Chapter 3

A crisp notification sound echoed through the room, signaling a hundred grand had just hit my account.

I stared at the payment notification on my phone screen, the numbers almost blinding under the bright lights.

Then, with everyone staring at me, I cleared my throat, kept a straight face, and, without missing a beat, started making dog sounds, one after another, my voice steady and clear.

"Woof, woof, woof..." I kept going, one woof after another.

The laughter in the VIP room slowly died down.

Everyone fell silent, staring at me with all kinds of mixed looks.

There was shock, disbelief, and even a trace of pity you could barely catch.

I felt numb, like I was just some soulless sound machine, totally detached from it all.

Every "woof" was like dropping a stone into a frozen lake, causing not even a ripple.

Exactly a hundred woofs, not one more, not one less.

When I finally finished that last "woof," the whole room went dead silent.

I put my phone away, looked up, and kept that flawless professional smile plastered on my face, locking eyes with Roger.

"Mr. Ferguson, a hundred woofs. Mission accomplished. So, about this hundred grand... Is the company gonna cover it?" I asked.

At that moment, Roger's smile froze solid.

Everyone stared at me, their faces full of disbelief.

They probably thought I was out of my mind, or just stubbornly toughing it out.

The last hint of a smile disappeared from Roger's face. He looked at me, a flash of annoyance in his eyes, like I'd just spoiled his mood.

He probably figured that since I'd pocketed his money, I should've just played along and finished the show, not flip the script on him at the end and leave him looking bad.

Rowena was so furious she was shaking, pointing right at me, her voice sharp as a knife. "Gina! What the hell do you mean by that? Are you trying to humiliate me?"

I looked at her and couldn't help but find it a little funny.

Seriously, who was humiliating who here?

But I kept it to myself.

I picked up the damp towel from the table, taking my sweet time as I wiped my fingers, still sticky from the wine after that toast.

Cool as a cucumber, I moved like barking a hundred times was no big deal—just humming a tune, nothing worth mentioning.

"Ms. Daniels, no need to get so worked up," I said, glancing up with a calm, even voice. "Payment received, service delivered. I'm just double-checking the paperwork; after all, a hundred grand isn't exactly chump change."

I put extra emphasis on the words "payment received, service delivered."

It was a reminder, not just for her, but for everyone watching.

This was nothing but a transaction.

A deal where she used money to buy my temporary compliance.

And as for everything else...

I sneered to myself, cold and silent.

"You..." Rowena was left speechless by how unbothered I was. Her eyes got even redder, and this time, she actually looked a little hurt for real.

She suddenly turned to Roger, clutching his arm, her voice shaking and on the verge of tears. "Roger! Look at her. She took your money and still acts all high and mighty.

"She's totally doing this on purpose. I just know she's laughing at me inside."

It was like she'd finally found a place to dump all her feelings. Her tears started pouring down, and her drama skills were even sharper than when she made me bark earlier.

"The internet wasn't wrong... These career women are all so two-faced, pretending to be nice while scheming behind your back. Just because they've got a bit of talent, they think the real girlfriend doesn't matter.

"They use this hot-and-cold routine to hook guys. Roger, I'm really scared... What if she plays you for a fool..." She was sobbing so hard she looked like she was about to melt right into Roger's arms.

Roger's annoyance vanished the moment Rowena started crying, replaced by a kind of helpless softness. He just gave in.

He gently patted her back, soothing her in a low voice, "Alright, alright, don't cry. You're gonna mess up your makeup."

He didn't even spare me a single glance.

It was like I didn't exist, and all that drama from before wasn't even worth a thought to him.

And then, I heard the words that shattered whatever hope I had left for this company, for this boss.

He spoke to Rowena, cradled in his arms, his voice impossibly gentle, dripping with adoration, but cold as ice underneath.

"Silly girl, you don't need to worry about any of this," he said. "Just stay put and be good."

I repeated the words in my mind.

Everything just exploded inside my head.

For a moment, my mind went completely blank.

All the sounds around me vanished, and those two lines just kept ringing in my ears, over and over, drowning out everything else.

Don't need to worry about what, exactly?

Don't need to drink with clients until her stomach bleeds, just to land a deal, like me?