My gaze fell on Mr. Wolfe, who held my hand, stopping me from entering inside. The manager quickly bowed his head as a gesture of respect, and the other guy stood from his couch, looking at us angrily.
"Mr. Wolfe?" I looked at him, somehow feeling relaxed.
Even though his actions and behavior were frightening, he always saved me.
"What's happening here?" He asked the manager furiously.
"It's… Mr. Quinn asked for the private dance…"
"Is there any problem?" The rich man whose last name I got to know as Quinn stepped towards us. "I asked for her dance. What's now, Mr. Wolfe? You interrupted me before too." He then clenched his jaw to look at the manager and said, "I hope Hydes treat all their VIP customers equally."
"Of course!" The manager was quick to respond.
Mr. Wolfe let out a small smirk, still holding my hand. The next thing he spoke shook me to the core.
"Well, in that case, Mr. Quinn, I asked for the private dance before you. I asked for her before you even wanted her."
My eyes widened in shock, and quickly I took my hand away from his grip. I was a fool to think he was saving me. He was like all others.
They both looked at the manager, who was visibly shivering. He said, "Of course, you asked for it first, Mr. Wolfe, but I thought you'd come later. Since Mr. Quinn is already here, I thought she could manage two dances…"
I was petrified to hear that. He thought to push me into two lions' dens.
"But now I am here," Mr. Wolfe interrupted, "I want her."
"You can't…"
Mr. Quinn tried to speak, but Mr. Wolfe's serious glare silenced him.
"I asked for her first. I paid for her in advance, so she is fucking mine now."
I was wrong. He didn't come to save me. He came to claim me. Claim his ownership of me.
My eyes filled with tears as I stood between two dangerous men, who were doing nothing but treating me like an object. How deep had I fallen to end up in such a situation?
"Then what about me?" Quinn asked in his serious tone.
In a moment, Mr. Wolfe stepped closer to me and held my hand while looking into my eyes. His dangerous aura heightened my fear, and my entire body turned hot.
"Choose." He commanded. "You have two options now. Choose me or him."
I wanted to beat the shit out of every person who was in front of me, but I dared not to do it. I shut my eyes for a moment, mustering up the courage to say I wouldn't choose anyone, but my sister's face flashed in my head.
"ELIRA!" For the first time, he spoke my name, dangerously yet soothingly. "Him or me."
Mr. Quinn was like an open book. He wanted me not just for dance. I knew his intentions the first time he laid his hands on me.
And, Mr. Wolfe! I had no idea what he wanted. It was not easy for people like me to understand what was going on in his head.
"I choose Mr. Wolfe." I said.
Mr. Wolfe's face lit up with strange happiness while his big smirk was plastered on his lips. He didn't wait for their reply but dragged me away from them after shouting, "Quinn! VIPs are treated equally, but I am not just a VIP. I am the founding partner of Hydes. Not just Hydes, everything in this city belongs to me, including your life, and if you want to save your life, leave my city."
He didn't waste another minute and took me to his room in the VIP section. He then left my hand, asking, "What made you choose me?"
"His intentions were bad."
"How do you know if my intentions are not bad?"
"I don't." I shook my head and looked into his eyes. "But there's a chance at least. With him, I had no chance."
He brought his finger closer to my cheek to stroke it tenderly. The softness in his touch scared me. People like him only went hard on others, but if they went out of their character, it was beyond destructive. And his touch started to destroy me and the strength I had.
Before I embarrassed myself by crying in front of him, I distanced myself from him and positioned myself to dance.
He didn't say anything but sat on the couch, manspreading. He took his whiskey glass in his hand as I started my performance.
I swayed my hips, at the same time lifting my hands above. It was beyond embarrassing to do a private dance for a man while he bore his eyes on me as if looking deep into my soul.
My performance continued with a few leg raises and slutty movements, which started to make me hate myself.
All the time, his gaze was only on me and didn't even waver for at least a second. And that attention was both haunting and dangerous.
Then after a few minutes of performance, I stopped with sweat covering my body. I took steady breaths, calming myself from the situation I had experienced.
"I hope I am done here." I said, rushing towards the exit.
"Do you need money?" His voice halted my steps.
I narrowed my eyebrows at his question. He stood straight and walked towards me, repeating, "Do you need money?"
"Don't you?" I raised my eyebrows. "Everyone needs money. If not for it, I wouldn't be here dancing for strange men."
I didn't know from where I got the courage, but I spat the words out of irritation.
He nodded. "If you really want money, I have a deal for you."
He then took out a document from his briefcase and handed it to me, saying, "Sign it. I will give you as much as you want."
"What's this?" I looked at the document, and the title not just confused me but scared me.
His gaze deepened, and a sinister smile slowly appeared on his lips as the words slowly rolled out of my mouth.
"Contract of Romance?"