Chapter 3 Denied by the Heavens

NO ONE listened to her.

Lena realized one thing when she was finally accused of killing her own husband-that no one really listened. Her past was dug up. The truth she tried to bury under Danilo's respectable image was exposed. She proved that no one cared. Not one. Heaven was deaf to her desperate prayers. Justice was deaf to her endless pleas.

She was never a murderer. She didn't kill anyone. She didn't kill her husband.

"Is this true, Lena? Why is Dan's family saying you killed him?"

Lena's hands trembled from anger, fear, and grief. She was in the dressing room wearing only a thin piece of cloth covering the most intimate parts of her body. Despite the cold air from the AC stinging her nearly bare skin, she didn't care-it was the middle of the night, and she was doing this for her child. She was doing it to feed her.

She hadn't received a single cent from Danilo's insurance. His family had managed to get all the money. Even their joint savings for their child-she got nothing.

Now, she was back to where she started-selling her body for money. The first time she did this, Danilo found her. He saved her and married her. But now, it is different. There was no Danilo to rescue her from the dark. She had spent a week being passed around by wealthy clients, but no Danilo Mendoza came to save her. No one. No one listened. No one cared. Everyone was out for their own interests and temporary pleasure.

"Magdalena, are you listening? I'm asking you a question! This isn't just about you-it's also my business at stake! How can I profit from you if our wealthy clients are now avoiding the club, afraid they'll end up like Dan?"

Lena looked up, her eyes filled with tears.

"What?!" The woman was clearly frustrated. She was a former friend of Danilo and the one who introduced them. But Lena didn't know if she was really an ally.

"I-It's not true..."

The woman sighed. "If it's not, do an interview. Or get a lawyer-ah! I know a lawyer."

Lena's eyes lit up. "Really, ma'am?"

The woman looked at her with obvious disappointment. "But he's old. And a natural womanizer. If he doesn't charge you millions, he'll likely ask for your body in return."

Lena swallowed hard. "E-Even if he uses my body all night, I'll take it. I can't go to jail, ma'am. What will happen to Danilo's child?"

The woman scratched her head and sat across from her, looking into her eyes. "Lena, you're Viktor Moretti's type. If you ask him for help, he'll most likely get you acquitted. But we don't know what he'll ask in return. You'd be lucky if he wants to make you his wife-but if he wants you only for pleasure, no one else will find you useful after him."

Lena swallowed and felt fear rise in her chest. She didn't know this man, but from the way her boss described him-old and violent-she was terrified. She had older clients before, but none of them were violent. Some even asked her to be their mistress.

"Think about it, Lena. Tell me your decision tomorrow night. Viktor's often here. He's probably been watching you this whole week."

It wouldn't be easy-selling herself again for the third time. This time, what she might lose was her freedom. But for her child, she'd do it with her eyes closed.

Eggs.

How many days had she been feeding her child just eggs? If not fried, then boiled.

"Mama, I don't want this anymore."

Lena looked at the uneaten food on her child's plate. In the first few days, the little girl ate heartily-but now, it has become less and less. She was clearly getting tired of the same food.

Lena forced a bitter smile. "I'm sorry, baby. Mama didn't earn anything today, so we don't have fried chicken."

Her daughter looked up at her. "Mama, why do you work at night? Papa used to work during the day, right? What's your job?"

Lena bit her lower lip. She didn't know how to answer that. In the end, she just gave her a smile before inviting her to take a bath. It was nighttime again-and once more, she would leave her five-year-old daughter alone in the small rented room they lived in. She entrusted her to the elderly landlady each night, along with a prayer that her father in heaven would watch over her.

"Lena, I already talked to Viktor," her boss greeted her at the club. "Sorry, I didn't wait for your decision. I overheard that he's been asking about you. He even got into a fight when he heard some customers talking about you."

"What did he say, ma'am?"

"He's in the VIP room. Just go to him. He seems interested in you, so if he proposes marriage-go for it. At least he's single, unlike the others. He can restore your name."

Lena froze. The old man was interested in her?

Her boss grabbed her arm. "Think of your child. Dan's family is just waiting for your arrest warrant. This week won't end without you getting thrown in jail, Lena. If there's a chance to escape, grab it. No one will save you but yourself. Dan is gone. He's not coming back to rescue you."

Lena could barely breathe as she walked toward the VIP room. Her boss's words echoed in her head. Her hands trembled, but she forced herself to stay strong. She had to. She had to harden her gut. If she had endured sleeping with an old man last week, why couldn't she handle this one-especially if it meant saving her child?

When she finally entered, Lena nearly fainted from the nervousness.

A man sat on the long couch. He didn't look anything like she expected. He wasn't ugly, bald, or pot-bellied like the others. He was older-perhaps sixty-but still handsome and fit. Broad-shouldered. Sharp features.

The kind of man women would still chase. The kind who was naturally a womanizer.

"Miss Magdalena?" he smiled-not a sleazy grin, but a soft one.

Somehow, Lena's fear subsided. She nodded slightly. "Mr. Viktor Moretti?"

She doesn't know why he resembles someone. That man. The second man she gave herself to. Lucian.

She didn't see him again, and it's for the better. Lena knows he was just up for sex that night. Nothing new.

He nodded. "Yes. Sit down. I'd like to discuss what I want in exchange for helping you."

Lena hesitated. Her boss's warning echoed in her mind again-Viktor Moretti is dangerous.

The man must've noticed her hesitation. He scratched his head. "Did I scare you? Sorry. I just don't like beating around the bush."

Lena forced herself to move and sit down. Unlike what she usually did with customers, she didn't sit beside him-but across from him.

The man smiled, seemingly impressed. "Okay... I'm willing to offer my services. But not for free."

Lena nodded slowly. "How many nights, sir?"

The man stared at her. There was a spark of desire in his eyes. "I don't want just one night, Miss Magdalena. I want every night. Every night until we have a child and build a family."

Lena's mouth fell open. "W-What?"

The man smiled again-gently. "I won't force you to sleep with me. I know you're still mourning your husband. I want you to live with me for a year, Magdalena. One year for me to make you fall in love with me."

Lena couldn't speak at first. But eventually, she forced herself to voice the question running in her mind.

"W-Why me, sir? I already have a child. I have a pending case. Why me? Aren't you afraid you'll end up like my husband?"

The man looked at her, his gaze full of confidence and power. "I want you. There's no other reason I'd save you. I like you, and I want you to be my wife. The decision is in your hands now, Miss Magdalena Mendoza."

Were her prayers finally heard? Was someone finally listening? She didn't know. All she knew was that she wasn't happy about the path ahead-but so what if she wasn't happy?

What mattered was her child. What mattered was that her daughter had food every day and a roof over her head.

She didn't care what it cost her. Her dream was a good life for her daughter-and she'd do anything to make that happen. She would not allow them to be separated. She would not allow herself to be imprisoned and make her child suffer for having a mother like her.