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⭐ INTRODUCTION
Kayden was raised to be perfect. Everything he did had to be
successful. Wherever he went, he had to be respected and serve
as a representative of an influential family in society. Unlike him, Ryan was his elder brother who worked hard behind the scenes, providing
essential support for his brother's success.
Despite these differences, the two never had any problems. On the contrary, they were siblings who loved each other and got along
very well. Ryan even liked not being the center of attention like his
sister. He didn't need to be watched or live up to society's
expectations, and could live his private life as he saw fit.
For Kayden, however, things were completely different.
He didn't have that freedom. Or rather, he did, but he had to
be extremely careful with his image so as not to harm his family's
reputation. His stepfather was a politician, his mother came from a
traditional lineage, and his biological father owned a large company.
Because of this, very few people knew the real him.
Kayden could handle pressure well, but he would easily get
angry when it came to his family, especially his siblings. To him,
everyone was a victim of other people's expectations. "We are
products of society and power, just because we were the chosen
sperm," he thought. This made him try his best to keep everything
under control.
Often, neither he nor his siblings demanded as much of
themselves as the world expected of them. They needed to be
talented, exemplary, have opinions that influenced society, respect
their elders, care for their younger ones and, above all, follow the
rules that everyone obeyed.
— Kayden, I can go to the party tomorrow in your place.
Ryan suggested seeing the tiredness on his brother's face. he didn't
look physically exhausted, but his eyes said it all. Since the death of
their biological father, Kayden had taken on even greater
responsibilities, helping his brothers deal with the challenges that
came with the inheritance he had left behind.
Despite the fortune inherited by his brothers, Kayden showed no joy when he learned that a portion would also go to him. On the
contrary, he let out a long sigh and muttered:
— What the hell…
He wanted nothing from his heartless father. If he could, he
would have no connection with him.
Kayden stopped at the foot of the stairs before going up to his
room, not noticing that his brother was waiting for him on the couch. On weekends, the two always returned home, following the
family tradition. Even if it was just for appearance's sake, they
accepted it as a duty that didn't weigh too heavily.
They were expected to sleep at their mother's house on weekends
and have dinner with their father once a month – although this was
no longer necessary after his death.
— Still awake, Ryan? What are you doing?
He asked, his voice thick with exhaustion, changing direction and
sitting on the couch across from his brother. Once he was settled,
he sighed deeply and closed er eyes.
— Waiting for you. Okay? His brother replied with a smile
— Who do you think I am?
Even with his eyes closed, he answered sarcastically. No matter
how tired he was, he didn't want to show weakness to Ryan. After
all, he was also carrying a heavy burden. If he said he wasn't well,
his brother would never stay still.
— And who do you think you are? Ryan retorted.
— I'm Kayden, for goodness sake. How could I not be fine?
— Don't push yourself too hard. If you can't handle it, let me
know.
— If I get tired, I'll tell you.
— Take some time to rest. The world keeps turning without you,
you understand?
— Yes.
Was his only answer. So he remained silent, just resting while his
brother kept him company. He almost fell asleep right there, but
decided to get up and go to his room.
Bella, on the other hand, was a twenty years old with much greater responsibility than she should have . First , she had to support her mother who was an alcoholic, gambler who always ends up causing problems. Second, she had to deal with a persistent neighbour/friend who's trying to win her over thinking she would eventually give in. She was grateful for all he has done for her but she doesn't like him and can't reject him fully now, because if he got angry or make a rash move she might have to face the consequences. Such cases were common and all over the internet.
It was past midnight and her mom hasn't come home. Bella already knew what to expect , either she's somewhere drunk , talking to her friends or frustrated after having lost money gambling.
The young woman sighed, that night she would probably not come home. So she locked the door and windows tightly, a small rented house won't require much security.
Bella dreamed everyday about leaving there.she always wanted to sleep peacefully without fear of someone creeping or breaking in through the weak window or door.
Bella , are you there ?
The voice of her neighbour, Noah, echoed through the wooden door. As soon as she heard th drawing tone along with faint smell of alcohol, the young girl's heart raced in some an intense pace that hurts a little. Noah always find a way to get to close, trying to convince her with sweet words, or touching her more than he should.
"If you're mine,you will live a comfortable life , I'll take care of you forever"
She didn't believe a single word of it, how could he support her when he could barely make ends meet? All the money he had went into alcohol. Besides, Bella didn't want to be taken care of by anyone one, she was already used to fending for herself.
-she didn't answer and tried to move as quietly as possible into her room. If she stayed quiet,he will leave eventually.
BANG!!! BANG!!! BANG!!!
Her body trembled at the sudden bang on the door.
-Bella open the door for me , noah screamed in a drunken state .
The young woman shook her head and ran into her room. She sat at the edge of the bed, hoping he would give up soon .
She still has to study . In a year,she will finish her study , but the biggest problem was money. The tuition and academic costs were too high, she needed an extra job.
Bella constantly read the news about finances and investment to educate herself. The more she learned, the more she wants to try . But she didn't have the courage to invest the little money she had, if she lost everything, her life would definitely fall apart. All she could do right now is to keep studying and accumulating more knowledge.
When noah finally fell silent, she resumed reading. But soon the sound of a message interrupted her concentration.
It belonged to her best friend, Haira, she was always helping Bella out , which made her feel indepted.
"Bella, why don't you come work with me ? The work is fast and pays well. You have to pay the monthly fee right ? Try, the bar needs people uand I assure you there's no danger."
The message made Bella hesitate, it's not like I despises it , I doesn't know if I can do it well .
"Just serve drinks, talk to costumers, nothing more. I will take care of you , but if you don't want to , I'll tell the boss to find someone else, okay".
Haria worked at an entertainment company and she took pride in her honest work, This made Bella reconsider .
In the end ,she ended up bar's dressing room. Haria smiled from ear to ear as she saw her friend finally gave in.
-Can I do this ?, Bella said looking a little tensed
Of course, Joyce will take care of you , too bad I'm in another group.
-Was if I can't ?
Okayy ,then at least you tried , there might be clients who tries to get too close to you. If you don't like it , let them know right away. Never think you have to let them because they are paying you
-Can I really refuse ?
Yes of course
-And what about my name ?
Pick a nickname, everyone here has one , I'm bunny.
Bella raised an eyebrow at her friend's cute name, then realised it was an advantage. A nick name will help hide her identity.
-I don't want people to call be Bella, when I'm doing this job I want to leave Bella behind.
So what about babe or Bee? , Haira asked Bella curiously
Bella nodded
It's nice and no one in the bar uses the name yet , Haira added
After almost a month of working , Bella found someone who wasn't interested in her body or face, instead the person was interested in what she knows.
-What's your name?
The voice was soft,but powerful enough to make her feel intimidated. When she looked up and saw the man's incredible handsome face , she felt even more that they were in a completely different world.
My name is babe, but at work everyone calls me bee.
Bee was the name she gave others to call her, but for this man she was willing to give him a choice.
-Hm…. What do you want me to call you ?
As you prefer , she replied instantly
-So babe, take out your phone and look for any new page, Read it to me.
Bella was surprised the second time, As she was reading the news aloud, the man simply closed his eyes and crossed his arm. Was he listening or sleeping, Bella decided to test it and remained silent.
-Why did you stop ? Kayden asked looking fierce
I thought you had slept
-I didn't , continue
I can't , I need to go prepare drinks.
The man opened his eyes and shot a sharp look at Bella, who was sitting on the sofa next to him.
-Did I tell you to make drinks
No not yet
-So my orders weren't clear enough?
Hey Kayden, I called the girl to serve everyone,not just you , let the girl come sit with us to, Kayden's friend (Lin) said with a look
-What if I wanted her to take care of me only , is there a problem?
---
No one objected to Kayden's question. The reason was the sharp
look in his eyes and the slightly irritated tone of voice he used. In
fact, everyone already knew that his friend didn't like to be the
center of attention, especially when it came to jokes with romantic
connotations. What was really surprising was the fact that the
stranger, called in to temporarily take care of the situation, had been
given a special privilege by being closer than she should have been.
Lin couldn't help but smile, finding the situation amusing. They
had all made bets on who would be able to get close to Kayden this
year. But what no one knew was that Kayden didn't think about
that. He just didn't like seeing Bella being exploited by the people
around him.
It was just an older person's instinct kicking in. And coincidentally,
the information the young girl mentioned was something that
Kayden was really interested in. In the end, that was all.
— If you want, I can sit somewhere else.
Babe said in a low voice, her face showing discouragement, for
she knew that she was the cause of the strange atmosphere setting
in. She was aware that she belonged to a different level than that
group of people.
Being the reason Kayden was being the target of strange looks
and comments was not something he considered good.
— Sorry for causing these inappropriate comments.
She turned off her phone screen. The pride she felt at being useful
gradually disappeared. When she noticed that Kayden's glass was
almost empty, she instinctively reached out to refill it, as she had
done before.
Kayden remained silent, without expressing any reaction. She just
sat there, motionless, until the cup Babe had prepared was placed in
front of him.
— Thank you. But you can stay here.
His tone of voice was neutral, without emotion. It wasn't harsh,
but it wasn't welcoming either.
— Huh?
— Choose where you want to sit. I'm not forcing you to do
anything. And if you think asking you to read the news is an abuse, I
can pay you for your wasted time.
— Can I stay right here?
— I just said that I'm not forcing you to do anything.
— I just don't think I should. It's not appropriate. As for reading
the news, I don't mind. In fact, it's a subject that interests me, so
I'm happy to be of service.
Bella lowered her voice on the last sentence, realizing she had
revealed more about herself than she intended.
— Do whatever you want.
Kayden's tone indicated that he didn't care about Bella's
decision. he picked up the glass and took a sip, watching the young
woman who had been sitting next to him walk away to find another
seat. Bella smiled at the others before looking away and focusing
on her own phone screen.
Time passed without Kayden noticing. Suddenly, Bryan's slurred
voice reached his ears. What he said was not pleasant.
— Do you do after-hours programs, beautiful? How much does it
cost for the whole night? What do you do?
As he spoke, Bryan placed his hand on Bonita's exposed thigh,
squeezing it repeatedly.
— Damn it, Bryan. I already told you it's not allowed here. The
owner of the place doesn't want that kind of thing.
Lin scolded him in a serious tone.
— Relax. We can make a quiet deal. No one needs to know.
— Bryan.
This time, Lin warned him in an even firmer tone, pulling his hand
away from Bonita's leg when he noticed her discomfort.
— I don't accept it. Silent or not, I don't do it.
Bonita forced a smile and shook her head in denial once more.
Not everyone understood that there were different types of services,
and many believed her body could be bought.
Fern, who had been working in the field for years, watched Bonita
with concern, ready to intervene.
— Do you understand now, Bryan? Stop it.
— Shut up, Lin.
Bryan waved his wallet in the air, flashing cash and cards.
— How much do you want? Just for one night.
Bonita swallowed her fear. She'd been in situations like this before.
— I don't do this to make extra money.
— Why?
Bryan's voice carried curiosity and disdain.
— Personal reasons.
— Enough.
Kayden interrupted him. His intervention prevented the situation
from turning even more degrading. When Bonita heard her name,
she straightened her posture.
— Yes? Do you need another drink?
Kayden nodded slightly, draining her glass before placing it on
the table.
— If my cup is your responsibility, then get up and take care of it.
"..."
— And if it's not your responsibility, don't get involved. Just do
what you came to do.
His words weren't just for Bonita—they were for everyone at the
table. His sharp gaze warned them all.
— I'm not done talking! — Bryan protested.
— Then talk to me.
Kayden fixed an intense gaze on him, making him hesitate.
— Talk to who? That girl.
— Which girl?
— The one you ordered to make your drink.
— You still don't get it? It's clear she doesn't do what you think.
"..."
— Sex workers exist, but she isn't one. Haven't you noticed?
— What the hell… she's just a woman!
Humiliated, Bryan stood up and left.
Kayden glanced at Bonita before declaring:
— I'm going to drink all night.
— Yes sir.
Bonita quickly picked up the glass and prepared another drink.
When she placed it back, Kayden spoke again.
— Sit down.
— What?
— I said sit.
— But…
— Would you rather sit where you were before or on my lap?
"..."
— My lap isn't a seat. So there's only one option. Sit and keep
making my drink.
— Yes… I can.
— Good. I like when you understand my orders.
Bonita shivered. It was the first time a compliment made her
heart flutter.
— Want a drink too? — Kayden asked.
— No, I need to be sober.
— What if I order it?
— If necessary, I'll drink.
— Then drink.
Bonita took a sip. She wasn't forced; but being around Kayden
made her unsure of her own emotions.
— Kayden.
— What?
Bonita repeated the way others called her.
— Thank you for helping me tonight.
Kayden raised an eyebrow.
— I didn't do anything.
— Just the fact that you weren't unaware of how they were
treating me… already means a lot.
— Don't consider it a favor. I do this for everyone.
Bonita smiled.
— Thank you so much.
— Keep making my drink.
— Your glass isn't finished yet.
— It will be.
— I'll wait to make the next one.
— Hm.