Chapter 3
The half-hour countdown began.
Grace had someone bring over a chair, then sat down a few steps away from me, crossing her legs and watching me openly.
Grace said to others, "Do you think Charlotte's so-called friend is just another small-town nobody?"
Nadia chimed in, "Probably some buddy she met back when she was working some dead-end job. I bet her monthly paycheck isn't even close to covering the tab for these drinks."
"That makes it even funnier," someone laughed.
Time ticked by.
Ten minutes passed, and there was still no sign of anyone at the door.
Twenty minutes went by, and no one showed up.
Grace glanced at her phone, then stood up with a smirk.
"Ten minutes left," she said. "Charlotte, I bet your friend doesn't have the guts to show up."
A few guys in the corner had already had a bit too much to drink, and they started checking me out.
One of them, a chubby middle-aged man, came over with his drink in hand.
"Mr. Landon, your wife looks amazing in that dress," he said.
Andrew didn't bother to correct him or stop him from getting closer to me.
He only lowered his head and took another sip of his wine.
Grace cut in immediately. "Mike, you think she looks good? Well, if nobody shows up to pay, Charlotte will have to play by the club's rules.
"And as for that dress of hers..."
She stretched out the last word.
Mike Johnston let out a couple of sleazy laughs, barely a step away from me.
"Check out her figure. No wonder Mr. Landon was interested," he said. "If Mr. Landon's done with her, I wouldn't mind having her."
The whole room burst into cheers and whistles.
"Mike, you're the man!"
"I'll pay more. Save me a spot."
I took a step back. "Don't come any closer."
"Well, well, she's got some attitude," Mike leered.
He stepped even closer, a grin still plastered on his face.
Andrew never looked up.
Grace was clapping her hands, looking way too pleased with herself.
"Charlotte, you've got two choices now," she said.
She held up one finger. "First, if you can't pay, you'll be stuck here at the club, just like I was last time. You'll have to stay for a whole day and night."
She held up another finger. "Second, take off that dress, grab the steak from the table with your mouth, and crawl out of here.
"So, what's it gonna be?"
My fists were clenched so tight my knuckles turned white.
Every word out of her mouth was a cruel echo of what I'd made her do last time.
Andrew stood up and walked over to Grace.
"Time's about up." He glanced down at his watch. "Five minutes left."
Then he looked at me, as if this had nothing to do with him.
"Charlotte, don't make things ugly. Do the smart thing," he said.
Grace turned and motioned to the bodyguards beside her.
"You guys, keep an eye on her. Don't let her run off," Grace said.
Four bodyguards in black suits immediately closed in, cutting off all my exits.
Mike was already reaching out toward me.
I knocked his hand away. "I said, don't touch me."
"Wow, your hands are so soft and pretty," Mike leered. He leaned in even closer, like he enjoyed it.
Two guys staggered over too.
"Since Mr. Landon's so generous, guess we'll take what we want," one of them laughed.
Andrew stood there with his wine glass, watching everything unfold, not saying a single word to stop it.
Grace urged the bodyguards, "Hold her down. Don't let her move.
"Let her throw a punch if she wants, just don't let her slip away."
The bodyguards stepped forward.
Two of them grabbed my arms.
I jerked hard, trying to wrench free, but it was useless.
Mike's hand went straight for my dress strap.
I glared at Andrew, refusing to look away.
"You can't even protect your own wife?" I shot back.
He didn't answer me.
Grace cut in, "You? A wife? Please. Andrew's wife is always going to be me.
"Strip her."
Before she could finish, I wrenched my right hand free and grabbed her wrist.
"Let go!" Grace cried out.
She tried to yank her hand away, but I held on tight.
I didn't let go.
I stared her down, enunciating every word.
"Grace, you'd better remember every single word you said tonight," I said. "Because soon, you'll be begging me to take it all back."
The whole room went dead silent for a second.
Then the laughter broke out again.
"Is she out of her mind?"
"She thinks she can make Grace beg? Who does she think she is?"
"Just because she can't cough up 140 grand?"
Andrew strode over, yanked my hand away, and pulled Grace behind him, shielding her.
"Charlotte, don't push your luck." He leaned in, his voice dropping to a low, threatening whisper. "Be smart and you'll suffer less.
"You really think you've got some big shot friend who's gonna swoop in and save you?
"Let me make it clear. I've already talked to everyone important in Harbor City. Nobody's going to stick their neck out for you.
"No one's coming for you."
He stepped back and turned to sit down.
Grace clutched her wrist, red from where I'd grabbed her, glaring at me viciously.
"You bitch! You actually hurt me?" she snapped.
She whipped around and yelled at the bodyguards, "Are you deaf? Pin her down!"
The bodyguards surged forward again, this time forcing me up against the edge of the table.
My face was pressed against the cold tabletop, jeers and laughter echoing in my ears.
Mike reached for me again.
Just then, in the corner on the other side of the hall, a woman who'd been silent all night suddenly stood up.
She was the first guest to arrive tonight, her hair streaked with gray, dressed in a dark blue dress.
I hadn't noticed her before.
But she'd clearly been watching me for a long time.
She walked over and stopped a few steps away from us.
She wasn't looking at me. Her eyes were fixed on the bracelet on my wrist.
That emerald bracelet was a gift from my mother on my eighteenth birthday. It was top quality, but I'd never told anyone where it came from.
The woman's expression changed.
She glanced at me, then at the bracelet, her lips parting as if she was about to speak.
But ultimately, she turned and quietly returned to her seat in the corner.
Before sitting down, she quietly made a phone call, her voice barely above a whisper.
No one caught a word of it.
Grace was too caught up in the bodyguards' actions to notice anything happening in the corner.
Andrew didn't notice either.
He watched me being held down, then took another sip of his wine.
"Is it time yet?" Andrew asked.
The manager checked his watch. "Two minutes left."
Grace's face was lit up with excitement.
"Two minutes," Grace said. "Charlotte, looks like your so-called friend isn't showing up after all."
With my face pressed against the table, I turned my head to look at her.
"You'll get every single minute you asked for," I said.
My calm tone pissed her off even more, and she bent down, getting in my face.
"Why are you still acting? You're pinned down and can't move, but you keep mouthing off?" Grace sneered. "Just wait. You'll regret soon enough."
I stayed silent, because I'd already caught the sound of something.
It was the sound of footsteps from the end of the hallway.
And it wasn't just one person.
It was a whole crowd.