"Axel King" he offered his hand for a handshake.

Devin smiled and shook his hand. "I have heard a lot about you from your father aside from that one incident"

"Yeah, I'm sorry for that. I was drunk..."

"No, it's okay. I like your honesty." He smiled

Dominic king watched from afar. He could see how hard Axel was trying to be better. He was trying to act normal but he knew his son's mental health was far from that. Axel and Devon talked incessantly. They laughed a few times and he could see that things were going well.

He walked closer to them and heard Devon asking him about his passion for art.

"I couldn't help but notice those paint stains all over your hands" Devon laughed

"I recently started to paint again. I used to do it all the time when I was in middle school but then high school started and I became the linebacker. Football had all my attention" he explained

"I'm an art enthusiast myself. Would you mind showing me some of your work?"

Axel smiled. "No, not at all"

Devon walked with Axel to his studio and Dominic followed them. He was incredibly proud of his son, Axel was finally getting better. Axel unlocked it and turned on the lights. Devon and Dominic followed him in.

Devon looked around and was rendered speechless. "They are... They are amazing. You are talented, Axel."

Axel looked at his work with pride. While Dominic was stunned looking at all the portraits. He had seen Chloe once or twice and he knew who the girl in all of the portraits was.

"I noticed they all are of the same person. Is that your girlfriend or a crush perhaps?" Devon smiled

Axel shook his head. "None..." He took a deep breath. "She's a dream"

"So, the inspiration came from a dream?"

Axel glanced at Devon and then looked back at the portraits. "You could say that"

Smiling uneasily, Dominic left for his study. Once he was alone, he called Gabriel.

"Did you find her?!"

"Sir, I have searched the entire California city. It's just strange how can she just stop existing"

"Well, look harder!"

"Sir, we've our best private detectives searching for her day and night. The landlord last saw her a few months back after a week, Axel came back to Richmonte. According to the surveillance camera of the restaurant, she was last seen two and half months ago"

"So, she just disappeared into thin air?!"

Gabriel sighed tiredly. "We're looking into it, sir"

-ˋˏ ༻𐀔༺ ˎˊ-

For five days, Chloe stayed in that bedroom. She hadn't seen Maxim, Andrew, or Marie after that day. Only the maid came to her room to clean up and for food.

This day wasn't any different. Chloe showered and had her breakfast. She found some books in one of the drawers in the room. She just stared at the book cover for few minutes.

She wiped her tears as she thought about school. She loved school. It was her whole life. The school was the one thing in her life that gave her hope.

The harsh knocking on the door caught her attention. She hurriedly walked towards it and opened it. Marie stood there with a malicious smirk on her face.

"Took ya long enough" she pushed past Chloe and walked into her room. Chloe staggered back but caught the door handle on time.

Chloe noticed that Marie's walk was a bit off, maybe the reason why she needed that scary-looking cane.

"Do you need anything?" She asked in a low voice.

"Come on, you're coming with me" she ordered

Chloe frowned. "Where?"

"You ask a lot of questions for someone who had been freeloading on our stuff!" She snapped

"I---"

"No one gets anything for free here, bitch. You have to work for it" she flipped her sleek, long black hair. "Follow me,"

She walked confidently ahead of her while Chloe mindlessly followed her with her head down. This was the moment she was dreading the most. She knew what kind of place this was.

She entered a room and Chloe followed. The room was filled with multiple other women who were getting ready for their performances. She swallowed uneasily.

All of them were wearing sparkly, skimpy outfits that barely covered anything. The only time she ever wore a short dress was when she went to a party with Axel.

Marie tossed her towards a makeup chair. "Doll her up"

The makeup artist was a trans woman. She had a gentle smile on her face. "Marie, easy on the poor girl!" She snapped. She cupped Chloe's face with both hands and pushed all her hair away from her face. She watched her face for few seconds. "Oh my god, you just a child. How old are you, sweetie?"

"Seventeen" Chloe mumbled

She gasped. "You're underage. Andrew doesn't let underage girls perform" she turned towards Marie. "Marie, I think you made a mistake. There is no way Andrew sent this girl for Mr. Diaz"

"She's the only pregnant teen we have! Doll her up and send her in before I tell Andrew you disobeyed his direct order!"

Chloe looked between both women innocently. She had no idea what they were talking about. The makeup artist sighed and gently seated Chloe on the makeup chair. She leaned forward and smiled at her in the mirror. "You have beautiful eyes" she complimented

"Thank you" Chloe smiled uneasily.

She tied Chloe's hair and began doing makeup on her face. She applied a thick layer of foundation on her face. "I have never done this much makeup on my face" Chloe mumbled

"I could guess" she laughed

"What's your name?" Chloe asked

"Roxy, what's yours?"

"Chloe"

"Do you know why you are here, Chloe?" She asked

Chloe shook her head a little. "No"

Roxy sighed disappointedly. "It will get easier..."

Chloe's heart drowned listening to her words. "Why am I here? What am I supposed to do?" She asked in a tiny voice.

"You do realize you are in a club"

"I do..."

"But this isn't your ordinary nightclub. It's a fantasy club. It's where we make rich people's fantasies come true. The fantasy girls are for people's weird kinks"

"That's horrible" Chloe almost wanted to cry.

"Are you kidding me? It's a stripper's dream. The pay is to die for, honey"

"Explain weird kinks," Chloe asked

"It depends on the men and women. You also have to make house calls and private room sessions. You don't know what the other person might ask you to do"

"Do I have to sleep with them?"

"In some cases, if Andrew wants you to... It's Andrew's call but he won't force you. If you don't want to, he'll understand. He cares for the people who work for him that's why we all are loyal to him. The second reason is, you don't wanna cross Andrew Masino"

"You are scaring me" Chloe mumbled on the verge of tears.

"If I am scaring you then you have no idea what you're in for"

"Is her makeup done?!" Marie's shrill voice reverberated in the crowded room.

"Almost" Roxy replied and started to straighten Chloe's hair.

After her hair and makeup were done, Marie dragged her towards the side of the costumes. "Take off your clothes!"

Chloe looked around to see all the other male and female strippers present in the room. "Here?" She asked

"Why? You want a private dressing room now?"

"I--- Uh--- I have to take off my clothes in front of everyone?"

"Fucking strip before I make you!" She snapped

Keeping her tears at bay, Chloe started to take off her clothes. She could feel eyes on her. She closed her eyes and pretended she wasn't there. Once she was fully naked, Marie started to laugh hysterically.

"No ass" she laughed. "You don't even have a rack. We should cut off your hair and you could easily pass off as a little boy"

Chloe covered her body with her hands as much as she could and tears dropped down to the ground. She got extremely weak and lanky over the past few months she spent on the streets.

Roxy stepped towards them and stood beside Chloe. "At least, she's all-natural, Marie. Not a bunch of plastic and silicon like you!"

"Shut the fuck up, Roxy!" she snapped

Marie rolled her eyes and threw a red-colored two-piece at Chloe. "Wear this!"

Chloe immediately wore the two-piece lingerie. She waited for Marie to give her something to wear over it. I can't be it; she thought to herself.

Roxy smiled watching her. "You look gorgeous and your little baby bump looks so cute in this"

"Where are the rest of the clothes?" Chloe asked

Everyone who heard her; laughed. "Is she serious?" Someone asked

Marie gripped Chloe's arm but Roxy slapped her hand away. "I'll take it from here"

She wrapped her arm around Chloe's waist and dragged her out of the dressing room. Marie followed them closely.

"Look, sweetheart, it's your first time performing, right? Do you know how to work the pole?" She asked

"No" Chloe shook her head.

"You have no business doing this with no experience and training" Roxy snapped and glared at Marie.

"Look, just dance sensually, walked around the pole a few times, just show off your body, okay sweetie. I'll train you later"

"Okay," Chloe whispered on the verge of tears.

"Mr. Diaz is a nasty old man just don't let his words get to you. Ignore him and do your job"

"He won't touch me, right?"

"No, he isn't allowed, now go in, give your performance and you'll be out in an hour or so. Depending on how much he pays"

"Am I going to be alone with him?" She asked innocently.

"Yes, sweetie, that's what a private room means"

They stopped outside the door and Chloe breathed in and out to calm herself.

"I'll be right outside this door, if you need me, okay" Roxy smiled

"And I'll be right outside of this door too. One mistake and you're dead, you fucking bitch!" Marie added

Chloe nodded and the door opened. She looked over to Roxy one last time before stepping in.

The inside of the room was dimly lit. She looked around and there sat a man with a balding head and a potbelly. He looked almost sixty years old. He was wearing an expensive suit, anyone could tell that he was wealthy by his appearance. His eyes lit up as he took in Chloe's pregnant form.

The spotlight flashed on the pole, darkening everything else in the room. Soft sensual music started to play and Chloe held the pole in her hand. She awkwardly walked around it as Roxy told her to.

"Yeah, that's right, baby" The old man moaned

Chloe looked at him and screamed. His pants were on his ankles as he was pleasuring his self watching Chloe. He stood up because of her scream and that scared Chloe even more. She ran towards the door and started to bang on it like a madwoman.

"Open it, please!" She cried loudly.

The door flung open and all she could see was Axel's face. She jumped in his arms. "Axel, I knew you'd come for me! I got so scared, Axel. Please, Axel, Please, let's get out of here, please take me away!"

"YOU FUCKING BITCH!"

Someone pulled her away from Axel. Marie stood there fuming. She raised her cane and whacked it on Chloe's face. She fell to the floor holding her face in her hands and crying like she had been shot. Then Marie kicked her in the stomach, an ear-piercing scream left Chloe.

"MARIE! GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HER" Roxy slammed her into the wall and ran towards Chloe.

"What the hell is she doing in here?!" Maxim's deep voice echoed.

"Marie!" Roxy snapped. "She sent her in unprepared and untrained!"

"She's underage!" Maxim's voice roared. Listening to his voice Chloe understood that it was not Axel.

Roxy stared at Marie unbelievably. "Andrew never ordered to sent her in, did he?!"

"Andrew?!" Maxim glared at Marie and she paled.

Marie stood her ground. "She's has been freeloading on our stuff for a week now! It's time she earns it!"

Maxim walked to her and Marie stepped back. He backhanded her so hard that her mouth started to bleed. "Andrew will deal with you himself!"