The brothel in flames
Back in the main quarters, Lucy sat on the cold tile floor at the corner of the room, her knees drawn to her chest. The red mark on her face sounded with every beat of her heart, but she didn't cry.
Crying was dangerous here, it made you weak, made you an easy target for bullies. Valerie had been her heroine ever since she came, always fighting for her, saving her ass from being whipped by Catherine but now that she's gone…
The other girls whispered about Valerie—some in awe, some in fear.
"Did you know?" one of the older girls hissed at Lucy. "Did you help her?"
Lucy didn't respond. She only stared at the floor, silently praying Valerie was safe.
Moments later, two guards returned and grabbed her by the arms.
"No!" she screamed, struggling. "Please—I didn't do anything!"
They dragged her down the hall toward Catherine's office, her heels scraping against the floor.
Inside the office, Catherine didn't look up as Lucy was forced to her knees.
"You lied to me," She said coldly.
"I didn't!" Lucy sobbed. "She never told me anything!"
Kate crouched in front of her, grabbing her chin and forcing her to look up. "You think she's your friend? She used you. Just like everyone else in this place uses the weak."
Lucy bit her lip, blood welling on the edge. "She was kind to me. That's not weak."
Kate's eyes glinted with rage. "Then you'll be punished for her kindness."
She stood and signaled to the guards. "Twenty lashes. If she passes out, wake her up. I want her to remember why no one betrays me."
Lucy was dragged away screaming.
Kate turned back to the surveillance footage, hatred boiling inside her. That girl—Valerie—had made her look like a fool.
And she'd burn for it.
Word of Valerie's escape had spread like wildfire. Girls whispered of rebellion. Some cheered. Others cried for Lucy, who hadn't been seen since being dragged from the dorm.
Kate stormed through the halls, barking orders.
"We'll find her!" she yelled. "We'll shut this down before Claire hears a word."
But the damage was already done.
Valerie was gone.
Gone… and not dead.
That terrified Kate more than anything.
Because if Valerie spoke…If she reached the wrong people…
The entire empire Madame Claire had built would come crumbling down.
*********
The restaurant was nothing like Valerie expected. Implanted into the twenty-first floor of the Charleston Hotel, it dominated the city skyline with such elegance, it made her feel smaller than she already did.
The glass walls glimmered with late-morning sunlight. Inside, everything gleamed—crystal chandeliers, silk-lined seats, and a hush that made her own heartbeat sound too loud.
Alexander was already seated when she arrived.
He stood as she approached, dressed in a dark suit that hugged his broad frame. A silver Rolex watch glinting at his wrist. His hair was neatly styled, but the shadow in his eyes remained the same—the kind of pain that didn't fade with time.
"You came," he said softly.
"I was told I hadn't eaten," Valerie replied, her tone half-curious, half-defensive.
"I thought you might like something better than stale toast and cold silence," he said, pulling out her chair.
She sat cautiously, feeling the heat of his attention settle on her skin like sunlight filtered through a glass. The waiter appeared, took their orders, and vanished like a ghost.
For a moment, silence filled the space between them. Then, Valerie spoke, her fingers curling around the stem of her wine glass.
"Why are you doing this?"
Alexander didn't flinch. "Because you need strength. And I… I owe you that much."
Her throat tightened. "You owe me a lot more than lunch."
His jaw flexed. "I know."
The plates arrived—grilled salmon, roasted vegetables, and a rich wine sauce—but Valerie barely touched hers. Her stomach was tight with more than hunger.
"You knew where I was, didn't you?" she asked suddenly, lifting her gaze to meet his.
Alexander blinked. "Valerie…"
"Don't lie to me," she whispered. "You knew I was in that brothel. You knew what they were doing to me."
His face hardened. "No. I suspected, but I didn't have proof. Claire controls everything with silence and favors. She's been ten steps ahead of me for years."
"Then why now?" she asked. "Why help me now?"
He hesitated. For the first time, his carefully crafted mask faltered. "Because I saw your eyes the day you arrived. And it reminded me… of everything I lost when I stayed quiet."
Valerie's chest constricted.
She looked away, her voice barely a breath. "You disappeared, Julian. I waited… and you vanished like a ghost. After my father died, after I was sold, I still kept thinking you'd come. But you didn't" Tears welled up in her eyes.
"I know," he said. "And I've hated myself for it every day since."
"Then tell me why," she said, finally facing him again. "Tell me what happened to you."
He opened his mouth, then stopped.
For one unbearable moment, their eyes locked. Valerie saw it there: fear, sorrow, a buried truth trembling just beneath the surface. But he said nothing.
The silence was louder than any scream.
Valerie's hands shook as she stood abruptly, the chair scraping against the floor.
"I can't eat," she said hoarsely. "Not with this between us."
"Val…"
"No," she cut in. "If you can't tell me the truth, then don't pretend to offer me kindness."
She turned and started to walk away, her heels clicking like gunshots across the floor.
But before she reached the door, his voice came—soft, broken.
"I disappeared… because I was forced to."
She paused.
"I wanted to tell you everything. I tried," Alexander continued, still seated, as if frozen by the weight of his own guilt. "But by the time I realized what Claire had planned for your father… for you… it was too late. And if I moved, I risked losing everything including my life. So yes I ran because I was a coward then but not anymore."
Valerie didn't turn back. She couldn't.
The pain was too fresh.
Too raw.
"Then maybe you never really had anything to lose," she whispered, more to herself than to him.
And she walked out.
"Fuck…fuck…fuck" Alex raged as he smack his wine glass at the wall.