Lillian Lewis was pressed up against the dressing room door as the man gripped her neck from behind, turning her head to kiss her hard. Her lips parted, and she was breathing in short, shallow gasps.
"Do you love it?" he sneered, a playful smirk on his face.
Outside, footsteps rushed by. Her phone vibrated at her feet, but he kicked it further away.
"Focus." He penetrated her fiercely.
Lillian tilted her head up, gazing through the window at the fireworks bursting outside, momentarily distracted.
He clicked his tongue, mocking, "Still so useless."
She picked up her clothes from the floor and quickly slipped back into the main hall through the storage hallway.
The manager looked annoyed at her for showing up late.
"This is Miss Daisy's birthday party. I pulled some strings to get you this job-one night here pays more than a month out there. Hurry up."
Forcing a small smile, Lillian thanked him, ignoring the soreness in her legs and back.
The line of maids walked in, but Lillian stood out the most. The second she entered the VIP room, everyone's attention snapped to her. She was a natural beauty-gorgeous, with an inexplicably seductive charm paired with an innocent face. Men practically wanted to pin her down on the coffee table right then.
The whispers started.
Lillian bent down to pour the wine, her tiny maid's skirt riding up to reveal long legs. If she moved any higher, she'd be exposed, making everyone wonder if she was wearing anything underneath.
The men couldn't help but stare.
"What a bitch." A few women nearby laughed. "Lillian, did your sugar daddy stop paying you?"
The other waitresses shot her curious glances.
Lillian kept her gaze steady and looked at the man seated in the center of the room-Conrad Brown, City N's richest man. Tonight's birthday girl, Daisy White sat smugly beside him.
"Yeah, I was not getting paid enough these days. I think he's going bankrupt soon," Lillian replied with a faint smile, then stood up and walked out.
But as she left, she had practically bewitched every man in the room.
Daisy turned to look at Conrad and, seeing that he wasn't watching Lillian, felt satisfied. Of course, someone like Conrad wouldn't go for a cheap girl like that.
"Did you all know her?"
"Of course, back when her dad, Alvin Lewis, was around, the Lewis family was at the top. Now, any guy with money can have her."
A wine glass crashed to the floor, startling Daisy and the others. Conrad lit a cigarette and got up to leave.
Daisy called after him, "Conrad?"
"Too noisy."
But it was clear to everyone that he was mad. The whole room fell silent.
Lillian, after delivering the dessert, dragged herself to the employee lounge, barely able to stay upright, only to see him sitting there, clearly waiting to settle things with her.
Conrad was the kind of man with power, influence, and good looks-a natural challenge. But after sleeping with him for three years, tonight he didn't look appealing to her at all. Maybe she'd finally had enough?
He sat in the shadows, legs crossed, watching her with cold eyes. He had the remote in his hand, and cranked it up to the highest setting.
Lillian's body jerked, almost dropping to her knees. This guy was such a pain. He'd already slept with her in the changing room, and now he was using that damn vibrator to torture her again.
"Out of money? Who gave you the nerve to wear that dress for everyone to see?"
"No one. I just felt like showing it off." Lillian forced down the heat rising in her body.
She'd always been sweet and sensible, but suddenly she was talking back. Conrad instinctively frowned, then shut off the button.
"Here's sixty million and that beachfront villa you like. I'll have Ford transfer it to your name. I'm busy, so stop with the attitude." This was him backing down; his tone had softened.
From the satisfied look on his face, he was clearly pleased with how disheveled she looked right now.
Everyone knew Lillian loved money. Give her enough, and she'd be the most obedient caged bird. And sure enough, when her pretty face lit up at the sight of all that, there was a flicker of genuine excitement.
"So this is the final price to buy out my three years?" she asked.
Conrad's gaze darkened. "Lillian, you've gone too far today." He hated women who didn't follow the rules.
She walked over and plopped herself right onto his lap. Before she'd entered the VIP room, he'd seen her in this maid outfit, and couldn't even hold back in the dressing room. She knew exactly what he liked. She traced a finger along his throat, her touch teasing until his gaze turned hungry.
Finally, she raised her eyes, her voice soft and low. "Can't I?"
In bed, she could play up this attitude ten times over, and he'd allow it. She knew exactly how far to go without crossing the line-just enough to keep things interesting.
"What are you up to now?" His breathing grew heavier.
They knew each other too well.
Out of nowhere, she bit down on his throat, her voice calm. "I want out."
His hand froze.
"Think it over," he said, but his hands kept roaming, waiting for her to beg him.
Lillian's body shivered, but her tone stayed firm. "I've thought it over. I'm still young. I don't have time to waste."
With a sharp motion, he let her go. "You've got three days to decide."
She dropped to the floor, her long hair falling over one shoulder, her slender waist looking like it could snap if he squeezed too hard.
"No need. I'm done. Don't want to sleep with you anymore."
The air turned tense. He slammed the door on his way out.
Lillian checked her phone, and the last notification was from right before she'd entered the VIP room.
[Breaking News! The CEO of the Brown Family Group to Marry Heiress of the White Family Group-A Billion-Dollar Wedding!]
So Conrad was getting married. She'd spent three years with him, and he still wanted her to be the third wheel in his marriage?
She opened her contacts and blocked him everywhere she could, only stopping when her stomach settled.
After changing, she cashed out her pay for the day, and then headed to the subway. But just as she reached the corner, she spotted a familiar car.
As usual, Ford gave her that look, delivering his standard line.
"Miss Lillian, Mr. Conrad is waiting for you inside."
Lillian almost laughed. The man who'd never waited for anyone-who'd punish her double in the bed if she was even a minute late-was actually waiting for her to get off work?
She didn't want to get in.
Ford noticed.
"Miss Lillian, going in on your own is your best option." In other words, if they had to drag her in, it would get ugly.
With a sigh, she opened the door, immediately spotting Conrad in the backseat, radiating tension.
The second she got in, he pushed her against the leather seat.
"Blocked me? Lillian, have you grown a spine recently? Hm?"
Lillian hadn't expected Conrad to be even angrier than she'd thought. She held onto a button on his jacket, looking at him with a lazy smile. "It's perfectly normal for a sugar baby to dump her sugar daddy. Mr. Conrad, just think of it as getting tired of a clueless woman. Consider what you promised me earlier as breakup money, and let's part ways on good terms."
She said it with a grin, not caring how shameless her request sounded.
Suddenly, he grabbed her jaw and yanked her closer, his voice chilling. "Lillian, who do you think decides how this game starts or ends? It's not you."
She swallowed hard. In City N, crossing Conrad was a social suicide.
With just a flick of his finger, he could make sure she'd never get by. He'd taken care of her for three years, whether it was a whim or something more. He wasn't tired of her yet, and now she dared to walk away?
He'd definitely spoiled her too much, enough for her to forget her place.
"Conrad, come here," she said, watching him with an unreadable expression.
He looked at her with a smirk, like he'd expected this. "What? Had enough? Regretting the act?"
"Go to hell."