Played by the son Pampered by his father

Lucia stared into space with her hands folded on the hospital window sills. The sight of the buildings did nothing to comfort her heart, which was filled with grief.

At a very young age, she had been forced to quit school because of the calamities that had befallen her family; her father's company had caught fire, and her mother and the only sister she had decided to leave Lucia and her father after Henry's company went bankrupt. They quickly took in a wealthy man as a host.

As if life's misfortunes weren't enough to force her to swallow the bitter pill, now her father, the only family Lucia has, lies ill with kidney failure.

"Lucia," Henry called in a weak voice, laden with helplessness.

The girl's eyes widened in shock. Immediately, Lucia wiped away her tears.

"Yes, Father?" replied Lucia as she approached the bed where Henry lay. "What do you need?" The girl's pretty face wore a smile, but Henry could tell that behind Lucia's gray eyes was a lot of sadness.

"Are you crying?" asked Henry, frowning. It was so lazy that his daughter had just cried. You see, Lucia's delicate eyelashes were still wet with tears.

Instantly, the 58-year-old's chest filled with a tight feeling, which invited tears to well up in his eyes. Henry's tears came down in rivers that now combined with sobs.

"Daddy, why are you crying?" asked Lucia frantically, holding Henry's swollen hand.

"I'm sorry, Lucia," Henry said with a sharp intake of breath. "I made you bear all the burden alone."

"Stop blaming yourself, Dad!" said Lucia with an angry glint in her eye. She hated Henry's repetitive phrases, blaming himself for all the misfortunes that befell them both.

Unnoticed tears also fell in a straight line down Lucia's cheeks, which the girl quickly wiped away with her palms.

"Listen to me, Father. If you're still triumphant over your efforts even now, I'll keep working. I'm very ambitious to become an independent girl, Father. So please, stop blaming yourself."

All at once, silence fell. Only Henry's labored breathing could be heard as tears forced their way out of his eyes. He felt he had failed as a father, so he let Lucia become a hostess at a nightclub.

Everyone knew what nightlife was like. It was not impossible that people would label Lucia as a prostitute. Because when a girl decides to sign up for a job as a waitress, it means they are ready to deal with a little harassment in their job.

There was nothing Henry could do but resign himself to the situation. All the assets he had were gone. Lucia and their home were the only treasures the man had at the moment.

..........

In front of the frenetic expanse of the world's paradise that seemed to spoil every sense for its connoisseurs, three men were sitting while waiting for their orders to be delivered.

"Blue Moon," a girl stood before the table of the three of them as she announced the order she had brought.

The girl placed the order she had brought in front of each of the men there. One of them stared wildly at the girl's chest, deliberately unbuttoning the top button of her shirt to reveal her cleavage.

"Stop staring at her like that, Eryk." Arvie elbowed her best friend's arm, which managed to quell Eryk's wild fantasies about the servant girl just now.

Eryk chuckled as the waitress walked away, drumming his fingers on the table.

"I haven't even said pleasantries to her yet."

Arvie and Max leered at each other and laughed afterwards.

"You're only a real man if you can tame that honey-haired girl over there," Arvie pointed at a hostess girl who was standing with another colleague. The girl's face was very attractive. She looked much younger than the other hostesses standing there.

Eryk grinned after taking a sip from his glass. He assumed that he would easily steal the girl's attention. Countless women had fallen to their knees and thrown their bodies at Eryk with just one blink of an eye. His beautiful face always managed to hypnotize any woman who saw him.

"What will I get if I get it?"

"I bet $4000 if you get it," Arvie said confidently.

"I'm putting up $6000." Max set down the empty glass with a slight stomp. The man's lips thinned, as if convinced that Eryk would fail to tame the honey-haired girl.

Arvie and Max were sure that Eryk would not win the bet. Given that Lucia, the name of the girl they were referring to, was not an easy girl to conquer, She was even reputed to be the only virgin among the hostess workers at Queen Fortune Bar.

"It's a small amount. But that's okay. I need some challenging entertainment right now." Eryk said it lightly.

Shortly afterwards, Eryk waved at the row of hostesses standing in uniform black dresses. The girls seemed to be laughing as they played a game of suits; whoever won was entitled to approach the man who had just waved at them.

"It's your lucky day, Sofia," said a girl named Sofia, who had just won a suit. The girl struts around, playing the waist of her violin, attracting the attention of the men passing by. The sound of whistling made the girl lift her face even more confidently.

"Good evening, handsome gentlemen. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is-" Sofia's speech was suddenly interrupted by Max. The girl frowned as the three men shook their heads and tapped their foreheads.

"Sorry, it's not you we're talking about; it's the honey-haired girl standing next to you." Arvie's words instantly disappointed Sofia.

Arvie took out two $100 bills to give to the girl.

"Accept it, and please call the girl to come here immediately," Arvie said with a cigarette tucked between her lips.

Sofia's frown instantly changed to an excited smile.

"Yes, sir, right away." Sofia smiled happily as she ran towards Lucia. But as soon as she arrived in front of the girl, her smile instantly turned into a cold expression.

"The visitor at table 40 asked you to come there, Lucia," Sofia said in a flat voice, full of dislike for Lucia.

Lucia looked confused as she stared at the faces of her colleagues, who were staring at her with flat stares.

"What are you waiting for? Get over there!" The bright red-haired girl known as Gabriel yelled at Lucia with bulging eyes.

Lucia was the girl most hated by the other hostess workers. Her beauty was the main factor. The real reason was far from reasonable.

"Ah, well." Lucia immediately stretched her legs towards table number 40.

"Haa, why is it always her?" Gabriel grumbled as he folded his arms across his chest. One of his other hands was tucked into a lit cigarette.

"Excuse me, sir," Lucia greeted without compromising her politeness to her visitor in the slightest.

"Sit down," ordered Arvie, who had been sitting next to Eryk. The man shifted his seat to another chair, allowing the girl to sit in the one he was originally sitting in.

"Shall we begin, Mr. Eryk?" One of Max's eyebrows rose close to his forehead.

Eryk cleared his throat before starting the action.

"May I know your name, sweet girl?" he asked with the seductive face and smile that were his weapons in melting women's hearts.

"My name is Lucia Magnolia." Lucia replied briefly while looking at the faces of the men in front of her.

Lucia was the girl most hated by the other hostess workers. Her beauty was the main factor. The real reason was far from reasonable.

"Ah, well." Lucia immediately stretched her legs towards table number 40.

"Haa, why is it always her?" Gabriel grumbled as he folded his arms across his chest. One of his other hands was tucked into a lit cigarette.

"Excuse me, sir," Lucia greeted without compromising her politeness to her visitor in the slightest.

"Sit down," ordered Arvie, who had been sitting next to Eryk. The man shifted his seat to another chair, allowing the girl to sit in the one he was originally sitting in.

"Shall we begin, Mr. Eryk?" One of Max's eyebrows rose close to his forehead.

Eryk cleared his throat before starting the action.

"May I know your name, sweet girl?" he asked with the seductive face and smile that were his weapons in melting women's hearts.

"My name is Lucia Magnolia." Lucia replied briefly while looking at the faces of the men in front of her.

"Ah, what a pretty name. As pretty as you are, Babe," Eryk poked Lucia's chin, which instantly made the girl blush with embarrassment. Eryk's good looks left Lucia with no more courage to stare at the man for too long. She was reluctant to risk her heart for a man who came just for fun.

"How much would it cost to sleep with you?" asked Eryk, who now folded his arms across his chest as he leaned against the back of the chair. The man's eyes were looking straight into Lucia's big bead, with a very seductive smile on his lips.

Eryk was sure that the girl would say, 'Any amount as long as I can feel the warmth of your body, Eryk,', considering that was the answer of the girls he had met before.

"Ah, sorry, sir, my job is limited to accompanying visitors to drink in this place, nothing more. Without diminishing my respect, I decline your offer. Excuse me." said Lucia, who hurriedly left Eryk and his friends' table.

Max and Arvie laughed as Eryk's face turned bright red.

"That's so sad, Eryk," Max said as his laughter grew louder.

"Huh, that's just the beginning! I can prove that she'll bend the knee to me!" growled Eryk as he pounded on the table, nearly making everything on it jump off.

"Okay, we'll give this handsome prince one week to melt Lucia Magnolia's heart." Arvie nodded slowly as she put out the cigarette on the glass ashtray.

***

In an infirmary, where Henry was currently lying, a middle-aged woman walked up to the sleeping man. The woman looked at Henry with a lopsided smile on her lips. Megan Magnolia was laughing at the condition of the husband she had just divorced.

"Megan, I knew you'd come." Henry awoke to the scent of her signature perfume. A smile spread across his pale face. He hoped Megan would deliver good news and cancel the divorce proceedings between the two of them.

Megan didn't respond at all to Henry's words; she unzipped her luxurious Hermes leather bag and pulled out a large envelope from there.

"Accept it," Megan said, handing the envelope to a weakened Henry. Henry's smile instantly changed, replaced by a series of questions that showed on his pale face.

"What's this?" Henry took a quick look at the envelope before looking back at Megan with a questioning gaze.

"Divorce certificate. Make it a reminder for you to stop wishing for me." Megan said sarcastically, then walked away, leaving Henry in tears.

She walked hurriedly through the hospital corridors. Megan was relieved that, with her widowed status, she was now free to approach the wealthy man she had her eye on.

"Mom," a voice called out, halting Megan's continued stomping on her high heels. A girl ran up to her with a smile.

"Thank goodness, I'm so glad you finally came to see Dad." Lucia grasped Megan's hand as she continued to smile. Countless times Lucia had sent messages to let her mother know how Henry was doing, but they never got a reply. Phone calls were often deliberately turned off.

"Let go." Megan swatted Lucia's hand away, making the girl flinch.

"You'd better go inside and take care of your dying father," Megan screeched with the intention of scaring Lucia out of her sight.

"Ah, is it true that Father is not well inside? Where are you going?" Lucia looked at the room where Henry was being treated with teary eyes.

"I have a lot to do. And please, stop contacting me from now on." Megan said it in a low voice, but it was full of emphasis. It made Lucia's solar plexus feel pinched, leaving a feeling of pain that spread to her chest.

The woman then resumed her paused steps without looking back.

All at once, Lucia's bones felt soft; there was no grip around the girl, and she collapsed onto the floor.

"Mommy!" cried Lucia, which did not make Megan turn around. Lucia couldn't believe that Megan, the woman who gave birth to her, would let Lucia bear the weight alone.

The few heads around turned, looking pityingly at the teary-eyed and fragile-looking girl sitting on the floor.

Lucia burst into tears before her consciousness finally returned. There was Henry, and she needed to see his condition immediately.

"Father," Lucia murmured as she got up and walked a thousand steps towards Henry's treatment room.

Lucia opened the door to Henry's room with a flash of light and ran over to her father to get a closer look at him.

"Dad!" cried Lucia with a panicked look on her face as she saw her father in tears. She thought Megan Magnolia's tongue was too cruel when she said Henry was dying.

"Why are you crying?" Lucia's attention was drawn to an envelope on Henry's stomach. Lucia quickly unsealed the envelope and read the document inside.

"Deed of divorce?" Now Lucia knew what Henry was crying about. The pain and tightness in her chest seemed to be competing for Lucia's heart.

"Dad..." she whispered as she hugged Henry, who was still sobbing.

"Your mother chose to leave me," Henry said between tears that made the man's breath catch.

"You're not alone; I'm here with you."

Lucia continues to hug Henry and reassures him that he's not alone in the world; there's Lucia, who's willing to accompany him in all circumstances. But Lucia's tears grew heavier on her father's shoulder as she recalled the heartlessness of Megan and Lisa, the only siblings she had, choosing to leave them when Henry was sick.

...............

What would you do if you were in Lucia's shoes? Would ending her life be the right way to end her suffering? But what about Henry? The man needs Lucia so much that he almost depends on her. If you were to ask Lucia what her reason for surviving was, she would loudly reply, "My father!"

The houstesses gave Lucia a cynical glance when she came to Queen Fortune-a look that was quite annoying, but Lucia was used to it. Every now and then, she would make small talk to greet her coworkers, even though the answers she heard would add more weight to her heart.

Just as Lucia was standing among the hostesses, a group of Lucia's schoolmates arrived and passed them by.

Two of the girls stared enviously at the hostesses, who were more attractive than they were. Their eyes rounded at the sight of a familiar figure standing among the hostesses.

"Let's see who's here!" exclaimed Donna, who was the leader of the girls' gang.

"Really?" asked Rully, who stared in disbelief, but immediately the wide-mouthed girl smiled after her eyes confirmed that her sense of sight was not wrong.

Lucia instantly looked down in embarrassment, but she realized that even looking down wouldn't cover her embarrassment.

"So, Miss Dilbert went into prostitution after quitting school?" joked Donna, eliciting laughter from her two friends.

"I heard that your father's company went bankrupt. Did your father ask you to prostitute yourself in this place?" Donna continued, leering contemptuously at Lucia in the direction of Rully and Audry.

Lucia's hands were clenched at her sides, her face bright red with tears already streaming down her face.

"Stop talking bad about my dad!" screeched Lucia as she threw a slap at Donna's face, which instantly displeased the two girls with her.

Rully and Audry vented their frustration at Lucia by pulling her hair from all directions. Donna also responded by beating Lucia's cowering back as she tried to get her hair out of Audry and Rully's grasp.

"Bitch! I knew from the start that you were just a cheap girl trying to sell out, Lucia."

"Bitches like you always get rid of us expensive girls!"

As the heart-wrenching words continued to force their way into Lucia's ears, there was nothing Lucia could do but cry and accept the girls' attacks as they tore and shook her body with brutal strikes. Lucia counterattacked whatever parts of the girls' bodies she could reach, but still, she was no stronger than those who attacked her simultaneously.

So, what did her fellow hostesses do?

They just laughed at Lucia's bullying. According to them, it was an interesting show that was not to be missed.

The attack on Lucia only stopped when a man removed the women from around Lucia.

"Stop, what are you doing?" screamed Eryk as he pulled and kicked the girls to let Lucia go.

The attack stopped, and the attacking girls left, leaving Lucia sitting on the floor in an indescribable state.

"Are you okay?" asked Eryk, who immediately took off the denim jacket he was wearing to cover Lucia's sensitive body parts that were exposed because the clothes the girl was wearing were torn.

No answer came from the girl's lips, so Eryk led her out of the bar.

"Ah, she's so lucky," murmured Sofia as she watched Eryk carry Lucia.

Sofia's words get a nod from the hostesses, and at the same time, they stare enviously at Lucia.

Lucia's tears began to flow. The stinging of the scratch marks began to bother her, but she did little more than grimace and hug her body with both hands.

"You're safe with me," Eryk whispered right in Lucia's ear. The man grinned, and one door to taming the girl had opened.

Lucia staggered to her feet; it seemed that Donna's blow to Lucia's back was so hard that the pain in her back added to the weight of her body as she fell to the floor.

Eryk swiftly restrained Lucia's body and carried her between his arms. Lucia's hand slowly moved to grasp the collar of the suit Eryk was wearing. That made Eryk grin twice. He was confident that his attempt this time would not fail.

Eryk sat Lucia in the driver's seat and fastened her seatbelt. He secretly took out his cell phone from his pants pocket and took a photo of Lucia closing her eyes with her body leaning against the back of the car seat without her knowledge.

"Daddy ...." Lucia murmured with her eyes closed in pain. The scratch wounds on the girl's chest and arms looked quite deep.

Eryk, who had just sat in the driving seat, naturally heard the girl's mumbling, but he didn't seem to care, so he just shrugged his shoulders and started running the car.

Upon arriving at the clinic, Eryk carried Lucia in through the glass doors, while the few nurses who were there helped the man carry Lucia to the treatment room.

"Hang in there, miss," Eryk said as the nurses led the girl to a room.

Eryk let out a long sigh as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. He didn't expect to have to work this hard to conquer the hostess girl. All just for the sake of his pride in the eyes of his friends.

The man sat on the waiting chair located in front of the room Lucia was currently being treated in. He took his cell phone from his pants pocket and opened the screen to start a conversation on a group chat. He sent a picture of Lucia in her helpless state. It wasn't long before her friends became active on the app.

Eryk Orlov: Get your money ready!

Eryk smiled as he wrote a follow-up message in the group chat.

Eryk Orlov: I've managed to make that girl fall into my arms. She even held onto my collar tightly as I carried her.

Emilio Max: Oh, you must have done something brutal to make her submit.

Eryk smirked after reading Max's reply; he didn't expect his best friend to think Eryk had done a rough job of bringing Lucia with him.

Arvie Rudolf: That's so crazy! Did you just do BDSM to that innocent girl, Eryk?

Where he was currently standing, Arvie shook his head in frustration at the wounds and torn clothes clinging to the girl's body. She regretted the bet she made that resulted in the girl getting hurt at Eryk's hands.

Eryk Orlov: Stop, guys! I found her injured; stop saying nonsense!

Arvie and Max simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief.

Emilio Max: You're a lucky guy, Eryk!

In his current spot, Max was sitting and rubbing his face roughly. He had to give up some money for Eryk, the man who was already the CEO of his father's company. Max was sure that Eryk didn't actually need tens of thousands of dollars. It would be more useful if the money were donated to someone more in need.

Eryk Orlov: Keep your money; I don't need it! In exchange, you have to admit that I'm the greatest ladies' man in Toronto!

Max and Arvie rolled their eyes after reading Eryk's reply. How crazy their best friend was for the title of girl conqueror! Well, at least it was better. They just needed to throw the words "The Cassanova" in between their conversations with Eryk. At least they didn't spend money on the bet won by their best friend, who was the richest of the three.

Emilio Max: My pleasure, Mr. Cassanova!

Max's reply made Eryk laugh with satisfaction. He was so proud of his new title.

Arvie Rudolf: Don't forget to share the fun with us when you get what you want!

Eryk shook his head with a triumphant smile on his beautiful face. Why would his friends ask for something that he would have given them without asking?

Eryk Orlov: Relax guys! You'll get the rest from me. Remember, leftovers! Don't try to get ahead of this, Mr. Cassanova!

After Eryk finished replying to the group message, the door in front of him opened. The bespectacled woman, or more precisely, the doctor who had treated Lucia earlier, came out of the room.

"Your friend needs some rest, sir; the wounds on her body are not that deep. The possible cause of her weakness is a lack of iron." The female doctor tried to explain Lucia's condition, to which Eryk only gave a shrug before the man finally entered Lucia's room.

The female doctor sighed as she stroked her chest. Then he muttered, "Such a lack of manners."

For a moment, the middle-aged woman looked at the door where Eryk's body disappeared, then left the room just now.

"Hay," greeted Eryk, who cleared his throat earlier.

The man offered a sweet smile with the intention of hypnotizing Lucia. It always worked every time he targeted his prey. With one smile, the woman staring at him would walk over and throw herself into his arms.

The man walked over with his hands in his pants pockets. And Lucia looked at him awkwardly.

"H-hallo. Thank you for helping. I don't know what would have happened if you hadn't helped me earlier." An awkward smile broke out on Lucia's now-downcast face.

Eryk cupped Lucia's face with both palms and looked at each of the scratches there with an attentive gaze. Instantly, Lucia's chest rippled, her blush turning pink, which made Eryk feel satisfied inwardly.

"It's a pity that those wounds mar your beautiful face." Eryk leaned down and brought his face close to Lucia's, leaving only an inch of space, so that the warmth of the man's breath caressed Lucia's face.

The man stroked Lucia's face carefully. The movement of his fingers stopped when his attention was drawn to Lucia's tiny lips. The man deliberately stroked Lucia's lips, which made the girl's heart flutter.

The girl's head was suddenly bowed, making Eryk's eyes flash with anger because he felt insulted by Lucia's attitude. The hand that had been caressing Lucia's face clenched at the side of the girl's head.

"Sorry, I think we're too close," Lucia said with some embarrassment. Every now and then, the girl stole a glance at the handsome face of the man in front of her, and it was enough to make her heart pump faster.

Eryk took a deep breath to dispel the streaks of anger on his face. He must not show his rough side at this time; it would only frustrate his mission to conquer Lucia's heart. Slowly, the hand that was clenched was tightly stretched.

"Ah, sorry if you feel uncomfortable," said the man as he pulled his hands to his sides.

"Because I admired you so much, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Eryk." The man extended his hand while keeping his expression as calm as possible.

Lucia slowly accepted the man's hand as she raised her downcast face.

"Lucia. Nice to meet you."

"Your name is beautiful, as beautiful as your face."

"Thank you," said the girl awkwardly with both hands twisted on her lap.

......................

"Where is that girl now? I haven't seen her since I got here." Max looked around for Lucia's whereabouts.

"How could she come to this place when her face is battered like that?" Eryk asked, trying to recall the picture of Lucia that he had sent in the group chat. Eryk's remark received a nod from Arvie, who confirmed it.

"The hostesses here are required to look good, Arvie."

Eryk nodded in confirmation of Max's words, but the 25-year-old man stared in a direction that made his two best friends stare at each other and shrug their shoulders until they finally looked in the direction Arvie was looking.

"But she's standing over there, Eryk." Arvie said as she pointed to where Lucia was standing. The bruises and scratches on her face were still clearly visible. Instantly, they wondered, Why did that girl choose to stubbornly keep working?

"Oh my! Even the bruises on her face don't detract from her beauty," muttered Max, who was still staring at the girl.

.............................

A few minutes ago, when Lucia came to work...

Several of the hostess's colleagues looked at the girl with cynical smiles, but the girl chose to keep her head down to ward off their piercing glances.

"Oh, poor Lucia. You look even prettier with those bruises on your face," Gabirel joked, followed by laughter from the other coworkers.

The hostess girls loved Lucia's misfortune without feeling sorry for the girl's plight.

Lucia chose to remain silent and kept her lips sealed. Responding to their remarks did her no favors at all. Her focus returned to Henry, who was lying weak in the hospital, so she planted her feet to stand tall amidst the insults of the other hostesses who were making fun of her.