"You need money?" Horace asked without looking at her.

Chloe thought it over for a moment, then nodded, deciding there was no point in hiding her situation. "Yes. My mom's in the hospital and her treatment costs five hundred thousand."

Horrace quietly pulled out a checkbook, elegantly scribbled down a number, and handed the check to her. "Payment for last night," was his only explanation.

One million.

Chloe glanced at the figure on the check with widened eyes. She hesitated for a long moment, but ultimately decided to reject his offer and push the check back toward him. "Thanks, but I'm not for sale. I enjoyed last night too."

Horrace hadn't expected her to refuse, but he didn't press the issue. He took the check back, his expression still as unreadable as always. "How about I recommend you for a part-time job?" he offered instead.

Chloe liked this idea better. She nodded. "Sure, but I work in the hospital Monday through Friday, often with overtime. Do you know of anything with more flexible hours, or maybe just weekends?"

"Report to AT. Dawn tonight," he said, offering nothing further.

*****

That same night, Chloe arrived at AT. Dawn, a high-end bar and the go-to spot for Novarington's wealthy elites, ready for anything.

The job Horrace had found her? It turned out to be selling drinks to the wealthy customers, noting more than bottle service.

"Sir, would you like to try this new product? It has a unique flavor profile and the best ingredients on the market. Would you like to know more?" Chloe asked with a polite smile, looking hopeful before a table of men.

The all-male group looked her over with undisguised interest, their gazes sweeping up and down her body like they were appraising merchandise. They didn’t seem to have heard much of what she had said.

"If you want us to buy your drinks, you'll have to show us what you've got," one of them piped up.

"That’s right. We don't come to bars just to drink, you know? We can buy alcohol anywhere."

One of the men pushed it even further, and poured ten shots of whiskey and slid them toward her. "Here, drink as many as you can. However many you finish, we'll order that many bottles."

"I'm sorry, but I don't have a good tolerance for alcohol," Chloe said quickly, but firmly. She wasn’t about to accept their dirty challenge.

The memory of the previous night was still fresh in her mind, how just a few drinks had led to her waking up in Horrace's bed. She couldn't, and wouldn't, make that mistake again. She turned to leave.

But the men had other plans. "You're not leaving until we've had some fun with you," one of them said, his tone sordid.

For them, coming to a bar wasn't just about drinking, but also finding fresh prey. And with someone like Chloe, stunning and alluring, walking right into their path, there was no way they were letting her slip away so easily.

When one of the men reached out to grab her arm, a cold, commanding voice cut through the air.

"What's going on here?"

Everyone froze and turned toward the source of the voice.

Standing behind them was Horrace, his stature imposing.

"H—Hawk!" one of them stammered.

Horrace Nash. Also known as Hawk Nash.

Everyone who frequented places like this and ran in Novarington's elite circles knew exactly who he was.

Chloe, too, froze when she saw him. She hadn't expected to see him again. She thought that after he had recommended the job, that would be the extent of their relationship.

"She was selling drinks and flirting with us. We just wanted to teach her a little lesson and show her how things work around here," one of the men said, trying to explain himself after the initial shock.

Horrace's reply was just an icy gaze, under which the group’s resolve crumbled. The one who was still holding onto Chloe, immediately released her arm, and backed off without protest.

Horrace didn't waste another second of his attention on them. Instead, he turned to the bar manager, who had hurried over after sensing the commotion. "Throw these men out. From now on, they're banned from all Nash Enterprises entertainment venues."

The color drained from the men's faces.

Nash Enterprises controlled nearly all of Novarington's top-tier entertainment and leisure businesses. Being blacklisted meant they were effectively exiled from the city's social scene.