Chapter 9 The Punishment for Crossing the Line
After Victoria got back home, she quickly showered, changed, and rushed to the set.
During this time, Nathaniel seemed to have vanished into thin air, not reaching out to her at all.
She absentmindedly dialed the phone number Sam had used before, but as expected, she couldn't get through.
In this relationship, she felt completely powerless.
Only Nathaniel could make contact, while she was left unable to reach him.
She felt a hollow emptiness inside, unable to put it into words.
One day, as she was preparing for her training class, she saw David returning excitedly with a stack of thick documents in hand.
Lately, he had been coming and going at strange hours, looking mysterious. Probably dreaming of striking it rich again.
Victoria didn't want to get involved, knowing David's business ventures were always a money pit, and she had no extra cash to spare.
"Dad, you're not teaming up with Xavier for another business, are you?" she asked casually.
"Resources bigger than Xavier!" David exclaimed, waving his hand enthusiastically. "This time, it's a partnership with Genesis Corporation!"
"Genesis Corporation?" Victoria's heart skipped a beat, a sense of dread washing over her.
"How did you manage to connect with Genesis Corporation?"
"Through your boyfriend, of course!"
Victoria was stunned! Contacting Nathaniel?
Nathaniel couldn't stand it when she acted out, this was definitely pushing boundaries!
Just then, her phone rang, and she answered quickly.
"Miss Chase, I'll be there in thirty minutes."
"Okay."
After hanging up, Victoria felt a whirlwind of emotions.
She suddenly realized that every time Sam picked her up, he never asked where she was, meaning she was always being watched by Nathaniel?
Thinking about this, Victoria felt even more uneasy.
Soon, Sam arrived, and the car took off.
Feeling anxious, Victoria could only turn to Sam for answers.
"Sam, has Mr. Cross been in a good mood lately?" she paused. "Anything out of the ordinary?"
Victoria waited for a while, but Sam stayed silent.
She knew Sam wouldn't respond anymore.
While she had been playing the role of Nathaniel's canary, Sam had been somewhat kind to her.
This time, with his silence, she realized she was probably just a pawn Nathaniel had discarded?
Throughout the ride, Victoria felt like she was under intense scrutiny, internally tormented.
Finally, the car pulled up in front of a fancy club.
Sam guided her through the lavish lobby, straight to the exclusive elevator on the top floor, stopping at the door of a luxurious private room, and coolly said, "Miss Chase, please step inside."
The formal tone made Victoria even more uneasy, sensing her luck was about to run out today.
She implored Sam, "Sam, please help me."
Her eyes were like melting snow-capped mountains, reflecting waves of sadness and fear.
Sam couldn't help but soften, but he was just a bodyguard, with limited power.
"If you want to make it out alive, find a way to win Mr. Cross's favor," he advised before turning and walking away.
Victoria took a deep breath, gathered her courage, and pushed open the door to the private room.
Even though she had mentally prepared herself, she was still taken aback by the provocative scene inside.
The room was dimly lit, filled with a mix of cigar smoke, liquor, and perfume scents.
Nathaniel was lounging on the sofa in the center, holding a cigar between his fingers, the smoke veiling his features.
Beside him sat a hefty man, the two engrossed in conversation and laughter.
Several scantily clad young men and women were dancing to seductive music, their youthful bodies intertwined.
The atmosphere was decadent and chaotic.
"Oh, she's here!"
Nathaniel's gaze swept over indifferently, devoid of any emotion.
"Nathaniel, is this the canary you've been keeping hidden?" The hefty man scrutinized Victoria. "Looks pretty average!"
"Obviously, she doesn't meet your standards!"
"Well, you never know, the ones you're interested in must have something special! I'll have a good time with her later," Harold Rogers said with interest.
Due to the distance and the loud music, Victoria couldn't make out what the two men were saying.
But she could sense from the lecherous expression on the hefty man's face that it wasn't going to be anything good.
At that moment, Nathaniel motioned for her to approach.
Suppressing her unease, Victoria obediently walked over and sat beside him.
"Mr. Cross," she whispered.
Nathaniel put out the cigar and picked up another one.
Seeing this, Victoria swiftly grabbed the cigar cutter and trimmed the tip for him.
Recalling David's inappropriate behavior, Victoria felt the urge to push back.
So, she leaned against Nathaniel's shoulder playfully, offering him the cigar, and asked softly, "Mr. Cross, has your wound healed?"
"Mm," Nathaniel replied.
Victoria lit the cigar for him.
"Mr. Cross, regarding the business project, my dad doesn't know any better... I never expected him to actually approach you."
As the flame flickered, she caught a glimpse of the coldness in Nathaniel's eyes.
Nathaniel took a deep breath, blew out a smoke ring, and then glanced at her indifferently.
"Oh? Is that so?"
Victoria's hand trembled, and the lighter almost slipped from her grasp.
"Nathaniel, you're quite the master of disguise, not bringing her out sooner for me to have fun with," Harold smirked, eyeing Victoria. "Everyone else is barely dressed, and you're all covered up, isn't that odd?"
Victoria was once again stunned, looking up at Nathaniel with a pleading expression.
"Can't you hear what Mr. Rogers said?"
Nathaniel just blew out smoke rings indifferently, as if he hadn't noticed her discomfort.
A scantily clad stranger approached, pressing her soft, ample chest against Victoria, giggling, "New to the scene, huh? Don't be shy, what's holding you back?"
She then grabbed Victoria's hand and placed it in her underwear, saying, "Feel free to touch!"
"Ah!" Victoria immediately stood up, pulling her hand away.
Harold laughed heartily. "Nathaniel, have you changed your taste, now you like the innocent ones?"
Then, Harold's smiling face turned menacing, and he growled, "Strip!"
Victoria looked at Nathaniel again, her eyes filled with pleading.
But Nathaniel didn't even glance at her, his tone icy, "Are you deaf? Didn't you hear Mr. Rogers tell you to strip?"
This was Nathaniel's way of punishing her!
Punishing her for her father's audacity in trying to climb the social ladder by associating with him!
Victoria's heart clenched, and she instinctively clutched her clothes tighter. The mix of humiliation and fear made her fingertips cold.
She took a deep breath and, in front of a room full of men and women, began unbuttoning her shirt.
One button, two buttons...
Her movements were slow, her fingers trembling with nervousness. All eyes were on her, filled with mockery and amusement.
As her white shirt slid to the floor, revealing her white bra and her full, round breasts almost spilling out.
"I didn't expect you to be so well-endowed." Harold leered.
Victoria bit her lip hard, closing her eyes in humiliation.
"Keep stripping!"
"Strip!"
Victoria gritted her teeth, unbuttoned her shirt, and quickly removed her jeans, revealing her slender legs.
Whistles and suggestive laughter filled the room.
Victoria paused, now only in her undergarments.
She looked around and saw Harold leering at her.
The other men and women looked like they were enjoying the show, egging her on to continue stripping.
If she did, she would be left with nothing on.
Victoria's only lifeline was Nathaniel, and she looked to him for help, almost pleading.
Nathaniel held the cigar between his fingers, a hint of desire flickering in his eyes.
"Mr. Rogers didn't say stop, why did you?"