Chapter 001

MAY 2022

~LANA~

"You have coronary artery disease. It causes the blood vessels to your heart to narrow and limit blood flow..." The doctor's voice echoed in my ears as I sat there and saw my life flash right before my eyes.

I was 24 years old and barely had anything in my name to leave a legacy behind.

"What do I do?" I gathered all my strength and looked at the doctor, trying so hard not to shed a tear.

"You will need a heart transplant. Or else, you have a year or less than that to live."

A year to live?

"Oh, so how much is that transplant?" I swallowed.

"It is a very expensive procedure, Lana. You will need donations, or perhaps a sponsor. There is no way that you will be able to raise this money all on your own," he answered with worry on his face.

It was just so funny how I always imagined my inevitable demise every time I remembered my parents' death anniversary.

It always crossed my mind that I might not live past the years they had lived.

They, too, had nothing in their name to leave a legacy behind except me. And I seemed to be following their path, except that I had no one to carry on my name.

As sad as it sounded, it was my designated fate, and there was no escaping it.

"How much is it?" I asked again.

Doctor Miles looked at me intensely before answering, "7 million dollars."

"7 million dollars?!" My jaw dropped to the floor. How in the world was I going to get that ridiculous amount of money from?!

"I know your situation, which is why I am going to recommend some donation sites for you to apply at. I wish I could be of help, Lana, but this is all I could do."

"Well, thank you, Doctor," I smiled at him. "I have to go now, and if I don't make it, I will see you on the other side." I smiled at him, made a peace sign, and got off my chair to leave.

"We have a scheduled appointment at the end of the month to check on your arteries, don't you forget!" He said loud enough for me to hear as I walked out of his office door and waved him goodbye.

On my way to my apartment, I kept thinking about my death. I had to overcome my fear of dying by getting my mind used to that inevitable fate.

I imagined that it was better to die of any cause than to have my heart limit me of air to breathe, slowly killing me until my heart stopped beating while still clutching onto it.

When I arrived back in my one-bedroom apartment, I went straight to the kitchen and opened the bar fridge to get a drink when I got a bad stench from my leftovers.

I then realized that I had no electricity and couldn’t buy it before having to rush to see my doctor.

I was so tight on a budget that I either had to buy electricity or go out and get myself a drink.

I weighed my options and voted to get myself a drink. But before I could go out on my own, Suzy called and invited me over for a drink at Crystal Night Club.

Somehow, that was a saving grace for the night.

The club was loud and banging as usual. It was full and people were dancing.

It was quite a relaxing place for someone who preferred to ignore her problems and not face them head-on. Like me.

Besides, I had reasons to defend my bad behavior. I had less than a year to live and needed as much fun as possible.

"Hey Lana, don't go anywhere. I'll go and get us drinks from those guys," Suzy whispered into my ear, pointing to the group of guys in the booth.

They looked filthy loaded and like fuck boys.

They were her type anyway. She was into the kind of boys who broke hearts and knew how to wreck the pussy as well. She enjoyed the thrill of it and the drama.

But hey, at least she was able to get it better than I did.

She left, and I turned my attention to the strippers on the stage.

They usually had strippers in the club on Fridays and weekends. People were throwing money at them.

Hundreds of dollars. I was intrigued. I wondered what it would be like if I got that same kind of job.

My waitressing job was not going to get me that 7 million dollars that I needed. I needed a second job.

So, I took my curious ass to the bar and went to make a small conversation with the bartender who was cleaning his glasses.

"Hey there," I greeted him with a grin on my face.

He looked friendly and responded, "Hey. Need something, love?"

"Not exactly, but I want to ask something," I answered him.

"Sure. Anything love, what is it?" He looked at me and just continued wiping his glasses.

"How much do strippers get paid here?" My fingers were crossed for a ridiculous amount.

I heard so many times how much strippers were making, but I never really wanted to picture myself doing a job like that.

It used to make my stomach turn when I imagined myself dancing half-naked in front of sexually frustrated men.

"That's confidential, love. Why do you ask?"

"I want to apply."

"I'm afraid we hire through an agent. We don't hire people directly."

"If I get an agent and successfully get to be a stripper here, how much will I make?"

He looked at me, sighed, and then answered, "50,000 dollars a month."

"50,000?" I was amazed. When I thought of a ridiculous amount for a striper here, I thought of 20 grand.

He nodded and chuckled, "Don't worry, I will get you the agent's contacts."

"Thank you," I smiled at him and then left back to the dancing floor.

Luckily enough, Suzy came back with two bottles of alcohol.

"Those assholes are so cheap," she complained as she handed me a bottle.

I chuckled, "At least you got us free drinks."

"I had to pay them by flashing them my boobs," she drank her beer.

I laughed. She was so brave, honestly.

"I have money. Let's go and get tequila shots," I offered.

"Awesome! Next night out will be on me."

We excitedly headed off to the bar to order shots. We took two shots each and when we were about to turn back on our way to the dancefloor, I bumped into someone and sent the shots flying into the air and they split on the guy's white shirt.

"Shit, I'm so sorry," I apologized. Fingers crossed that he was not that mad since he was also at fault.

"Watch it next time, lady," he growled.

"It won't happen again if you don't walk my way," I mumbled as I picked up the shot cups on the floor.

"Did you say something?" He asked when I straightened up and placed the shot cups on the counter.

"I said it won't happen again," I replied with a smile and turned around to order another shot.

Suzy came over and whispered in my ear, "What was that?" She asked.

"Ugh, some loser who wants to test my patience," I rolled my eyes.

She gave me a death stare.

"What?" I asked.

"That's -"

She was about to finish her sentence and explain to me why she gave me a death stare when the guy in question ordered a drink next to me. Shirtless.

I could not believe how magnificently he was formed. It was as if the gods took their time when they formed each part of his body.

He made my jaw weak and fall open, admiring him. Admiring every part of him. I wished to touch his chest and feel how hard it was.

"Lana!" Suzy nudged me on the shoulder and brought me back to earth.

"What?" I asked. Embarrassed that anyone, him, could have seen me staring at him so hard.

"Were you even listening to me?" She asked.

I tilted my head again and watched as Mr. Asshole and Mr. Hercules's body shape walk over to a booth with a drink in his strong hand that I guessed could probably make me forget all my problems and get lost with it inside me.

"Lana!" Suzy nudged me again.

"I'm listening, Suzy," I responded. Embarrassed again. I turned my attention to her. But my mind was still on him.

"I'll be on the dance floor," she took her shots and left me at the bar.

And I wondered just how wonderful it would be if I worked at the club as a stripper, got the money for my new heart, and got these hotties to throw money on me. Why not?

I was going to die anyway, so why not?

"Hey, can I get those numbers for the hiring agency?" I asked the bartender when he looked in my direction.

"Sure. I was about to give them to you anyway since you asked," he answered. I smiled at him and took the contacts.

I quickly wrote them a text and left all my details in it. When I was done, I went over to Suzy and joined her on the dance floor.

***

A week later. I was lying on my bed just exhausted after I had worked a 15-hour shift the day before, and my feet were so sore.

When I got up to go and get a shower, my phone rang inside my handbag.

I took it out and answered the call, "Hello?"

"Good morning. Am I talking to Lana Williams?" A man asked on the phone.

His voice was deep and bold. I could listen to it all day.

"Yes, you are," I answered hesitantly. I was wondering who he was and what he wanted.

"Come and see me in my office at Crystal Night Club at exactly 4 PM," he responded.

My heart skipped a beat. I was overwhelmed with so much happiness that I might have gotten the stripping job.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! You won't regret it," I squealed.

"I hope not," he answered and hung up the call.

Finally, there was a bit of hope about getting my heart surgery.

Little did I know that I was getting myself into hot water than I had imagined.

***

"He's waiting for you inside," a girl who barely had decent clothes on said with a smile on her face.

I nodded at her, smiled, and then went inside the office in the club. As soon as I closed the door, the man behind the chair got up and looked at me.

My heart raced as soon as I realized who he was. It was the asshole guy I bumped into that night.

It had to be a coincidence, or I was just dreaming. I pinched my thigh a little to see if I was not dreaming, and I gasped.

"Lana Williams. Please come and take a seat." He said with a smile, signaling toward the chair in front of him.

I broke eye contact and went to take a seat in front of his desk.

My hands were sweating, and I could not wait for the interview to be over already. I just knew that I was never going to get the job.

"Thank you, Sir," I replied with my head low.

He scoffed and sat down. "You were not this nervous when we first met, do you remember?"

I felt a knot in my stomach. "I remember."

"So, you want to be a stripper here?"

I looked at him. "Yes."

"Well, I got a better offer for you," he answered with a sinful grin.

He was insanely handsome. Gosh.

"What's the offer?"

"My father wants me to bring a wife at home for him to sign over his biggest company in the country over to me," he explained as he got up from his chair and came to sit on the edge of the table in front of me.

"I want you to be my wife for a year and get yourself 10 million dollars at the end of our contract."

'10 million dollars, just to be his contract wife? Do I accept even though I will be risking my life and heart?'