Chapter 5

Venom flashed through Mila's eyes, but she grabbed his arm, sobbing.

"Mr. Matthews, let it go! It's all my fault! Every bit of this is on me. Let me take three drinks as a penalty, to make it up to Ms. Pruitt!"

She snatched the bottle out of Nigel's hand and tipped it straight into her mouth.

One swallow and she was coughing, her whole face flushed crimson.

Nigel panicked on the spot and swept her up into his arms.

"Mila, are you out of your mind? Your stomach's already bad. How could you drink like this? It'll start hurting again any second!"

He scooped her up and headed straight for the hospital.

I'd had two crates of liquor forced down me, and he hadn't spared a thought for whether my stomach hurt, whether it might perforate a second time.

Mila took a single sip, and he came unglued.

Watching his hurried back disappear, I finally understood, fully, what I was to Nigel. A tool for taking the drinks meant for him.

My stomach burned like it was on fire, but I walked toward the dressing room to change as if I felt nothing at all.

I'd only gotten halfway out of my clothes when the door I'd bolted from the inside swung open.

I whipped around and saw several clients walk in, leers plastered across their faces.

"Well, well. Ms. Pruitt really knows how to play it. Caught our hint and couldn't wait to give us what we wanted, hm?"

"Then it'd be rude of us to refuse!"

Several greasy hands reached for me.

I grabbed the chair beside me and hurled it at them.

"Get out!"

But they caught the chair and yanked it toward themselves, hard.

I stumbled and went down.

A stab tore through my stomach, and that familiar taste of blood spread across my mouth.

The pain had me seeing stars. I pulled out my phone and dialed the emergency line to call Nigel.

No one picked up.

A sleazy taunt slid into my ear.

"Oh? Still hoping Mr. Matthews will come save you? Your Mr. Matthews is busy looking after his little secretary. He's got no time for you. And besides, he told us to keep you drinking until you'd had your fill!"

Someone played a voice recording.

It was Nigel's voice. No mistaking it.

"Craig, Ivan, haven't you two always wanted to drink Selina under the table? Tonight you can have your fill. Just film her getting drunk and making a fool of herself, that's all I need!"

My heart clenched with a pain I couldn't control, and the blood in my veins froze at those words.

The next second, someone gripped my chin.

Breathing in the rich smell of liquor at the tip of my nose, for the first time I found it sickening.

My stomach heaved, and I lost consciousness completely.

When I woke, I was in the hospital.

Cliff was keeping watch over me, his eyes rimmed red.

"You're awake? Anything hurting?"

I shook my head and spoke, my voice a rasp.

"Is the transfer contract ready?"

He didn't say anything more, just took out the contract and a pen.

I signed my name carefully, and Cliff arranged for it to be notarized right away.

By the time everything was settled, Nigel's calls came flooding in.