The neon lights of Lucky 7 pulsed like a synthetic heartbeat, casting erratic shadows of violet and electric blue across the bar.
Max watched the condensation crawl down his cocktail glass. He gave a low, mysterious chuckle that was almost lost in the thumping bass of the music.
"Oh, that guy?" Max gestured vaguely toward the staff member he had just bribed.
"He's just jealous because I found the most beautiful girl in the building. By the way, I've booked you for the entire night. So don't even think about running away."
"The whole night? What do you mean by that?"
Emily jumped slightly. Her voice was thin and trembling, laced with a sudden, sharp hint of terror.
She realized her reaction was a bit too loud for the high-end setting. She quickly sat back down, her fingers intertwining so tightly her knuckles turned white.
She looked at Max with deep, swirling anxiety. The blue of her eyes seemed to darken under the shifting strobe lights of the lounge.
Max didn't offer an immediate answer. He took a slow, deliberate sip of his drink, letting the silence stretch between them.
He watched her panicked expression with a playful, silent pressure. The longer he stayed quiet, the more frantic she became.
"Now, now, don't be so tense. I was only joking. I really wanted to see that expression of yours because it's quite cute."
Emily let out a long, heavy sigh of relief. The air finally seemed to leave her lungs in a jagged rush.
Her chest heaved up and down in rapid, nervous pulses. The thin fabric of her uniform strained with every frantic breath she took.
Seeing this motion, Max felt his predatory instincts flare up again. The dim, hazy light of the bar made her look like a trapped bird.
He wanted her to belong to him more than ever. He wanted to see her submission.
"Forget about that for a moment. Let's play a game to pass the time."
"Oh... what are we playing, sir?"
"It's simple. Rock-paper-scissors. If you win, I'll give you a 500 dollar bonus on the spot."
"If I win, you just have to take a full drink with me. How does that sound? A fair trade for a lucky girl."
Emily hesitated. She looked at the thick stack of cash Max had casually tossed onto the mahogany bar top.
The money looked almost surreal under the flickering neon. She swallowed hard and gave a small, desperate nod.
Max regretted not having a deck of cards to cheat with. But he didn't need a trick to win this game.
He had no good intentions. His goal was to use the heavy alcohol to dull Emily's sharpest edges.
He knew she needed the money for her father. But he also knew he couldn't be too direct with his ultimate prize.
There is an old saying that you should never strike a person's pride if you want to own them.
If he simply said, "Sleep with me for money," her self-respect might force her to run out the door.
Emily was still acting shy, her shoulders hunched. This proved her moral compass was still functioning, even in this den of sin.
Max wanted to cloud her judgment first. He wanted the lines between right and wrong to blur until they disappeared.
"Rock-paper-scissors! Rock-paper-scissors!"
The rhythmic chanting of the game was drowned out by the muffled roar of the crowd behind them.
After several rounds, Max had already handed over more than 2,000 dollars. Emily had only been forced to drink once.
Max looked at his own hand in mock frustration. He couldn't believe his luck was this bad, but he didn't mind.
Every time he lost, he pulled out a crisp 500 dollar bill and slid it toward her. The paper felt heavy and powerful.
This ritual made Emily feel that he wasn't just well-dressed. He was truly, immensely wealthy beyond her imagination.
Her hope of saving her father began to soar, reaching heights she hadn't dared to dream of since the diagnosis.
[Affection from Emily: +5, +8, +7] [Total Affection: 63/100]
Max smirked inwardly as the system notifications flashed. It was a universal truth of the world he now inhabited.
What couldn't be bought with money could always be bought with a lot of money.
After an hour, both of their faces were flushed a deep, intoxicating red. The polite distance between them had vanished.
The air around them felt thick with the smell of expensive spirits and sweet, cloying perfume. Their movements were becoming loose.
They were both intoxicated now. Emily no longer wore her mask of professional reluctance.
She allowed her sadness and desperation to show. The booze had washed away her carefully constructed defenses.
She looked at Max with a gaze that was soft and glassy. She looked as if she wanted to confess her soul to him.
Max saw her expression and knew the trap was set. The timing was finally perfect.
"What's wrong, Emily? There's no need to be awkward with me. You can tell me anything."
Emily gripped the fabric of her skirt so hard she nearly tore it. She bit her lower lip until a tiny drop of blood appeared.
Her blue eyes welled up with heavy tears. She bowed her head, her blonde hair falling forward like a silken curtain.
"The truth is... I'm not this kind of woman. I'm only doing this because I have no other choice left in this world."
She glanced up at Max. She was looking for judgment, but she only found his focused, intense attention.
She continued through her heavy, wet sobs. Each word seemed to take a massive effort to push past her lips.
"My father was diagnosed with a very dangerous heart condition. He needs surgery immediately."
"If I don't get 120,000 dollars by the end of the week, then I... I will lose him."
Before she could finish the sentence, Max leaned in and pulled her into a firm, warm embrace.
He could feel her heart hammering against his chest like a cornered animal. He whispered directly into her ear.
"That isn't a problem for me, Emily. I have the money. But you also need to show me some of your own sincerity."
Emily felt a jolt of cold fear pierce through her alcoholic haze. Her voice was a shaky, fragile whisper against his neck.
"Sincerity? What do you mean by that, sir?"
Max watched the two trails of tears rolling down her flushed cheeks. He felt a dark, intoxicating sense of satisfaction.
"Don't worry. It's simple. We go to a private karaoke bar and you sing a few songs for me."
"If you sing for me, I'll give you 10,000 dollars right now as a down payment for your loyalty."
"And if you can make me truly happy tonight... don't talk to me about 120,000 dollars. I could even give you 200,000."
The words hung in the air, heavy and poisonous. Emily's face twisted with a sudden, violent realization.
She shoved Max's arms away with a strength he didn't expect. She stood up, her chair screeching against the floor.
"Go to a private karaoke bar to sing? At this hour?" she shouted, her voice cutting through the thumping music.
"What kind of woman do you think I am?!"