Chapter 3

Lily really was dying.

She'd been diagnosed with terminal stomach cancer while she was still in prison, and she had less than six months left to live.

All that effort she'd put into finding steady work and getting proof of employment hadn't been about bringing Yvonne home. She simply wanted to see her little sister one last time. And if she could earn a little more money to leave Yvonne before she died, all the better.

So Lily returned to the club and accepted every filthy, exhausting task the manager assigned her without complaint.

She worked as though she never got tired, never fought anyone for food at mealtimes, and swallowed cheap painkillers whenever her stomach became unbearable. Even when people deliberately gave her a hard time, she simply lowered her head and endured their complaints.

Eventually, even the manager began to feel guilty about mistreating her.

When Lily once again asked him for proof of employment, he sighed sympathetically.

"Lily, you need to stop thinking about your sister. The boss hasn't given his approval. How am I supposed to sign off on anything without his permission?"

Lily didn't argue. She simply turned and walked away, her disappointment plain to see.

Wanting a little peace and quiet, she headed for the stairwell. But the moment she pushed through the fire door, she found herself face-to-face with Mason, half-dressed and holding Grace in his arms.

Petite and delicate, Grace nestled against him while he caressed her with extraordinary tenderness, his long fingers roaming over her body.

"Mason, I want that new bag. You can only get it in Anglandur, and you have to spend another ten million on other merchandise just to qualify."

"You'll have it by tomorrow."

Grace shivered with pleasure under his touch.

"Mason, what if someone sees us? I'm scared."

Mason glanced coldly down the stairs at Lily.

"Don't worry, baby. If anyone sees us, I'll gouge their eyes out."

His gaze made Lily flinch. She hurriedly turned to leave, but his voice stopped her.

"Hold it."

Her heart leaped into her throat. What new way of tormenting her had he come up with now?

"Go buy two boxes of condoms and bring them to the Heaven on Earth suite."

Relief washed over her. It was only an errand.

When she returned with the condoms, Mason and Grace were still in the stairwell. Lily set them down and hurried away.

Some time later, the manager found her.

"Go clean the Heaven on Earth suite. Make sure you do a thorough job."

Lily put down her half-eaten bread roll and went to the suite.

The room was a complete mess. Lingerie and sex toys lay scattered across the floor, along with unmistakable evidence of what had taken place there. The sight made Lily's cheeks burn and her heart race.

During all the years she and Mason had been together, the most intimate thing they'd ever done was kiss. Seeing the evidence of his intimacy with another woman left her both embarrassed and heartsick.

She began cleaning, carefully gathering up the expensive-looking jewelry Grace had left among the lingerie and toys.

"Do you regret it?"

The sudden sound of Mason's voice startled her so badly that she nearly slipped. Before she could fall, however, he caught her in his arms.

Lily immediately pulled away, nervously brushing the hair back from her temples.

"W-what?"

"Do you regret it?" Mason repeated, taking in her disheveled appearance. "All of this could have been yours."

Lily lowered her head and stared at the tips of her shoes.

Regret what?

Going to the hospital to visit Mason all those years ago? Stopping to talk to his mother in the stairwell?

Mason swallowed.

"If you hadn't done those things back then, we'd probably have a child old enough to walk by now."

His father, Richard Whitmore, had approved of their relationship, but Margaret had never considered Lily good enough for her son.

When Margaret ended up in a vegetative state, everyone claimed Lily had deliberately harmed her out of resentment, knowing she was too young to face criminal charges.

"You destroyed me, Lily. You destroyed everything we had."

Without a word, Lily crouched down and continued cleaning.

Mason didn't seem particularly bothered by her silence. He settled onto the couch and lit a cigarette, watching impassively as the smoke made her cough.

"You know, you don't have to work yourself this hard. It's just an employment contract. Beg me nicely, and I'll give you one."

The smell of cigarette smoke aggravated the pain in her stomach, bringing back memories that hurt just as much.

It wasn't as though she'd never begged him before.

When Lawrence was imprisoned on fabricated charges, she'd spent three days and nights kneeling outside the Whitmore residence.

She'd confessed to a crime she hadn't committed, hit herself countless times, and humbled herself as much as anyone possibly could.

None of it had moved Mason.

Dr. Lawrence Yates, a surgeon who'd saved countless lives, had still been stripped of his reputation and left to die in prison.

Seeing how badly Lily was struggling with the smoke, Mason eventually stubbed out his cigarette.

He didn't expect her to kneel and beg him again. That was fine with him. He'd only made the offer to humiliate her anyway.

But just as he got up to leave, something caught his pant leg.

Mason looked down in surprise.

At some point, Lily had dropped to her knees beside his feet, her posture utterly submissive.

"Mr. Whitmore, I'm begging you. Please, just let me see Yvonne. Just once."

Her stomach hurt so badly.

She was dying, and she really couldn't hold on much longer.