“Not happening!”
Ace and I said it at the same time.
If I didn’t finish the job I was hired for, Liam
would want that check back.
Chase laughed humorlessly, “What are you
doing? Are you addicted to cucking me now?”
His buddy murmured, “Chase only helped
Brittany because she reminded him of you. He’s
still helping you.”
Me: ?
I was confused for a second, realizing the guy
was trying to explain Chase’s actions.
But I didn’t care.
I was getting annoyed.
<
I played the pure, innocent, loyal girlfriend so
well that they all thought I was jealous and
acting out.
Then, I had an idea. I covered my face and
started sobbing.
The others were stunned.
I sobbed, “Chase, you hurt him. It’s your fault. I
have to take care of Ace to make up for it…‘
Chase frowned, his eyes locked on me.
The others looked enlightened, “She’s still the
same, so kind. She’s just trying to take
responsibility for you. Don’t be mad, Chase.”
“The fuck, you don’t need to make up for
anything!” Chase growled, pulling me out of the
room, “I’ll hire ten nurses to take care of his
lazy ass!”
く
The bodyguards outside the room stopped
Chase and me.
Ace’s voice drifted out, “Go if you want, but
leave my girl alone.”
Chase scoffed, “Everyone knows Sophia is my
girl.”
“Oh,” Ace chuckled from his room, “ask her if
she wants to go with you?”
All eyes turned to me, waiting for my answer.
I wordlessly pulled my arm out of Chase’s
grasp.
Tears streamed down my face as I looked into
Chase’s eyes. “Chase, I have to take
responsibility for you.”
Chase stood there.
<
1:17
The silence was suffocating.
“I’m sorry…” I whispered, “Chase, I’m so
sorry…”
Chase stared at me for a few seconds.
Then he turned and left.
He didn’t say a word.
The rest of his crew followed.
77
The last one muttered as he left, “Sophia, is it
so hard to apologize to Chase?”
I didn’t answer, just pretended to be
heartbroken and went back to the hospital
room.
Then I met Ace’s meaningful stare.
<
1:17
77
“Wow,” he said lightly, “you’re a good actress.”
I wiped away my tears and glanced at him.
I grabbed an apple and started peeling it.
I was here to be a caregiver, not a trophy
girlfriend.
I didn’t need to pretend to be sweet and gentle
with Ace.
“How much did Liam pay you?” Ace asked
casually.
I played dumb, “Who?”
He didn’t ask again, but grabbed his phone and
started playing with it.
I peeled the apple quietly.
Then a pear.
<
1:17
Then a peach.
177)
Until a phone screen popped up in front of me.
The video was blurry, showing figures moving
around.
I could vaguely make out a slender girl sitting
on a man’s lap.
I caught a couple of giggles in the music.
I pretended not to see anything.
A second later, I froze.
For some reason, the people in the video
started fighting.
It was brutal.
I stood up abruptly.
L
1:17
Chase was fighting!
I tossed the knife, rushing out, “I’m going to the
bathroom.”
I called Liam, “Liam, Chase is fighting at The Sapphire Club. It looks bad.”
The other end paused. “Okay.”
I didn’t hang up.
As soon as the $5,000 was wired to my
account, Liam hung up.
Satisfied, I went back to the room.
“I didn’t think you’d care,” Ace said suddenly.
I’d be stupid not to take money.
I sighed, “We were together, once upon a time.”
<
1:17
I hummed and started peeling lychees.
Ace said, “I want to go join the fun too.”
Me: ?.
I said, “What if Chase hurts you?”
7
I couldn’t change Ace’s mind.
After all, I was still a pro, and everything was
about the boss.
I pushed Ace in his wheelchair through The
Sapphire Club.
Then I easily pushed him to the VIP room where
Chase was.
The Sapphire Club’s VIP room had a unique
piece of art so it was easy for me to memorize.
<
I coughed, “We’re here. Ace, I’ll wait for you in
the lobby.”
Then a shrill voice came from inside.
A girl snapped, “What did I say wrong? Sophia
is just a bartender. Why are you pretending
she’s Snow White?”
I froze.
I unconsciously took a step back.
“She’s The Sapphire Club’s top girl. She’s slept
with so many guys!”
Then the door was kicked open.
A gust of cold air rushed out, followed by the
smell of liquor.
The angry man stared at me. “I was going to
<
1:18
I felt a chill. “Calm down. It’s a
misunderstanding.”
77
Chase grabbed my neck, his voice cold, “She’s wrong?”
His assistant handed Chase a stack of papers,
“Here, sir…”
Chase’s dark eyes stared at the papers as he
flipped through the stack. Then he threw them
down, the papers slowly fluttering to the floor.
The top paper was a photo of me from when I
was hired at The Sapphire Club, along with my
employee information.
“This was your plan all along?” Chase said
expressionlessly.
Okay.
The whole innocent girl tur
irno cohoming gold
<
The whole
innocent–girl–turns–scheming–gold-
digger act was a little too much for Chase.
But this wasn’t my plan; it was Liam’s.
After acting for so long, I was tired.
I was quiet for a few minutes.
“Yeah.”
Silence.
“Explain,” Chase said, his voice calm, but the
tension was palpable.
I said, “What can I say? It is what it is.”
Brittany came over, stumbling, “Did you hear?
She lied to you…She’s only after your money…”
I looked at her, and I said gently, “Yeah, and
now I have enough money If you want it you
<
now I have enough money. If you want it, you
can take over.”
“Sophia!” Chase growled.
I ignored him and leaned close to Ace’s ear,
“Have you seen enough? Can we go now, sir?”
Ace grinned. “Okay.”
Then he looked over his shoulder, as if he was warning Chase: “I heard your brother is sending you overseas? You should behave if you don’t want to go.”
I’ve made a huge mistake, I pushed the
wheelchair back to the hall ASAP.
“Why do you have to provoke him?” I
complained. “You’re helpless. One punch and you’ll be done.”
Chase has a bad temper.
く
If he started fighting with Ace, I’d have to take
responsibility for the situation.
Ace’s smile faded. “Helpless?”
I poked his cast. “I could slap you twice and
you wouldn’t be able to stop me.”
He said,
I blurted out, “You street raced with Chase for
Brittany. They seem to have broken up. This is
your chance.”
“I street raced with Chase for Brittany?” Ace
said with a pause.
“Stop repeating what I say,” I said. “Hurry up
before they get back together.”
Ace said, “How am I supposed to act like this?”
<
I said seriously, “Act pitiful, say you need her
help.”
Then I could retire.
He laughed, “Why would anyone like pitiful?”
“What’s wrong with it?” I pouted. “To love
someone is to think of them like a dog, to feel
sorry for them, to put up with them.”
“Chase is a dog?” Ace asked casually.
I sputtered, “Um…”
Could he be compared with the word “dog“?
He’s more like an evil mastermind.
Feel sorry for him? Ha! Who would feel sorry
for me, who worked every day?
I didn’t answer, and Ace didn’t ask.
<
8
It was easier to be with Ace than Chase.
I only had to talk to him.
When people visited him, I could sneak off to
the coffee shop.
Then Liam called.
“Are you with Ace?”
“No, sir,” I said, stuffing a piece of cake in my
mouth. “I’m at the coffee shop. I’m going to
bring him a dessert later. I’m not slacking off.”
Liam seemed to scoff. “Can he even eat
dessert?”
I nodded and reported, “He has a good
appetite. He’s healing well.”
<
Was I getting a raise?
Yes, please.
“I don’t need you to stay with him. Come to my
office now.”
I paused, said “Okay.”
I grabbed the sweets and delivered them to
Ace’s room so he would know that I delivered
them.
I heard a stranger say, “Why are you covering
yourself all the time? You’re fine. Why not just
throw money at her? If Chase can make it
happen, so can you.”
Ace didn’t say anything.
The guy continued, “Sophia is easy to get.
