Chapter 3 The Deal with the Devil

My whole body trembled violently as Claire looked at me with her wide grin. She kept staring at me from head to toe, over and over, until I started feeling uncomfortable.

In my mind, the words "first customer" kept echoing, just as Claire had said earlier. I needed to escape. But ....

If I tried to run, death would surely await me. Claire's men would catch me before I even managed to get out of this place. But if I stayed here, I would wish for death myself because of the disgusting work I was about to do.

No, I wasn't ready to die yet. I had to find a way to avoid meeting my first customer.

While I was lost in my thoughts, Claire's phone rang loudly, lighting up her face with excitement.

"Oh, great, he's ready and waiting for you. I'll escort him to you," Claire said with a laugh. That sinister laugh was no match for my growing anxiety about meeting this so-called customer.

"You're very lucky, Vale. It's rare for a girl like you to get a customer so quickly after I just brought you here. So, are you ready?" she asked, her eyes brimming with enthusiasm.

"We're going to make a big profit, and don't worry, you'll get your share too. Look, he's even sent you part of the payment already. What an impatient man," Claire chuckled.

"Mia is here. Follow her, and she'll take you to meet your first customer," Claire said again. Reluctantly, I got up and walked toward Mia, one of the tenants who had been working at Claire's "Sun House" for a long time. Wearing a short skirt and an equally revealing top, I felt constricted in my movements. Yet Mia, dressed in similar attire, walked casually.

Holding my breath, I followed Mia out of Claire's room, with one of Claire's men trailing us from behind. It seemed Claire was truly worried I might attempt to escape.

"You look really tense," Mia said with a smile. I wasn't just tense, I felt as if I'd lost a part of my soul just thinking about this.

"I was just like you when Madam first brought me here. But look at me now, I actually enjoy working at Sun House," she continued.

"Just relax, and everything will be fine."

If Mia had given me this advice at any other time, I might have listened attentively. But not now. Every word out of her mouth was like the wind to me. I couldn't concentrate because my mind was occupied with something far more important.

After walking through a long hallway dimly lit by sparse lamps and lined with doors on both sides, Mia led me down to the second floor. I felt as if I were marching toward a terrifying death.

"Smile, Vale. You look so attractive right now. And you know, I'm really jealous of you," Mia whispered as we stopped at a room next to the stairs. The door was closed, but I was certain someone was already inside.

"Everything will get easier after you get through this," she said again before knocking on the door.

At this moment, all I wanted was to run. But Claire's man was still standing behind me, guarding me as though I were a prisoner. Would he stay there even after I entered the room?

"Go on in, he's been waiting for you. He seems very eager," Mia whispered as she gently pushed me inside.

This was my first time entering one of the rooms in Sun House. The atmosphere was similar to Claire's room, only smaller and without any windows. It was terrifying. Did that mean there was no way to escape from this place?

I stepped forward hesitantly, my eyes scanning the dimly lit room for anything I could use to defend myself. Who knew, my first customer could very well be the kind of man who enjoyed torturing women-just like Meggie had warned me about.

A tall, broad-shouldered man was sitting with his back to me. I was overconfident, thinking I could possibly overpower someone so strong-looking.

Trying not to make a sound, I tiptoed into the room. But surely, from the moment Mia knocked on the door, he must have known I was here.

There was a vase on the nightstand-should I use that to hit him over the head? But even if I managed to do that, Claire's guard was still stationed outside.

The man suddenly turned around, clearing his throat as if to assert his presence. My breath hitched as his face came into clear view. He was much younger than I'd expected. Dark eyes, jet-black hair, and a sharp jawline. Men like him were the most dangerous-willing to spend large sums of money just for a night with the women in this brothel.

"I've been waiting for you, Vale," he said in a deep, gravelly voice. Lies. There's no way he's been waiting for me. When did he even know me? I didn't know who he was. To me, he was just another filthy man willing to waste his money for momentary pleasure.

I stayed silent, rooted to the spot as he stood and walked toward me. Truthfully, I was so terrified that even breathing felt difficult.

When Claire mentioned my first customer, I had imagined an older man with a perverted face and a bulging belly, grinning lecherously as he waited for me.

But this man walking toward me was nothing like that. He was... handsome, with an exotic face and a faint tattoo on his left arm. Too bad he was just another sleazy man. Calling him handsome made me sick to my stomach.

As the distance between us shrank, his eyes scanned me from head to toe. I knew where his gaze lingered-on the parts of my body Claire always called "irresistible."

"Take a seat, and stop looking so tense," he said with a chuckle. Damn it! That laugh sent shivers down my spine. I clenched my fists nervously.

"Sit," he ordered again, nodding toward the bed. He wanted me to sit there? Slowly, I moved to the edge of the bed, keeping as much distance between us as possible.

"Valentine," he said, drawing out my name. I hated how his raspy voice sounded when he said it. Claire must have told him my name. Who was this man? What did he do for a living? And how did he know about Claire's Sun House?

"My name's Maximilian, but you can call me Max," he said. As if I cared what his name was.

"How long have you been working for Claire?" Max asked. This must be one of his tricks-making small talk to ease my nerves before taking what he came for.

"I ... I don't remember," I mumbled softly.

"Seems like it's been a while," he replied.

"No, it's my first day here. Before this, I worked for Madam Claire, but not here," I explained nervously.

He fell silent for a moment before speaking again. "Do you know Claire's men are stationed all over this house?"

What was he talking about? Everyone knew that. What was the point of mentioning it now?

"Even outside this door, right?" he asked.

"Which means it'll be nearly impossible for you to escape," he added. His words sent a chill down my spine. How could he know what I was thinking?

"But I have a proposition for you," he said, his dark eyes locking onto mine. "I can get you out of here. On one condition ...."

He fell silent, leaving his words hanging in the air as his eyes kept fixating on me. Who is this man? Why is he offering to free me from this place?

"What's the condition?" I asked impatiently.

"I knew it. From the start, that's exactly what you've been thinking about," he replied.

"What's the condition?" I asked again.

"You have to come with me," he answered. Come with him? Does he want to make me his mistress? Or, even worse, his slave? Oh no! This is just as terrifying as staying in this brothel.

I stared at him with a tense expression. What does this man, who calls himself Max, really want from me?

"Well?" he asked again.

"Do you really want to stay here forever?" he asked, tilting his head slightly closer to me. I had never imagined staying here forever.

"You'll live a better life if you come with me," he added, leaving me torn. Should I just accept his offer? The most important thing now is to leave this place as soon as possible. I can figure out what comes next later. If I'm outside, it might be easier to find a way to escape. But ... this man seems suspicious. What if he ends up selling me again? Oh no!

"How-how would that work?" I asked hesitantly.

"Come closer," he requested while I remained wary, thinking his offer made no sense. Neither Claire nor this man could be trusted.

"Open the door to this room just a bit, so there's a crack to lure one of Claire's men to get curious about what's going on inside," he explained in a low voice. Honestly, I still didn't understand the plan he was about to carry out. But it seemed like my only choice was to take a gamble and hope for the best.

I moved to the door and opened it slightly, moving cautiously. As Max had requested, the door was left ajar.

"You can make seductive moans, can't you?" he asked, and I looked at him in bewilderment.

"Like this," he said and suddenly leaned in, inhaling the scent of my neck while his hand slid gently between my thighs. A moan escaped my lips, startling me. I quickly pushed his body away, my entire face burning with embarrassment.

"Good, just like that," he said approvingly before stepping closer to the door.

I couldn't believe what I was about to do. Make moaning sounds?

Max stood by the door, looking impatient. How do I even make such sounds? Imagining Max's lips brushing against my neck made my face heat up, and a soft groan escaped my lips.

"Louder," Max whispered almost inaudibly. I must've lost my mind to be doing all of this. I closed my eyes, and somehow, I imagined Max again-his rough hands grazing my exposed thigh-and another moan escaped me.

The sound of the door creaking open caught me off guard, and just then, Max yanked one of Claire's men into the room. Not even a second after the long-haired man stepped in, Max's fist collided with his chest several times, knocking him unconscious.

"Get ready to run," Max ordered as he began stripping the unconscious man of his clothes.(*)