Chapter 9

Gloria's hand was gripped tightly by the man, leaving her unable to struggle, nor did she dare to.

From this angle, the more she lowered her head, the more she would meet Sebastian's gaze.

Gloria forced herself to stay calm, lifting her head and turning her eyes away, only to see her disheveled reflection on the LCD screen.

In front of her stood Sebastian, looking composed and elegant.

Despite his seemingly low position, Sebastian exuded the aura of a lurking beast, creating an overwhelming sense of pressure.

In contrast, Gloria appeared even more pitiful.

The sight of her own reflection stung her, and she took a barely noticeable breath before speaking as steadily as she could. "How much?"

At this point, what did she have left to lose?

"If you want me to take Gloria's punishment, you should at least compensate me." She braced herself and asked for money.

Her words were met with a burst of mocking laughter in the room.

"Are you crazy for money? Looking like Gloria is your bad luck, but dancing for Mr. Windsor is your good fortune!"

"Who gave her the guts to ask for money in front of Mr. Windsor?"

Gloria ignored them, only glancing at the screen to gauge Sebastian's reaction.

She feared Sebastian would expose her lie in front of everyone, revealing that Gloria was now making money by selling her body.

Perhaps sensing her gaze, Sebastian suddenly turned his head.

Their eyes met on the screen.

Gloria's heart skipped a beat, and she instinctively tried to avoid his gaze, forgetting she was standing at the edge of the table.

As she lost her balance, the realization hit her. "No!"

More than falling, Gloria feared she would end up in Sebastian's arms!

Seeing this, the rich kids in the room grew restless.

Everyone knew what Gloria had done to Amara. Sebastian had personally sentenced her, and he probably hated her guts.

If she really fell into Sebastian's arms...

But it was too late for them to do anything.

Gloria fell straight down.

Just as she was about to crash into Sebastian's arms, she closed her eyes in despair.

She landed in a firm embrace, and Gloria played dead, not daring to open her eyes.

Until Benjamin's playful voice sounded in her ear. "Are you fainted from fear? Do you need me to call an ambulance?"

Gloria's eyes snapped open, seeing Benjamin's face up close, a flash of relief in her eyes.

Thank goodness, it wasn't Sebastian.

Of course, Sebastian hated her so much, he wouldn't have caught her.

"Thank you." Gloria whispered her thanks, scrambling to stand up from Benjamin's arms.

Before she could steady herself, a rich kid grabbed her by the collar and dragged her away. "Are you looking for trouble? Daring to extort Mr. Windsor and Mr. Johnson! Do you know who they are?"

Gloria's body hadn't fully recovered, and after dancing earlier, she had no strength to resist, letting him drag her a short distance.

A wad of cash was stuffed into her collar.

The man patted her face. "Consider this your last chance. If you don't dance properly, don't think about staying in Majestic City!"

In the chaos, a tear slipped from the corner of Gloria's eye.

By the time she stood up again, the tear was gone.

Gloria numbly started dancing.

Though her face was expressionless and her movements were casual, her childhood dance training was evident, and a few moves were executed beautifully.

"Mr. Windsor, weren't we right? This girl dances just like Gloria!" someone eagerly sought Sebastian's approval.

Benjamin gave him a pitying look.

Sebastian stood up from the sofa, holding a glass of iced liquor, and walked over to Gloria. Without a word, he poured the entire glass of ice-cold liquor down her cash-stuffed collar.

Gloria gritted her teeth and endured it, then asked him, "Is this the punishment you mentioned earlier?"

The ice cubes settled at her chest, and looking at Sebastian in front of her, Gloria felt her heart freeze, the cold spreading through her body, making it hard to breathe.

Sebastian looked down at Gloria, his eyes darkening. Yesterday, she was an escort nestled in Gavin's arms. Today, she was a stripper willing to do anything for money. In just three years, even Gloria's proudest dance skills were now a means to make money, and he couldn't find a trace of the woman she used to be.

The frustration that had been building since yesterday suddenly erupted. Sebastian hurled his glass at the group of rich kids watching the show. "Get out!"

The sound of shattering glass echoed in the room, startling everyone and sobering them up.

"Y-yes!" Realizing what was happening, they scrambled to leave. As they passed Gloria, they couldn't help but glance at her. They had only meant to scare her, not expecting Sebastian to show up. Now that Sebastian was this angry, it seemed this woman was in for a rough time. Who told her to look so much like Gloria?

Once the room cleared, only Sebastian, his two friends, and a disheveled Gloria remained.

"Can I go now?" The ice hadn't melted yet, and Gloria's body trembled slightly from the cold as she cautiously asked.

Sebastian didn't look at her, instead sitting back on the sofa and telling his two friends, "You guys leave too."

Sebastian's naturally stern face, with its sharp features, exuded an intimidating presence. To soften this aura, Sebastian wore glasses when not in court, giving a misleading impression of gentleness. When Sebastian took off those glasses, his full intensity was unleashed. Just like now.

Even his childhood friends, Samuel and Benjamin, found it hard to withstand Sebastian's fierce demeanor.

"Go easy on her, don't kill her," Samuel mustered the courage to remind him, giving Gloria a sympathetic look. No one knew how Gloria got out of prison, but running into Sebastian right after was her bad luck.

The door to the room slowly closed, leaving just the two of them. The suffocating feeling in Gloria's chest grew stronger, accompanied by a fear of the unknown. What was Sebastian going to do? Hadn't he humiliated her enough?

Sebastian's gaze was like a sharp knife, cutting through every part of her. After what felt like an eternity, his cold voice broke the silence. Just one word. "Strip."

Gloria's eyes widened in shock, looking at Sebastian in disbelief. Without his glasses, Sebastian's face was even more aggressive. With no expression, he seemed even more heartless. At this moment, it felt like three years ago, when Sebastian had personally sentenced her. But three years ago, she had the strength to fight back. Now, she had no room to refuse.

Gloria's mouth moved with difficulty. "Okay."

With that, Gloria raised her hand to unbutton her jacket. As the jacket opened, only a thin piece of lingerie remained underneath. The room's atmosphere plummeted to freezing.