Chapter 4

The suite fell into a dead silence for a second.

Then, loud, mocking laughter erupted.

Tyler laughed so hard he bent over, pointing a finger at me.

"Have you lost your mind?"

"Destroy us? Who do you think you are? A mafia boss?"

"You’re just a pathetic, low-level city employee earning a couple of grand a month!"

Chloe laughed until tears came to her eyes.

She stepped forward and yanked at my briefcase.

"Why are you still holding onto this trash? Is your suicide note in there?"

My eyes went cold. I raised my hand and slapped Chloe hard across the face.

"Slap!"

Chloe stumbled back two steps, clutching her rapidly swelling cheek, her eyes wide with shock.

"You... you dared to slap me?!"

Seeing his fiancée get hit, Tyler lost his mind.

Like a rabid dog, he lunged at me and grabbed my hair.

A searing pain ripped through my scalp.

With a violent pull, he slammed me down onto the carpet.

"You crazy bitch! I'll kill you!"

Instead of stopping him, my mother rushed over and stomped on my hand, grinding her heel into my knuckles.

The pain shot straight to my heart.

"Good! Beat her! She needs to be taught a lesson!"

With the physical pain came a wave of absolute humiliation.

I stared intensely at every single one of them.

"You will regret this," I spat out a mouthful of blood.

"After tonight, you won't even have the chance to beg me for mercy."

Richard kicked me hard in the stomach.

"Still talking back! I'll show you who runs this family!"

Chloe rubbed her face and pulled out her phone with a malicious grin.

She opened the camera and aimed it at me as I lay disheveled on the floor.

"Tyler, Mom, Dad, I'm recording this!"

"If she dares to disobey the Director later, I'll upload this video to Snapchat and TikTok!"

"I already have the perfect caption: 'New city employee sells her body at luxury lounge for money'!"

"I'll ruin her reputation so she can never show her face in this city again!"

My mother immediately agreed.

"Yes, yes! Make sure her face is clear in the video!"

"This bitch is born cheap. She won't cooperate unless we have dirt on her!"

Looking at the flashing red recording light on Chloe's phone, I suddenly smiled.

Good.

This was absolutely perfect.

They had just recorded ironclad evidence of blackmail, extortion, and assault.

Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

Then, a respectful voice spoke.

"Commissioner Davis, please, after you."

"Director Vance should be waiting for us inside."

"Today is Director Vance's first official day. We must buy her a few drinks to celebrate!"

Hearing the voices, the four people in the room froze.

The cruelty on Richard's face instantly turned into pure, ecstatic joy.

He threw his belt aside and hissed in excitement.

"They're here! The big bosses are here!"

"Quick, quick! Stand in your places! Hold this bitch down!"

Tyler pinned my neck down, forcing my face against the cold carpet.

His body was shaking with excitement.

"Babe, put the phone away!"

"Our family is about to strike it rich!"

My mother quickly smoothed her hair, putting on a sickeningly sweet, sycophantic smile as she stared at the heavy mahogany door.

I was pinned to the floor.

The rough carpet scraped against my skin.

But I didn't feel cold at all.

Because I knew the real show was finally about to begin.

Outside, Commissioner Davis of the Housing Bureau, along with several deputy directors and the owner of the Royal Club, were standing at the door with eager smiles.

Richard scrambled forward like a lapdog.

He threw himself to his knees right in front of Commissioner Davis, shouting obsequiously.

"Commissioner! Thank you for your hard work!"

"We are the Millers, from the historic district!"

"We've brought the most beautiful girl in our family for the new Director!"

"She’s completely untouched, and her body is top-tier! I guarantee the Director will be thrilled!"

As he spoke, Richard gestured wildly to Tyler.

Tyler grabbed my hair, forcing my head up.

"Look, Commissioner! She's right here! She's already wearing the outfit!"

"As long as the three-for-one zoning agreement is signed, the Director can do whatever he wants with her tonight!"

The atmosphere outside the door instantly turned deathly quiet.

The smile on Commissioner Davis's face froze the moment he saw me.