Chapter 4 Name Your Price

Collin's face revealed nothing. Lena could not discern any emotion in his eyes.

Her fingernails pressed into her sweaty, hot palm. Memories of a chaotic room, a large bed, and two intertwined figures flashed through her mind.

That night was the most turbulent one she could recall.

At twenty-three, it was the first time Lena had ever lost her composure and sought solace in alcohol. The next morning, she awoke to find herself beside Collin, whose features seemed impeccably flawless, even under close scrutiny.

She remembered being abandoned by Roderick and then, she had ended up sleeping with his uncle.

"Huh?" Lena asked, trying to maintain her composure. "Do you want to sleep with me again?"

"I have no interest in you," Collin responded. He reached for his cigarette, and then realized he had likely left it in the VIP room. "I just believe in the spirit of a fair exchange. I suppose you wouldn't let me off easily."

Lena understood the insinuation in his words. "Are you suggesting that I deliberately engineered this meeting tonight?"

The idea seemed ridiculous to her.

Yet, she had indeed looked to him for help in the VIP room just moments ago.

Lena felt a surge of frustration. She realized how difficult it would be to clear her name now.

Then, Collin changed the subject. "What compensation do you expect for that night? Or would you prefer a position as a director?"

Lena was at a loss for words. If not for tonight's unforeseen meeting, she had planned to forget that night entirely.

A mix of embarrassment and anger welled up inside her. Lena laughed bitterly. "It seems you like to put a price on everything. How much do you plan to demand from me?"

Her tone was tinged with scorn as she said, "Did you work so hard that night that now you're worried I might not pay you?"

Neither moved to disembark from the elevator, and the doors closed again just as Lena finished speaking.

The space was not cramped, but it felt suffocating to be in there.

Lena's gaze was fiery as she glared at him, and she noticed a sudden, ominous shift in his expression.

Their gazes locked, and Lena's smile vanished in an instant.

In her mind, he was more akin to a terrifying predator.

"So..." Collin began, taking a subtle step closer. "How much are you planning to give me in exchange?"

His question had hardly faded when Lena instinctively retreated, her back pressing against the elevator wall. Her initial anger was swiftly replaced by a surge of anxiety.

She actually paused to consider what she could possibly offer as payment.

Her resources were limited, and at the moment, she found herself financially strained.

"Mr. Barton, I honestly didn't expect to encounter you tonight," Lena said, her tone genuine as she acknowledged his assistance earlier that evening.

Collin seemed to take her words into consideration, nodding slightly.

Lena breathed a small sigh of relief, which was quickly cut short by his scoff. "Or perhaps I should ask it differently. What were you going to charge Josh for spending the night with him? Name your price. I'll pay double, considering it was your first time."

Lena's response was a swift slap across his face.

It was likely the overwhelming embarrassment that triggered such an immediate reaction. The sharp sound echoed in her ears long after the slap, refusing to dissipate.

A tingling sensation lingered in her palm after the impact.

She saw him, only half a step away, his head turned aside from the force of her slap. Tears began to well in Lena's eyes, and a tumult of emotions welled up inside her. "Collin Barton, everyone in your family is a piece of shit! You and all the Bartons are nothing but bastards!"