All Chapters of Off Limits: The Butler's Daughter Is Mine.: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

ROSE."One more drink, please!" I shouted over the music, throwing my arms up and letting the beat move through me.The club was packed that night.Bodies were pressed close together under lights that kept switching from red to blue to gold, and the air smelled like perfume and sweat and spilled drinks.I let my hair down and danced like nobody was watching, even though I knew people were.Lydia and Sharma, my best friends, stood on the side, heads close together, glancing at me every few seconds.I didn't need to hear them to know what they were saying.Vance left me for his ex that morning, he went back to Maria and got her pregnant while he was still dating me.That was enough to make anyone fall apart, and they thought that was the whole story.They didn't know about my uncle.They didn't know about the nights I put a chair under my door handle so he couldn't get in and force himself on me.They didn't know why I packed one bag and never went back to that house, but I kept all of

ROSE."What the hell, Sharma?" I said, staring at my friend, waiting for an answer that made sense.She stared back for a long moment, not knowing what to say at first.Then she swallowed and spoke carefully. "It's fine, Rose. I think I have an idea, but honestly there's no way you can walk into Drake Machorace's office. You literally spilled a drink on his face last night, It hasn't even been twenty four hours, and now you're going to stand in front of him and ask for money."I let out a shaky breath, my whole body tense. "Fuck. You're right! You're so damn right! What am I supposed to do now? I can't let my father rot in that hospital bed."Sharma stepped closer and we stared quietly at the empty floor for a while before her eyes lit up. "Wait. I think I've got an idea.""You said that already," I said. "And all you did was list reasons why I shouldn't go.""No, listen. Since he doesn't know you, or your connection to his butler, I can pretend to be his daughter instead. I'll say I'

ROSE.I looked at Sharma for a long moment, my heart already beating fast before she even spoke."Rose, please tell me you did not steal this man's money," Sharma said, her voice tight with worry.I rolled my eyes, clearly wounded that my best friend would even think of that. "Come on, Sharma. Why would I do something like that?! What is even wrong with you right now?"Sharma turned back to the window and stared out for a long while before walking closer to me. "Okay, I'm sorry, but I'm confused. What do you want us to do? Why is he here? Who else could he possibly be here to see if not your dad?"My heart pounded harder....she had a point.I had literally just left his office that morning.Even though he hadn't looked at me properly while handing over the money, I couldn't understand why he would show up at the hospital now.Was he here to take the money back? Or had he finally realized I was the same girl who threw a drink in his face at the club?I swallowed hard.As much as I was

ROSE."You can do this, Rose," I said under my breath, standing outside the club, the same club where I had once thrown wine in Drake Machorace's face.My heart pounded as I smoothed down the red gown clinging to every curve of my body.It hugged my waist and fell in soft waves to the floor, the kind of dress that made people stop and stare.I had pulled my hair into a clean, tight bun and slipped on a pair of fashion glasses, just enough to soften my features without looking like I was hiding.My heels clicked against the pavement as I took a slow breath and walked toward the entrance in my borrowed Prada.If I was walking into the devil's den, I figured I might as well look the part.Inside, the club buzzed with movement, lights and bodies swaying together under the music.I walked straight to the receptionist's desk and pulled a card from my purse."I need to see Drake Machorace right now," I said, forcing my voice into something colder, something that belonged to Charlotte rather

ROSE.Hunter and I stood frozen as Drake's car rolled to a stop in front of us, the window sliding down slowly.He stared at us without a single flicker of emotion on his face, but his eyes moved between the two of us like he was watching a game only he understood the rules to."Get in the car now," he said, his voice sharp and flat all at once.Hunter's hand found mine, and I gave him a small smile, trying to tell him without words that it was fine, that he should go ahead.We both stood, and Hunter let go of my hand slowly before walking toward the car."Not you," Drake said, looking straight at Hunter. "I meant her. Get in the car now."I froze.Why would he dump Hunter on the side of the road just to have me?I thought about what Hunter had told me earlier, about how Drake had taken his ex-girlfriend from him without a second thought, and something ugly twisted in my chest as I kept walking without a word."Are you deaf?" Drake's voice cut through the night, colder this time. "I s