you mean? Easy to approach?” I asked bitterly. “Lucifer is not human!!! He marked me without permission and killed on a whim, and you want me to go with him?”

She laughed dryly, “You spent five years of your life selling your body to men here. So you can only get irritated by it now?”

I flinched at her words. How could I forget that Madam Diana wasn’t that nice a person who would smile at everything you do? Her responses are always very sharp enough to make someone feel like they’d been cut with a knife.

“But this isn’t about my body or sex,” I cried. “I’m in a dilemma!! Lucian wants to take me away, but he’s a pretender and I don’t know anything about him yet. Lucifer wants me too. But I haven’t seen him since that day.”

She bowed her head slightly, “Did I forget to tell you?”

“What?”

“Lucifer offered a billion dollars to give you up to him,” She replied, “But I rejected the money. I thought about it and I realized you were right. Whores or not, I’m the mother here. What mother will give up her child for money?”

The words hit me harder than a slap.

A billion….. For me?

And she refused?

“Why?” I whispered. “Why would you do that for me? I’m not the only girl here.”

Her expression softened. “Because I’m a mother!” Her voice turned grim, “When I became the Madam, the Madam that preceded me had done the same for us. All the Madams that have ruled this place have done the same, too, and I would do like them and become a mother to my girls, no matter how tough. I would have done the same if it were another girl.”

My chest ached. Since when did she realize this?

Maybe… maybe I should take Doris’s offer. Become a doctor and get out of this hellish life?

‘Would the pack accept you back?’ My wolf spoke at the back of my head. ‘A prostitute turned a doctor? Are you ready for the trauma?’

Perhaps she was right. Then maybe I should chase Lucian…. The one I truly want but a pretender. Or perhaps Lucifer, the open-minded monster my soul wanted but my heart declined.

Or just remain myself….. I, as Marilyn Paltan, a prostitute?

‘No!!!’ My wolf argued. ‘Lord Lucifer and Lucian have done nothing wrong, and they’re the first to want you out of this hell. They kept trying, they’re more than what you think of them’

Slamming my hand on the table, I roared, “I have decided, madam.”

Her face lit up in glee, “Oh really?”

I nodded firmly, “I won’t be fooled again, at least not by her.”

Madam Diana frowned, “Are you saying you’re not leaving Lucian for Doris?”

“No. I won’t reject either, mate. Doris can go to hell for all I care!”

“So what?” She urged me on. “Won’t you regret it?”

“Summon the two of them. I won’t leave this place unless both of them come for me,” I replied. “Regret? How can I lose now when I’ve already won?”

Her jaw dropped. “Wh… what are you planning?”

“I’m done hiding! I’m done trying to run from my fate. Fate pushed me here, u thought that was the end, but still gave me you. That same fate has given me another hurdle — I’ll face it!”

Madam Diana stared at me like I’d grown two heads. “Do you realize what you’re saying and how dangerous it is, right?”

I smirked, “I have nothing else to lose. I have you as my mother, the parlour as my home and the other prostitutes as my family, what else do I need to fear?”

“And…. Doris?”

“Just a thorn that wanted me to fall,” I smirked. “But thanks to you, I’ve learnt how to step on it and leave unharmed”

She chuckled proudly. “Then go show them. Show the world and Ember Pack that being a prostitute is not the end of the world! — instead, it’s a preparation to face the world”