Chapter 9 A Glimpse of Hope

CHAPTER NINE

A GLIMPSE OF HOPE

The consequence of my decision settled in as I thought about everything. I tried desperately to come up with reasons why I shouldn't do it, but my mind was blank.

The truth was, my mom's life hung in the balance, and I had promised to make everything right, no matter the cost. That promise echoed in my mind, a constant reminder of what was at stake.

With a sense of resignation, I acknowledged that I had no choice but to do the job. It was the only way to keep my mom safe, and I couldn't afford to let her down.

So, with a heavy heart, I made my decision official: I would do whatever it took to save my mom, even if it meant sacrificing my comfort and values.

I waited patiently for Sarah to wake up, eager to share my decision with her and let her know that I had made up my mind to take on the job.

I also needed to get home, but I couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation as I waited. That's when I saw an alert on my phone - a notification that I had received a payment of four hundred dollars.

I couldn't believe my eyes! The sender was the club, and I realized that I must have made that amount last night. Oh my God, that's so unbelievable! That's a lot of money!

I couldn't stop smiling as I thought about the modern way my new job handled payments. When I started, I had submitted my account details as part of the procedures, and it seemed that they paid per night straight into your account.

That's so convenient! I had already received the initial two hundred dollars, and now I had made an additional two hundred dollars in tips.

The audience must have loved me, as indicated in the transaction.

As I thought about the money, I couldn't help but think of all the things I could do with it. I could buy some much-needed foodstuff at home, and maybe even treat myself to something nice.

But then I remembered my debt and the job that Sarah had told me about. I had decided to take on that job to pay off my debt, so that would take care of that.

I felt a sense of relief wash over me, knowing that I had made the right decision.

A few minutes into my reminiscing, Sarah woke up, checked her phone, and smiled. She then looked over at me and asked, "Have you gotten paid?" I nodded in affirmation, and she smiled knowingly.

"Alright, let's get going. I have to get to the diner," she said, reminding me that she still worked at the diner.

Suddenly, I remembered that she still had that job, and I couldn't help but ask again, "Since you make enough here, why don't you quit that waitress job?" I had asked her this before, but I still didn't understand why she kept it.

Sarah rolled her eyes and sighed, clearly frustrated with my question.

"We've been through this before," she said. "I do the job for my little brother. Child protective services would take him away if they knew I was a stripper. So, the diner job is a cover for them, and him." Her voice was laced with a mix of frustration and concern.

I felt a pang of understanding and replied, "Oh, I get it." I realized that Sarah's situation was more complex than I had initially thought.

She was doing this for her brother, to protect him and keep him safe. I nodded in understanding as we continued on our way.

As we descended to the lobby in the elevator, I couldn't help but wonder what was happening. The area was swarming with buff-looking security guards, their eyes scanning the room with a mixture of alertness and intimidation.

I turned to Sarah and whispered, "What's going on now?" She glanced around cautiously and replied, "Shhh, someone rich is nearby. Be careful."

We approached the reception area, and that's when I saw him - the same mysterious figure from last night, Albert Romano.

Although I still hadn't seen his face, his physique was unmistakable. He was standing with a girl beside him, Cindy, one of the strippers I had met at the club.

I recognized her from her dress. Albert's hand was on her ass, and she was throwing herself at him like a handbag, squeezing his arm vigorously. I winced, wondering if that would hurt.

Meanwhile, the buff security guy in front was talking to the receptionist, handing over a black credit card. It seemed he was paying for something.

After a brief conversation, he turned to Albert and whispered something in his ear. Albert nodded and said, "Let's go." That was the first time I had ever heard his voice - a deep, commanding voice that screamed authority and control.

As Albert turned to leave, he tapped Cindy on her ass again as a goodbye gesture. Cindy leaned in for a kiss, but he moved away, avoiding her lips. With a swift motion, he walked out, flanked by his squad of security guards.

"That was so cold," I thought, but Cindy didn't seem to mind. She was still smiling, seemingly unfazed by Albert's brusque behavior.

As Sarah and I made our way toward Cindy, Sarah couldn't contain her excitement. "Oh my God, Cindy, how much did you make?" The way she phrased it made me suspect that Cindy had indeed spent the night with Albert, just as I had contemplated doing.

With a beaming smile, Cindy responded, "He wired me five million! Girl, I'm off on vacation and taking a whole month off work!" She giggled, and Sarah joined in her laughter.

Cindy went on, "And he was so rough-just like I imagined! I loved every second of it, but I'm a little sore, to be honest." I watched their animated conversation until Cindy decided to leave. With a wave, she said goodbye and walked away.

Sarah turned to me with a grin. "Diana, you should go for Albert. He's the wealthiest guy in the club, and he'll help you reach your goal in no time." I hesitated, voicing my concern.

"But he's intimidating! Last night, I saw him take out a waiter for bumping into him. What if I mess up and he goes after me?" My fear of Mr. Albert was real.

Sarah shrugged off my worries. "Come on, you'll be fine! Look at Cindy. She made that much in just one night with him. If you play your cards right, I bet he'll give you the full ten million." I gasped, "Ten million is a fortune, Sarah." She rolled her eyes. "But for him, it's pocket change."

Once we left the building, we exchanged our goodbyes before I took a different route. Instead of heading straight home, I decided to stop by the ATM for some cash.

As I stood in line, a mix of excitement and nerves coursed through me. When it was finally my turn, I inserted my card, keyed in my PIN, and checked my account balance.

The number on the screen put a huge smile on my face. I had never seen my account look so healthy! Feeling pleased with myself, I decided to stop by the supermarket to pick up some essentials for home.

I wandered the aisles, tossing various foodstuffs and household items into my cart. The smell of fresh bread and ripe fruit filled my nostrils, making my stomach growl with hunger.

I ended up buying a lot more than I had intended to, but I didn't care. It felt good to be able to splurge a bit.

After checking out and loading my groceries into a taxi, I finally headed home. The ride was uneventful, but I didn't mind. I was too busy thinking about all the things I could do with my newfound wealth, I felt a sense of pride and accomplishment.

I had taken the first step towards securing my financial future, and it felt amazing.

"Mum, I'm home!" I announced as I began to offload the numerous bags of groceries from the market into the fridge. My mom emerged from the living room, rolling David, who was seated in his wheelchair, into the kitchen.

She eyed the plethora of items I was unpacking and raised an eyebrow. "That's a lot of stuff, Diana. Did you make that much on the night shift you took?" she asked, her tone laced with suspicion.

I hesitated, unsure of how to respond. It felt weird saying I made that much from my waitress job, so I had to think fast and come up with a convincing excuse.

"Oh, mum, this is also from the money I've been saving. We needed all this stuff at home, so I decided to get it," I lied, trying to sound as casual as possible.

My mom looked at me for a moment, seemingly unsure if she believed me, but then she just nodded and smiled.

"Thank you, Diana. You're so thoughtful." I smiled back, feeling a twinge of guilt for deceiving her, but relieved that she hadn't pressed the issue further.

After finishing up with the fridge, I gave her a quick hug and left the kitchen, trying to brush off the feeling of unease that lingered inside me.

As I was in my room, getting settled in after a long and eventful night, David rolled in, a look of concern etched on his face.

"Diana, I'm so happy for you, and it's great to see you're stepping up and taking care of me and Mum," he began, his voice laced with a mix of admiration and worry.

"But, let's be realistic, that ten million isn't an easy thing to get in just two weeks. We need to think this through, and come up with a solid plan."

He paused, collecting his thoughts before continuing, "How about we take loans from banks, or sell dad's car? We could sell some of the stuff around the house, and...?" But I didn't let him finish.

I stopped him in his tracks, my voice firm but gentle.

"David, I don't want you stressing about all this. I need you to just take care of yourself and mum. We don't need to sell anything, I've got it all covered. Don't worry," I concluded, forcing a soft smile onto my face, even as I was panicking internally.

David looked at me, his eyes searching for reassurance, and then he nodded, seeming to accept my words. With a quiet nod, he turned and left, leaving me to my thoughts.

I finally snapped out of my thoughts and began thinking about how I could seduce Albert for the night. It was a daunting prospect, considering I was trying to sleep with a powerful mafia lord.

I had never done anything like this before, but Sarah's words echoed in my mind - if I was good enough, he'd pay me handsomely.

However, the thought of having to perform well in bed on my first try was terrifying. The pressure was mounting, and I felt uneasy.

I knew I had to think fast, as I needed to execute my plan tonight. In a desperate bid for guidance, I decided to search online for videos and tutorials to get some tips on how to impress Albert.