Chapter 2 Two

After eight or nine o'clock in the evening, Doll House starts getting busy. This place is usually the site of the second round of revelry after dinner. So before that time, the ladies are already prepared. Doll House has been established in Casper City for over a decade now and has a bit of a reputation. The patrons who usually come here are regulars, naturally understanding the rules here. Of course, there sometimes are exceptions. Some bosses, brought here by regulars for the first time, do not quite understand the rules and occasionally cause some unpleasant situations.

When Lola, the maid, came over, I was just getting ready to eat some noodles I had prepared during my break. I hadn't eaten since last night, and after intense activity and a long sleep, I was starving. But Lola came over crying, and as the boss, I had to set aside my food and ask what happened. It's a complicated yet simple situation. Most of the troublemakers in Doll House are shameless men who disrespect the ladies. One such man was harassing Lola's friend, Claire, demanding she undress in public. Since my mother founded Night Village, there has been an unwritten rule: singing and drinking are fine, but for anything else, please go upstairs. The hostesses might sell their bodies, but there are rules to dining and rules to selling oneself. However, some clients do not understand these rules. I looked at my steaming, fragrant cup of noodles on the table. Smacking my lips, I stood up and followed Lola to the room where the trouble happened without a backward glance. I recognized the customer in that room, a boss of a small trading company and a regular client. He is usually well-behaved. The troublemaker wasn't him, but a fat and short man with big ears he had brought with him. When I walked in, that familiar client looked at me apologetically, but I just replied with a smile. Claire's clothes were torn and she was clutching at them desperately. Her makeup was washed by tears, her face was a mess, and she was sobbing softly. And the culprit sat casually on the couch, with no sign of remorse. Upon seeing me approach, the man simply gave me a disdainful glance. "What's the meaning of sending over a little girl? Call your boss over." I smiled slightly, my tone gentle and respectful, "Dear guest, I happen to be the owner of this store, Evelyn. May I ask why you seem unhappy?" The fat man looked at me, clearly doubtful of my words. However, after confirming with the owner of the small shop at the side, he finally cleared his throat. "Your lady here has displeased me!" "I wonder what Claire did wrong?" The fat man seemed unsatisfied with my question, but seeing my smiling face, he didn't argue further. "An escort lady is essentially selling herself. I asked her to take off her clothes and she refused, and when I grabbed her, she even dared to fight back! Look at the slap mark on my face..." The fat man pointed to his face, but from his face covered in fat, I couldn't see any trace of getting hit. However, I sternly looked over at Lola, my tone slightly displeased. You must know that in our line of work, no matter what, we should never lightly strike a guest. This was something I taught them frequently. "Did you hit the guest?" Lola quickly shook her head, her eyes teary as she looked at me, "Miss Evelyn, I didn't. This guest started to grab at my clothes, and as I struggled, I accidentally touched his face, I didn't hit him..." I, of course, trust the girls under my management, so I turned my head back to look at the fat man, my face still maintaining a decent smile. "Dear guest, our lady stated that she didn't do it on purpose. However, despite being unintentional, it still isn't good to unknowingly hurt a guest. Thus, all your expenses this evening are on me, it's my way of apologizing." I don't like to blow things out of proportion, and sometimes I don't mind losing a bit financially. But the fat man opposite me was not satisfied, glaring at me belligerently. "What do you mean? Think I care about the money from a slut like you? I'm laying down the law right here, either that cheap woman undresses and kneels here in the room to please me, or you can wait for me to call my men and smash your damn place!" These threats were not my first to hear, however, the Night Villa has always been unharmed, and everyone can guess I am not afraid. But, this fat man did manage to piss me off. "Sir, if we are to really talk about it, you were wrong in the first place, weren't you? You came with Mr. Evans, didn't he inform you of the rules in our Night Villa? Our girls just accompany you with drinks in the room, if you want anything more, kindly move to the hotel room upstairs-" "Slap!" The deafening slap interrupted my last word, the man's hand was both hefty and stout, striking me down. Instantly, a metallic taste filled my mouth, and my ear continuously buzzed. Still, I clearly heard his next words. "Just a slut who has to sell herself dare to talk about rules? That's the joke of the century! Playing the whore while trying to set up the Virgin Mary? Is the phrase 'having your cake and eating it too' fitting for you lowly beings?" Barely lifting my head after he finished speaking, the fat man proceeded to raise his hand, aiming to slap my face again. At that moment, I was pretty furious. My hands at the side were already clenched into fists, but in the end, I let go. Never mind, clashing with a customer brought no benefits. Let him slap me twice and be done with it. But when I closed my eyes in anticipation, the expected slap from the fat man surprisingly never arrived. There was a sudden intake of breaths from the surrounding crowd, I slightly opened my eyes, and my vision was dark. It took a few seconds to realize that I was staring at a man's chest. Slowly, I looked up, first catching sight of Xavier Ashford's flawless jawline and his beautiful thin lips. Today, he did not laugh. His handsome face was filled with an icy anger, his obsidian-like eyes fell upon the pudgy man's face across him, radiating a terrifying chill. "Hasn't anyone told you, I took this woman away with me last night?" he said with a freezing edge in his voice. "If you want to touch Xavier's woman, shouldn't you at least wait a month? It's okay if you don't abide by Peal's Manor's rules, but if you don't respect mine, are you sure you have the guts?" "A-Ah-A...Young Master Ashford..." The obese man seemed as though he'd seen something absolutely terrifying, his eyes watering with fear, as he immediately fell back onto the sofa behind him. The manager hurriedly ran over, "Young Master Ashford, we are sorry. We didn't know that Miss Evelyn was your woman. We will take full responsibility for all the damages tonight, and as well as any emotional damages that the lady..." Both the manager and the obese man were begging for Xavier's mercy, almost out of their wits with fear. But Xavier made no further comments, instead taking my shoulders with one hand, pulling me towards him almost protectively, and leading me away from the private room. We returned to the same suite I was in last night, but clearly, it had been tidied up since. The bedding was freshly changed and all the chaotic memories of the previous night were gone. Xavier went to shower soon after we arrived. I sat at the edge of the bed in a daze, gazing aimlessly. In truth, even if Xavier hadn't arrived, I wouldn't have let the obese man make any more fuss. As the owner of Night Manor, I had to know some strong figures, to keep my venue afloat, and like before, each time there was trouble, I would call them to help me settle it. But Xavier's appearance still made me quite happy, especially what he said. Sure, I was a madam of a nightclub, but I still loved these cinematically heroic rescue stories from the silver screen. When Xavier stepped out of the bathroom, he was wrapped only in a towel. It's understood that all Night Manor's girls are well-prepared before coming to work, that's why he didn't ask me to take a bath. This was my first time getting such a clear look at Xavier's body. Yesterday, he brought me back in dim light and it was complete chaos after that. And of course, I didn't quite dare to look. Just like now, looking at his tanned skin, and muscular body, I instinctively averted my eyes and felt a blush coming on. Fortunately, the warm yellow light from the bedside lamp wasn't very revealing. But still, Xavier couldn't help laughing at my shyness. Xavier's desires came quickly and directly, without any foreplay - which is different from the stories I've heard about him. However, I wasn't upset, perhaps because he was unique in his way. My body's responsiveness seemed better than last night, as Xavier's massive hand moved freely over my body. It was as if he held the power to burn everything under his touch, warming up every bit of my skin.