CHAPTER 2
RUBY'S POVAfter applying the final touches to my makeup, I took one last look in the mirror before me and smiled.Then I picked up my mask and wore it over my face before walking out of my dressing room.It had been two weeks since the funeral was held. Surprisingly, my adoptive father, Michael, had some properties left and they were handed over to me by his lawyer along with an apology letter from him telling me how sorry he was after sending me away but I wasn't touched because he was too late with his apology.He couldn't find me after I left because I made sure of it.Changing my surname and the color of my hair along with moving to another country actually helped so none of them could find me even if they wanted to.I wanted absolutely nothing to do with anyone from my past… except for Clarissa who made it very clear that she was going nowhere after she found me a year ago and I was glad she never left me.I ripped the letter to shreds and dumped it into a bin because his apology was useless. He was dead and I was never forgiving him for ruining my life but I accepted the inheritance.Then I sold them all off and returned to my house and daughter to continue living my life.I could still remember the look on Dax's face when I saw him at the funeral, how soft his skin felt against mine when he held my hand to stop me from leaving. It had been two fucking weeks since then but thoughts of him were still messing with my head and I was hating every moment of it. I wanted him out of my head."Hey Magenta, are you ready? A client wants you already" Avery, the manager, and trainer for all the strippers in the club I worked at asked me by my stage name and I snapped out of my thoughts.I nodded at her before sashaying and flipping my hair to show how ready I was and she smiled."He's waiting for you in room six. Make sure he's satisfied Magenta, he's a first-time client and he specifically asked for you" She said to me with a look of plea in her eyes and a tone of warning in her voice."Trust me, Avery. I'd make him love every moment with me" I assured her and she nodded."Good luck then" she ended our discussion before walking away and I made my way over to room six to see who this first-time client could be.This was my life now. After Dax broke up with me and Michael threw me out of his house eight years ago, I couldn't pay my tuition fees for college so I had to drop out before I could even attend my first class.It wasn't easy starting over in a new place especially being pregnant but I had to do what I could because I was determined to provide the best for my daughter, Sally. I didn't want her to live the same way I did.So I took any job I could find. I did so many part-time jobs to make ends meet while living in a dingy and musty studio room.Then I had Sally and six years later, I knew that taking only part-time jobs wasn't going to be of much help.I had to find better accommodation in a better and safer neighborhood and enroll her in a much better school too so she could be comfortable and for her, I was willing to do anything to make her happy.So I searched for a better job and among all the jobs I found, being a pole dancer had the highest pay.It was a private club where mostly men of high class came for private performances but once every month, a random dancer was chosen to perform on stage in the main club.I was reluctant at first because I had never done such before but after weighing all the options I had, I realized I didn't have much of a choice. Besides, I wasn't a bad dancer, I could train to become better and apply for the job.So I did just that and surprisingly, I was chosen.For two years I had been working as a masked dancer for the club and the pay was way better than what I had gotten from the part-time jobs I did for the past six years so while dancing half naked for men, life was way better too.It was a win-win for me.Clearing my head to focus on work and not my life story, I inhaled and exhaled to prep myself for whoever I was going to meet behind the door I stood before then I opened the door and closed it behind me before making my way over to the mini stage that was set up the same way in every room for private performances.Grabbing onto the pole, I finally turned to the client who sat before me quietly and I gasped out of shock.It was Dax in the flesh again. I couldn't help but wonder what he was doing here in this club in an entirely different country as my pulse thumped harder.I began to panic because I wondered if he knew I was the one beneath the mask. It just made no sense that this would be a coincidence because Dax wouldn't leave New York and come all the way to Denmark just to check out a strip club but then, who knew?He probably had business here and decided to check out the club because it was a very private and high-class club. All I had to do was act obliviously and do my job. He asked for me and I couldn't leave because that would leave a dent in my paycheck and I couldn't afford that."Are you just going to keep on staring at me?" he suddenly asked and I swallowed."Oh sorry about that sir, I was just so surprised to see such a breathtakingly handsome man before me so I was speechless for a while but don't worry. I'm going to make tonight eventful" I said with a sweet voice and he chuckled."Is this how you serenade every client?" he asked and I cocked my head to the side. He couldn't see my face so I had to use my body language."Now, are you jealous sir? Do you want me to make it up to you with a dance so you'll forget about every other man I've been with?" I asked him cockily while swaying my hips and I saw a shadow fleet pass in his eyes before he looked me over with pure lust in his burning gaze.It was a surprise that I was able to keep the conversation going even though I was gradually losing my shit."Dance for me then… and don't hold back. I want you to go all out for me" He said with an authoritative tone and a shiver swept through me in reaction. This man was really messing with me and it was very infuriating.While I sounded sweet while talking to him, all I wanted to do was grab the glass of champagne beside him and smash it against his head but I dared not, except I wanted to lose my job and spend a few months in jail.If Dax wasn't going to lock me up, Avery would. She was nice when she wanted to but she could be hella scary too when pissed off.So with cautious and seductive steps, I walked toward him and served him a drink first before turning on the music and he had his eyes trained on me all through.It was like he wanted to devour me on the spot and the goosebumps on my skin showed how much his fiery look was making me a puddle of wrecked nerves beneath the mask I wore.I began to dance as 'Closer by Nine Inch Nails' played.I watched him take his first sip of the champagne in hand as he watched me closely and I released a shaky breath while swaying my hips and touching myself to entertain him.Never did I think I would be strip dancing for Dax Kellen while planning his downfall as payback for what he did to me but here I was. Life was crazy with its sudden twists and turns.Releasing a short breath, I grabbed the pole before me and swirled up around it then I let go and twirled down in beat with the song.He said he wanted me to give my all so I was going to do exactly that… I only hoped he was going to leave me a huge tip.Then I landed back on my feet and turned to give him the dirtiest and sexiest look I could muster with my eyes.Even if I hated him and wanted to ruin him, it wasn't a bad idea to tease him. I was going to make him want what he couldn't have… just for the fun of it because I wanted to see him lose his cool."You're not saying anything, sir. Are you not enjoying the dance?" I asked him when all he did was watch in silence until the song was over and he blinked.Then he ran his palm over his face and gave me a blank look."I guess I liked the performance after all. I thought I was going to be disappointed when an acquaintance recommended this place to me and told me you were the best" he replied and I felt my face get hot.I was flustered to hear I was the best and was even recommended to him. The other strip dancers would never agree out of jealousy but deep inside, I knew I was the best too."So tell me, sir, what brings you to Denmark?" I asked him and he raised an eyebrow."And why did you think I wasn't from here?" he asked me too."This place was recommended to you, sir. If you were residing in Denmark, you'd know this place without even a direction. We're well known for our great services" I replied, still trying to keep my voice sultry and sweet.All I wanted to know was if there was any possibility he knew I was the one or if he just came here for other reasons."Business meeting. I leave tomorrow but I think I'll be back again" he said, eyeing me and I was instantly relieved to know he was in Denmark for business but I was also panicking about him returning. It was definitely going to be a disaster.I didn't want him to return. I didn't think I would be able to manage another session with him but I couldn't tell him that unless I had a solid reason to prevent him from returning and I had none.So there was nothing I could do to stop him from coming back.Defeated, I decided to do something else to distract myself since his time wasn't over yet."This time, you get to choose the song. So tell me, sir, what song do you want me to dance to for you?" I asked him and he took a moment to reply while his eyes left me feeling bare under his scalding stare."What's your name?" he asked and I placed my hands on my hips. Now he was even more curious about me and I didn't know if it was a good or bad thing."It's Magenta. What about you? What would you like me to call you, sir?" I asked too and he smirked."Call me sir. I like that" he replied and I nodded before walking to the music box to play any song that was good enough.Then I turned to him when the speaker began to boom and held my hands up while arching my back and I ran a finger down the middle of my chest down to my waist and his eyes followed."Come here" he called me over with a wave of his finger and I obeyed. Then he sat me on his thighs and soon, I was straddling him.This was risky for me, my guard was slipping but I couldn't refuse his request. I had to see it through until the end to get paid but being so close to him drove me crazy.Suddenly, he wrapped his hands around my waist and pulled me closer and that earned a startled gasp from me as I felt him harden against me.Lord save me from this man.CHAPTER 3DAX'S POVWalking out of the club with heavy breaths, it was a struggle not to take things further with Ruby right there in that room but it was against the club rules so I had to stick with only having her close for a while before she pulled away and I announced I was leaving without sparing her a glance.It was too much to handle being in the same space with her and I didn't trust myself enough to hold back. I missed her so damn much."Simon, book me a flight back to New York tonight. I have an early morning meeting tomorrow" I said to my bodyguard once I got into my car while loosening my tie to get more air and our eyes met through the rearview mirror. He looked concerned but he knew better than to say anything except he wanted to lose his job that he'd had for the past fifteen years.So he nodded his head while grabbing the steering wheel."Noted sir. I'll take you to the hotel now" he replied and it was my turn to nod this time before he drove off toward the hotel whe
CHAPTER 4RUBY'S POVMorning came faster than I expected. Or maybe it was because I wasn't able to sleep early enough at night due to the many thoughts storming up in my head. Once my alarm rang, I was up and made my way to the kitchen because I was desperate for a distraction to get my mind off the panic that was brewing beneath my calm exterior, and making Sally breakfast was a perfect distraction.Dax said he was going to return to the club and I didn't know what to make of it. I still wanted my revenge but not that way, I wanted it done in a way that he wouldn't see me coming so he would never be able to recover from the impact of whatever I was going to do to him. But now that he was probably about to be a regular at where I worked, that spelled doom for me. "What are you making for breakfast?" Sally's voice filtered through my thoughts and I flinched, making the bowl of pancake batter I had in my hand fall. I stood motionless as I watched the content spill on the floor and I
CHAPTER 5RUBY’S POVAfter dropping such a huge blow on both Clarissa and Dax, a beat of silence followed and the air stilled as we all just stood there.Dax looked both bewildered and relieved at the same time and I couldn’t help but wonder why he would be relieved to know that Sally wasn’t my daughter. Not like he wanted anything to do with me. He called me a fake eight years ago.“That’s right Dax, Sally is my daughter. Now what do you want?” Clarissa asked him icily as she began to play along and I almost smiled but I held myself back and waited for him to reply. Clearing his throat, he tucked his hand into his pockets and looked only at me.“I want to talk to you, Ruby.” He replied and I rolled my eyes.What exactly did he have to talk about with me? To insult me again about being fake and probably tell me that I was the reason why Michael died too? I wasn’t giving him the chance to look down on me again. I was over him, I was doing perfectly fine without him in my life, and Sall
CHAPTER 6RUBY’S POVI felt like a shell of myself by the time I got to the front porch of my house.I had no idea how I even got there but I knew I walked all the way back and I saw Clarissa was seated on the porch, reading a book.I froze by the sidewalk when I saw her and it took seconds before she noticed me. I could tell that she knew something happened immediately she saw the look on my face.I had no idea how I looked but I knew I was feeling numb. I didn’t know what to feel after everything Dax said to me and I hated that those mere words from him were taking such a huge toll on me.“Ruby, are you okay? You look pale” Clarissa asked worriedly as she came toward me and I sniffed when my eyes began to sting again. I really didn’t want to cry but I couldn’t help it when I was always defenseless around her.As if sensing the tears that were about to come, she quickly pulled me in for a hug and patted me on the back while the dam I had been holding back right from the cafe finally b
CHAPTER 7RUBY’S POVDennis Alistair. An old friend of Dax before they had a huge fight and fell out then became enemies and hated each other’s guts.He was the one standing before me and from the way he looked at me, I had a suspicion that he knew who I was.There was no other way to explain why he would be at Black Pearl specifically asking for me when there were so many clubs back in New York where he lived. Was Dax reentering my life bad luck? Because why did they all keep finding me here after eight long years of living in hiding? Composing myself because I didn’t plan on giving myself away, I went toward the music box in the corner of the room and turned it on. Then I turned to look at Dennis who was watching me with so much interest in his eyes and I swallowed nervously.“What might interest you tonight? Slow dancing, pole dancing, or perhaps a lap dance?” I asked him and I felt disgusted when he looked me over from head to toe like I was his next meal. “What do you think is b
CHAPTER 8RUBY’S POV“Why don’t you have a seat first? Let’s have a lengthy and civil discussion” Dennis said to me when he saw I wasn’t trying to run away anymore and I eyed him again before I grudgingly walked over to the second couch in the room and sat before him.“This better make sense or I won’t be making any deal with you,” I told him and he chuckled before taking a swig of his wine. With a sigh, as I rolled my eyes, I pulled the bottle from his hand and placed it beside me while he gave me a questioning look.“I won’t be making a deal with a drunk man. What if you wake up tomorrow and can’t remember anything because you blacked out?” I asked him and that made him grin while he nodded his head knowingly.“You’re right though, I should have a stable mind while having such an important discussion with you since what we both want is on the line” he replied and leaned toward me while I stared at him with pure distaste and he scoffed.“I’m curious though, how did you become a masked
CHAPTER 9RUBY’S POVI didn’t get a wink of sleep because we stayed up all night since Clarrisa wanted me to rephrase my words and explain some things that happened over and over again. I couldn't blame her though since she was too surprised to take it all in at once.She needed me to let her know that I wasn’t joking about any of it. Including when Dax came over to the club without knowing who I was.“I’m still trying to wrap my head around everything. How could so much have happened in two weeks and then you kept it all away from me because you thought you didn’t want to burden me with it?” She asked probably the millionth question since the previous night and another snag of guilt pulled at my conscience.“I’m sorry. I thought it was going to be just a one-time incident so I didn’t worry about it” I tried to explain to her and she groaned out loud while pulling at her hair.“It doesn't justify the fact that you kept it all away from me, Ruby. And now, Dennis is imploring you to ma
CHAPTER 10RUBY’S POVIt was a weekend so Sally didn't have to go to school and I planned to sleep through the day before heading to the club at night since Clarissa kept me up all night. Breakfast ended and I washed the dishes while Clarissa returned to making plans for her new bakery idea then I headed to my room when I was done with the dishes.First, I took a long bath to get rid of every single touch from Dennis the previous night, then I had my hair dried while wondering if Dax was going to reach out to me again.He had to for me to take him back so I hoped he would. The man was stubborn and relentless when it came to getting what he wanted so I was certain that if he genuinely wanted me back, one try wouldn't be his last. He was going to return sooner or later.Once my hair was dry, I slipped into a pair of pink pajamas and made my way to the bed tiredly but when I laid down, I couldn't sleep. I tossed and turned repeatedly, hoping I was going to fall asleep soon but with ti