You Had Me, You Lost Me, You'll Never Find Me novel Chapter 41

At the time, she happened to have a part-time tutoring gig, but the hours were long. Sylvia Harlow calculated her expenses over and over, yet it was never enough. If she took the tutoring job, she would have to give up her competition, but opportunities like that were rare.

Right then, she heard from her roommate that The Reign was hiring. The pay was substantial, and since it was a night shift, it wouldn't interfere with her daytime competition.

So, Sylvia went.

She knew that kind of place was a mixed bag. She never accepted drinks from strangers—not even water. She only took the money she rightfully earned, working diligently and earnestly.

Even so, she still caught someone's unwanted attention.

Ashton Wyatt had opened The Reign on a whim, just wanting a place for him and his buddies to hang out. He didn't pay it much mind. Lately, he had been obsessed with racing and rarely showed up.

Until one chance evening, Ashton came by to check the accounts. Amidst the neon lights and blaring music, he caught sight of a pure, radiant figure being harassed by a man trying to force her to drink.

Ashton recognized the guy. It was Trevor Carter, a notoriously debauched rich kid with a sadistic streak.

Ashton hadn't intended to intervene personally. He called over the manager at the time, William Warren, planning to let him handle it. But unexpectedly, he caught a glimpse of the girl's delicate, striking features, and his footsteps faltered.

He told William to wait, stepping forward himself to grab Trevor's wrist. His grip was crushing, almost snapping the bone.

Ashton calmly instructed William, "Screen the guests from now on. Don't just let any psycho walk in."

Trevor had been ready to hurl curses, but the moment he saw it was Ashton, he shut his mouth, not daring to utter a single word.

Ashton naturally had the authority to say so. He hadn't opened this club to make money, so turning away customers meant nothing to him.

At that moment, Sylvia was drenched in spilled liquor, her pink bra faintly visible through her white shirt. Ashton glanced at her uniform, his expression remaining aloof and indifferent. "Go change your clothes. You're done working here."

Sylvia lowered her head, awkwardly covering her chest as she headed to the locker room to change into her own clothes. Thinking of the cold, arrogant man's words, a wave of despair washed over her. She still hadn't saved up enough money.

To her surprise, when she came out, the shift manager found her and told her she would be in charge of the VIP area from now on, with a twenty percent pay raise.

Sylvia was thrilled but slightly confused. The VIP area offered higher commissions on drinks, and the clientele was steady. It was mostly the same group of friends keeping to themselves, rarely bothering the staff. It lacked the chaotic, sleazy atmosphere of the main floor.

She didn't feel she had done anything to deserve a promotion, leaving her feeling a bit uneasy.

She found the shift manager and handed in her resignation, but he told her he couldn't approve it at the moment and directed her to William.

William also deflected, claiming they couldn't find a replacement yet and asking her to hold out a little longer.

Holding out a little longer led to a disaster.

William used some underhanded tricks to send her straight into Ashton's bed. He had a sharp eye for people, and he was absolutely certain he hadn't misread the fleeting spark of obsession in Ashton's eyes when he looked at Sylvia.

Ashton had a private suite at The Reign. That night, after having a few drinks, he decided to crash there. He had just taken a cold shower and was still damp and cool. He dried off haphazardly, pulled back the covers, and immediately felt someone cling to him.

"Fuck."

He irritably moved to shove the person away, but his predatory gaze locked onto the woman beneath him, and he froze.

She was like a captivating siren, her cheek pressed against his cool chest, her body radiating an astonishing heat.

Ashton pinched her chin. "Didn't anyone teach you not to take things from strangers?"