Chapter 44 The King's Liar
Claire
We were escorted inside, and I couldn’t help noticing how much I had missed the smell of the house.
“The house will be so lively now,” my mother said, clapping her hands together.
“It will,” my father agreed. “Please take the kids to their rooms. I’d like to have a little catch-up time with my daughter.” my father said to the housekeeper.
I turned to the kids.
“We’re tired already. We’ll go rest,” Max said as he came over to hug me. One after the other, they all did, I turned back to see Luppy standing afar of “you need rest too" I said as she smiled “Mr and Mrs Anthony" she greeted and my parents nodded to her “bye now" Isa added as they began to leave, the housekeeper taking them to their respective rooms.
“In my study,” my father said as soon as they were out of sight.
My mom and I exchanged a look. She smiled at me, and I forced one in return.
Here it comes, I thought. I knew they wouldn’t just let my sudden visit slide without questions.
I followed them into the study, already unsure of what to say when they asked things I didn’t want to answer.
My father took his seat, my mother joining him, and I sat across from them.
Seeing them like this reminded me why I had never wanted a failed marriage. They still looked so good together—so perfect.
The way my mother rested her hand in my father’s, and even though his face was expressionless, he held her hand so tenderly.
It made me think of Liam. Yes, my father and Liam shared similar traits.
“First of all, Claire, I’m glad you look well,” my father began. “But those eyes will never deceive the ones who brought you into this world.”
I nodded. I had to choose my words carefully.
“There’s no marriage without arguments, Dad. It’s just a phase. I only needed something to clear my head,” I said.
He nodded, and my mother’s smile widened.
“And you don’t want to talk about it?” she asked.
I shook my head slightly. I saw my father smile as well.
“Just so you know, Claire, divorce isn’t something new,” my dad added.
My mom immediately smacked his arm.
“I know you never liked that man, but don’t make it so obvious,” she said.
I laughed.
Shocking, right? But it was true. When I first introduced Ian to my father, his first comment had been, This guy looks too weak. Over time, he grew to like his son-in-law. If he ever found out what Ian did to me, he would nearly have him killed.
But then again, I had done something similar to Ian—except for the slap he gave me.
“We won’t ask you any more questions, Claire,” my mother said gently. “If you came here to rest and relax, then that’s exactly what you’ll do.”
I smiled from the depths of my heart, stood up, and went to hug them again.
This time, I didn’t stop the tears that slipped down my face. I had missed them so much. I wondered why I hadn't called them in a while now.
The day that followed was filled with activities. My father took us to a golf course, and we all enjoyed ourselves. The kids seemed to be having the time of their lives too, running around and playing freely.
No one mentioned Ian.
The kids didn’t ask why we were fighting or how we planned to fix things.
It was as if everyone understood exactly what I needed—to just be happy, to just be myself for a while. No overthinking. No forcing smiles or cooking up lies to pretend I was okay.
That was when I knew this break—this vacation, as I liked to call it—would go smoothly.
Ian
I walked toward the restaurant. It was massive, elegant, the kind of place that screamed wealth without trying too hard.
People usually had to book weeks ahead to get in here, but for me, my status made things easier.
Still, I wasn’t here for the food.
Behind the polished exterior of the restaurant lay something darker. Beneath the façade was a hidden place—one that thrived on secrecy.
After digging deeper, I found out the truth.
The King’s Lair wasn’t just a restaurant. It was an underground BDSM club, a place where legal adult men and women catered to the desires of the rich and powerful.
Entry wasn’t easy. One needed a membership card.
There were three types.
The silver card—the lowest tier—sold for five hundred thousand.
The gold card was for businessmen and entrepreneurs with millions in their accounts, priced at two million.
Then there was the diamond card—for the elite of the elite. CEOs. Politicians. Men with real power. That one cost five million.
Whoever ran this place wasn’t someone to toy with. They knew exactly what they were doing, and they had powerful men backing them.
And this… this was where Pattie worked.
When I discovered it, I couldn’t believe it.
She was a whore—selling herself to men for money. And worse, she had willingly stepped into this world.
If someone had told me Pattie was this kind of person, I would never have believed it. She looked so innocent—with her soft, youthful face and the way she pouted so sweetly.
Knowing she worked in a place like this felt like a slap to my face.
Was it money she needed?
But when she was with me, there was no amount of money I didn’t give her. So none of it made sense.
But still, here I was—like a fool—having bought the silver membership card just to be here.
I walked into the restaurant, which looked like any normal, high-end place. A waiter in a tailored suit approached me, a polite smile on his face.
“You are?” he asked.
I straightened. “Mr. Ian Anthony.”
He raised a brow, repeated my name softly, then smiled .
“Ian Anthony. Please, your seat is this way.”
He escorted me to a table, and I sat down comfortably.
“And what would you like to order?” he asked.
I had been told that if I showed them my card, they would understand. So I did.
The moment the waiter saw it, his smile shifted.
“You should have said so,” he replied. “Please, come with me.”
I nodded and stood, following him.
A part of me screamed to turn back—that this was madness. But the louder part told me I needed to see Pattie.
So I kept walking.
We stopped in front of an elevator. Two men stood guard there, their faces masked, expressions unreadable.
“He is a guest,” the waiter said.
The doors opened.
We stepped inside, and I drew in a deep breath.
I was in now.
There was no turning back.