I didn't actually realise how fast my heart was beating until the cab finally came to a stop.
I stepped out onto the sidewalk and just stared up.
The building in front of me radiated a quiet kind of power. It had tall glass walls perfectly reflecting the city lights, private security guards standing politely by the entrance, and the sort of subtle luxury that didn't need to show off to prove it was better than you.
'Yeah,' I muttered under my breath, nervously adjusting my collar.
'This is definitely not my world.'
My phone buzzed in my pocket.
I pulled it out to see the interface of the app lighting up the screen.
[Location Confirmed: Client Awaiting Arrival]
Right below it, a message from my handler, Kiara, popped up.
"This client requires emotional precision. Do not rush or dominate."
I frowned slightly at the screen.
'Yeah, thanks, Kiara, that helps a lot. Just tell the guy who was eating dry leftover bread this morning to be emotionally precise.'
I took a deep breath and stepped inside.
The lobby was cold, totally quiet, and controlled. The receptionist behind the marble desk barely even looked at me.
She glanced at my face once, checked her screen, and said one single word.
"Penthouse."
'So this is really how it works,' I thought, walking toward the private elevator.
As the polished doors slid shut, I caught my reflection in the mirrored wall.
I was the same guy I was this morning, wearing the same cheap clothes, carrying the same empty wallet.
But tonight, for whatever reason, I wasn't invisible anymore to the people.
My phone buzzed again as the elevator shot upwards.
[Live Assistance Enabled]
The client's profile was updated on the screen with new details.
Name: Maria
Age: 35.
Status: Married.
Child: 1 infant.
Background: Corporate Heiress, the only daughter of a major family.
Emotional State: Neglected and isolated.
Primary Need: Recognition and validation.
My eyes lingered on that one specific detail.
'She has a kid. Am I really doing this?'
[Recommendation: Gentle Presence]
'Got it. Be gentle. Don't act like a creep.'
The elevator chimed softly, and the doors opened to reveal a private hallway with warm lighting and silence.
There was only one door at the end of the hall. I waited for a few seconds and knocked on it.
A few seconds passed, felt like a long time, before the door opened.
I completely froze.
She stood there in a silk robe that covered her frame perfectly, with her dark hair falling naturally over her shoulders.
Her beauty was composed and highly refined, exactly like someone who had always been admired from a distance but perhaps never actually seen up close.
"You are here," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
I swallowed hard and nodded.
"Yeah...."
Her eyes lingered on my face for a long moment before she finally stepped aside, holding the door open.
"Come in."
The apartment was incredible.
It was minimalist, elegant, and clearly cost more than I would ever make in my entire lifetime.
But looking around, there were obvious signs of life scattered throughout the space. I noticed a high-end baby stroller parked near the corner of the entryway, a neatly folded blanket resting on a chair, and the very faint, sweet scent of baby powder hanging in the air.
Yet somehow, despite all of that life, the place still felt empty.
The door shut behind me with a soft click.
"You are new," she said, turning back toward me and crossing her arms loosely.
I gave a small, awkward nod.
"Is it really that obvious?"
A faint smile touched her lips.
"You are trying too hard to be respectful with your eyes."
My phone gave a tiny, almost silent vibration in my pocket.
[System Prompt: Client prefers honesty over performance.]
I exhaled, dropping the fake confidence I was trying so hard to hold onto.
"First time," I admitted openly.
Her gaze softened immediately, "I thought so."
She walked past me slowly, absentmindedly adjusting the silk sleeve of her robe.
She wasn't trying to impress me, and she certainly wasn't trying to seduce me right away.
"Sit," she said gently, gesturing to the living room.
I walked over and sat down on the expensive leather couch.
She didn't immediately join me. Instead, she picked up a small baby monitor from the glass coffee table, staring at the screen for a long second before setting it carefully back down.
"She is sleeping," she murmured, almost to herself.
I looked at her, trying to read the room.
"Your daughter?"
She nodded slowly, then walked over and sat much closer than I expected her to, bringing that faint scent of body lotion with her.
"Do you actually know who I am?" she asked, turning her head to look at me.
I shook my head, honestly.
"No, I don't."
A small smile appeared on her face.
"I am supposed to be someone important," she said, looking down at her hands.
"I am the only daughter of a company you have probably heard of on the news. I run things now like board meetings, making the final decisions, and people always listen when I speak."
Her fingers traced the smooth edge of a glass resting on the table.
"But at home..." She paused, her voice catching just a little bit.
"No one does."
"My husband is always busy," she continued quietly, staring straight ahead.
"And when he is not busy... he just looks right through me like I am part of the furniture."
A shaky breath escaped her lips.
"I had a child," she confessed, her voice dropping slightly.
"I thought maybe things would change between us. I thought it would fix whatever was broken." She finally turned her head to look right into my eyes.
"They didn't."
She shifted closer, her dark eyes searching mine for something I wasn't entirely sure I had to give.
"So, tell me," she whispered.
"When you look at me right now... what do you actually see?"
My phone gave another faint buzz against my leg.
[System Prompt: Critical Emotional Response Required.]
[Focus: Identity Recognition.]
I looked at her eyes, clearly recognising the loneliness all too well.
"I see someone who is doing everything right," I said, holding her gaze steadily.
She blinked slightly, clearly caught off guard by the answer.
I leaned just a little bit closer, lowering my voice so it was just between us.
"But you are still being ignored anyway."
"And I think," I added softly,
"that is not something anyone should ever overlook."
Her grip on the glass tightened so hard that it cracked, and then she slowly let go.
My phone vibrated twice.
[Emotional Engagement: Increased]
[Dependency Index: Rising]
She quickly looked away, blinking rapidly as she tried to compose herself.
"You are very honest," she murmured, her voice trembling slightly.
The physical distance between us felt completely different now.
It was closer, warmer, and much more intimate.
For the first time in a very long time, she wasn't being treated like a corporate title, a dutiful wife, or a daily responsibility.
She was just a woman, and someone was finally looking right at her.
A few hours later, I stepped out of the luxury building and into the cool night air. The city breeze felt refreshing against my heated skin. My mind was quiet, but it definitely wasn't empty.
I pulled my phone out as it buzzed in my hand.
[Session Complete]
[Physical Satisfaction: A]
[Emotional Engagement: S]
[Dependency Index: High]
I exhaled a long breath, watching a puff of air form in the chill. 'An S rank? How did I even manage that?'
Then the screen shifted to a new page.
[Reward Granted]
[$25,000 Credited.]
[Bonus: $10,000]
My eyes widened slightly.
Thirty-five grand for one night. That was completely insane, but before I could fully process the money, another notification popped up.
[New Alert: Client has requested an exclusive follow-up session.]
'Exclusive?' I thought, my eyebrows shooting up.
The screen refreshed again.
[Rating Increased: 72 -> 83]
I stood on the sidewalk and just stared at the screen. One single session, and everything in my pathetic life was already shifting gears.
Then, a final message slid down from the top from Kiara.
"You handled her very well," the text read.
There was a brief pause before a second text came through.
"Be careful."
I frowned, staring at the words on the screen.
'Careful of what?'
Maria sent a message from the penthouse looking down.
[Come and fuck me.]