Chapter 8

Adelynn placed her fork down. She stood up. She kept her face completely blank.

"I need to use the restroom."

No one said a word. Beatrice wouldn't look at her. Jax was staring at the floor.

Only Axel watched her. His dark eyes followed her as she walked to the heavy door.

Axel watched the door close behind her. He gave a slight nod to Silas. "Don't let her leave the building," he murmured, his voice barely audible over the silence of the room.

Adelynn stepped out into the hallway. The door closed behind her. She let out a shaky breath. Her chest hurt from holding it in.

She bent down and pulled off her remaining high heel. She held one-side shoe in her left hand.

She pressed her bare feet into the thick carpet. She turned away from the restrooms and walked toward where she thought the stairs were.

The second floor was a maze. The walls were black. The doors were black. The only light came from dim blue bulbs near the floor.

She turned a corner. It was a dead end. She turned back. Her heart started to beat faster.

A door ten feet ahead of her burst open. It slammed against the wall.

Adelynn jumped back. She pressed her body into a dark alcove in the wall. She held her breath.

A girl stumbled out of the room. She wore the club's uniform. Carla.

Carla's shirt was ripped open down the middle. Her bra was exposed. Her hair was a mess. Tears streamed down her face. She covered her mouth with both hands, trying to stop her own sobbing.

A fat man with a red face leaned out of the doorway. He held a stack of cash.

"If you go to the cops, I'll make sure you never work in this city again, you stupid whore."

He threw the money. The bills hit Carla in the face and scattered across the floor.

The man slammed the door shut.

Carla slid down the wall and sat on the floor, crying into her knees.

Adelynn pressed her hand over her own mouth. Her stomach heaved. The Wagyu beef threatened to come back up.

The smell of the hallway, the sight of the crying girl, the arrogant voice of the man-it all ripped open the scars in her brain. This was the Callahan estate. The closed doors. The destroyed lives. The money used to cover up the rot.

She wanted to run to the girl. She wanted to help her.

But her survival instinct screamed at her. She had twelve dollars. She was hiding from billionaires. If she made a sound, she would be destroyed.

Adelynn closed her eyes. A tear slipped down her cheek. She turned her head away.

She crept along the wall, moving away from the crying girl.

She felt a cold draft of air. She followed it. She turned another corner and saw a glowing green EXIT sign above a metal door.

Relief washed over her. She walked faster. She reached out her hand to push the heavy metal bar.

A thick arm shot out from the dark corner next to the door.

A rough hand clamped over her mouth and nose. The smell of cheap tobacco filled her lungs.

Adelynn's eyes widened in pure terror. A massive force yanked her backward into the pitch-black corner.