\u201cF*ck! F*ck! F*ck!\u201d I hissed through clenched teeth, muttering the words like a chant as I scrubbed at my face, trying to erase more than just makeup. I was back in the dressing room, the lights overhead too bright, the mirror too honest. No matter how many times I wiped the makeup off, it was the heat lingering under my skin that I couldn\u2019t get rid of.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hate the way his breath grazed my ear. The way he whispered like he knew me. The way I tilted my head without even thinking, just to give him more.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I groaned in frustration and threw the used wipes into the trash. What the hell was wrong with me?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hadn\u2019t even seen his face. Yet, somehow, his gaze was more than enough to make my body react like it had been starving and he was the feast.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shook my head hard. Like maybe that would rattle him out of my mind. It didn\u2019t.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I changed back into my clothes quickly, practically yanking the zipper on my jeans like it owed me money. I slung my bag over my shoulder and grabbed my jacket from the hook. I needed out. I couldn\u2019t breathe in here. Every corner of this place reminds me of him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was halfway to the door when the door creaked open, and Philippe stepped inside, looking like he\u2019d aged ten years in the last ten minutes. His expression was grim and tight, like he had something heavy to say.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDylan\u2026\u201d he began, and just by the way he said my name, I knew it wasn\u2019t going to be good.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He reached into his coat and handed me a plain white envelope. I took it without thinking, but the moment it touched my hand, I could feel how heavy and thick it was. My brows pulled together in confusion as I slowly opened it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The moment I saw what was inside, my breath hitched.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stacks of hundred\u2013dollar bills\u2013crisp, clean, and packed tight. My heart skipped a beat. It had to be close to a hundred thousand dollars, maybe more. I just stood there, staring, completely stunned.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s this, Philippe?\u201d I asked, my voice still shaky from the shock.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s your payment for tonight,\u201d he replied.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh\u2026\u201d I said. \u201cBut isn\u2019t it too much? Do private sessions really cost that much?\u201d I asked curiously.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cActually\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019m not sure, but I have a bad feeling that it won\u2019t be good news.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat money will be your first and last payment. You can\u2019t come here anymore,\u201d he continued, his voice low, regretful.\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:25 Thu, Dec 25\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 15\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stared at him, blinking in confusion. \u201cWhat?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
94\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry, honey.\u201d He looked genuinely apologetic. \u201cThe man from your private session tonight\u2026 He made it very clear. You\u2019re not allowed to work here anymore.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d I uttered in surprise, taking a step back. \u201cB\u2013But why?\u201d I may not like working here, but part of me was actually looking forward to seeing him again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHe didn\u2019t say why. And we don\u2019t have much choice but to follow. This man\u2026 he\u2019s powerful. Scary powerful. I\u2019ve seen a lot of big shots come and go, but him? He\u2019s different. And the kind of different that doesn\u2019t ask for things twice.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I took a deep breath, trying to steady the whirlwind inside my chest. But no matter how much air I pulled in, it still felt like something was squeezing my heart tight. I couldn\u2019t explain it\u2013not really. I mean, I never even wanted to work here in the first place. So why did it feel like someone had just ripped something away from\u00a0<\/p>\n
me?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Why did it feel so much like\u2026 rejection?\u00a0<\/p>\n
It hit me all at once\u2013sharp, cold, and familiar. This feeling reminds me of how I felt the night Beckett brought Sarah and their child into our home.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I still remembered every bit of it. The way he smiled at her. The way he looked at me like I was suddenly in the way\u2013like I didn\u2019t belong in the space I helped build. That same hollow feeling was settling inside me now. Like I\u2019d been cast aside again. Like I wasn\u2019t good enough. Not for Beckett. Not for this mysterious man with money and power. Not for anyone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
How many times was I supposed to go through this?\u00a0<\/p>\n
How many times would people look at me, see pieces they didn\u2019t like, and just walk away?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Was it really too much to hope\u2026 that one day, someone would look at me and see someone worth staying for?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Someone worth protecting?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Someone enough?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I closed my eyes for a moment and held my breath again, trying to push down the tears that were starting to burn. But they were stubborn\u2013just like me. They weren\u2019t going away that easily.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hugged my arms around myself, the dressing room suddenly colder than it had been just moments ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand, Philippe. No worries.\u201d I forced a smile on my face. I looked at the stack of cash in my hand. I started counting a few bills. Philippe was watching me with confusion. He was probably thinking that I was counting it to make sure it was enough. But that wasn\u2019t the case.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Stopped counting at twenty\u2013five thousand dollars. This is more than enough for me to pay the thugs that visited our apartment as well as our landlady. This would also be my way to get out of the place and get my\u00a0<\/p>\n
own.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I put the money that I counted into my bag and handed back the rest to Philippe. He was frowning as he was\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:25 Thu, Dec 25\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 15\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00c1(04)\u00a0<\/p>\n
switching his eyes between me and the envelope.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGive it back to him. I don\u2019t need his money. I\u2019m only getting what I need to. I\u2019ll go ahead. Thank help, Philippe.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
you for\u00a0<\/p>\n
your\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut, Dylan\u2014\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t wait for him to finish. I headed out of the dressing room and walked towards the elevator.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I pressed the button, and it didn\u2019t take long before the elevator doors opened. I stepped in and pressed the close button. The doors were just about to close when they slid open again with a soft chime. I glanced up, startled, and found myself face\u2013to\u2013face with a tall, handsome man dressed in an impeccably tailored suit. He walked in like he owned the entire building\u2013and maybe he did. His steps were confident, his expression unreadable, and two bodyguards followed close behind, silent and intimidating.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I can feel his presence behind me that I tried my best to ignore. His face looks familiar. He didn\u2019t say a word, but his presence alone was enough to make the air inside the elevator feel heavier, more intense. I turned away, pretending not to notice the way he looked at me like he knew something I didn\u2019t.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Just before the doors shut, I heard footsteps rushing down the hallway.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDylan!\u201d Philippe\u2019s voice rang out, slightly breathless. He came into view, waving the envelope frantically above his head like a flag. \u201cWait!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My chest clenched. I knew exactly what he was going to say.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGive it back to him,\u201d I said firmly, not even looking behind me. \u201cI don\u2019t need his money. I\u2019m only taking what I\u2019ve earned, nothing more. I\u2019ll go ahead. Thank you for your help, Philippe.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His eyes widened when they landed on the man standing behind me in the elevator. For a brief moment, Philippe looked stunned\u2013his mouth parted, eyes darting between us, a mix of fear and realization settling in his expression.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut, Dylan-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t wait for him to finish. I stepped back inside the elevator and pressed the button for the ground floor. The doors began to close, cutting Philippe off mid\u2013sentence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As the elevator descended, the silence felt thick. I didn\u2019t dare turn around, but I could feel him behind me. That man. His energy was impossible to ignore.\u00a0<\/p>\n
**\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:26 Thu, Dec 25\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 16\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 16\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Alchemist of Broken Dreams by Sienna Rose Blackwell 15 \u201cF*ck! F*ck! F*ck!\u201d I hissed through clenched teeth, muttering the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-alphas-golden-cage-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24366"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24366\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}