THE BILLIONAIRE'S HIDDEN HEIRS

CHAPTER 8

After Sean and I finished our meal, he bid farewell to leave. I occupied myself by cleaning the room, which wasn't that dirty—just tidying up and organizing my belongings in a cabinet. I then retrieved my uniform from below; this time, I took seven uniforms to avoid the hassle of going back and forth every time I changed.

As I was about to return to my room, I spotted Ella with her friends. She scrutinized me from head to toe before approaching me. I swallowed hard as I sensed anger in her eyes.

I couldn't think of any offense towards them; I hadn't even approached or talked to them. Yet, they stared at me like I had committed a grave sin.

"I thought Farah was the only flirt here, and it turns out Fay is too. I just arrived, but I'm already trying to charm Sir Semon. Are you really a waitress here, or perhaps a call girl?" she said, accompanied by an eye roll.

I shook my head at her words. "I'm not flirting with Se—Sean, and I am a waitress, not a call girl."

As I was about to leave, one of her friends grabbed my hand. It was forceful, causing pain to shoot through my face. Is this how they are? Competing with each other for every guy? They shouldn't worry; all the guys here are theirs, as far as they're concerned.

"You b***h! We're not done with you. You're so rude!" Ella shouted and, along with her two friends, turned me to face her.

My uniform dropped as both of my hands were held by her friends. Ella sneered at me and confronted me. She was slightly taller than me, as were the two holding me. Whether it was because of their heels or they were naturally tall, I couldn't tell.

"What's my offense to you? Let me go!" I exclaimed, struggling to break free but failing.

"Tsk! Don't play innocent; we know Sir Sean came from your room! Do you have any idea what Sir Haiden will do to you when he finds out that a man entered your room?" she asked, getting closer.

Her ample chest was practically in my face. Was that true or not? It was quite large, and I wasn't about to judge her if it wasn't. But it really was, and my chest felt embarrassed being pressed against hers.

Fayre! Your life is in danger, and you're worried about boobs!

"Answer, Fayre!" she shouted, inches away from me.

I squinted because of the pain, "I-I don't know. I'm new here. Ma'am, Tessa and Farah didn't mention it either..." I said softly.

She sarcastically smiled, "You don't know, yet you let them in. Are you stupid? Incompetent?" She paused, staring at me, "Do you know that they're planning to ban guys from entering the upper rooms? If Sir Semon gets banned because of you, it's a big loss for us!" She said while gripping my cheeks.

She squeezed them painfully, and when I tried to free my face from her hand, it only hurt more as her long nails seemed to dig in.

"Ouch!" I winced in pain.

"Don't complain, Fayre. Every woman here went through my hands before they knew their place, and you're next. This is what you deserve!" She shouted and slapped my cheeks.

That echoed in the locker area. I still felt her hand there, and my eyes were half-closed due to the pain. Tears were welling up. It felt like my soul left my body with that slap.

"That's just one, Fay. This is—"

"What's happening here?" a male voice interrupted us from behind.

My knees trembled at that voice; I knew exactly who owned that voice. Even after five years of not seeing him, I'd recognize that voice anywhere. I couldn't be mistaken...

I didn't know how to react. Would I be happy because Ella's slap was interrupted, or would I be scared because we would meet again? I knew this moment would come, but I couldn't shake off the thought of what would happen next. Would he take my children away from me or not?

"S-Sir R-Rihav," Ella stammered.

He signaled his two friends to release me from their grip. The two complied and turned to face Rihav. I remained facing away, the anxiety in my heart soaring to unimaginable heights.

I saw them bow. I also heard footsteps behind me, indicating that Rihav was approaching. I raised my hands, still pressed against my chest as they had been earlier.

"What are you three doing with that girl? I warned you about this, right?" he spoke sternly in English.

"W-Well, Sir R-Rihav," one of Ella's friends elbowed her to speak about their actions. Ella remained silent, looking at the floor, "Sir, this girl has an issue with Ella. We were just giving her a lesson..." she elbowed Ella again.

"All of you always the reason is that nothing new?" he paused in speaking, "What did you do to her? Did you slap her too, like what you all did with the girl last time?"

The three remained silent, and Ella just nodded while still bowing. Ella admitted to what she did, but I still felt her hand on my cheek. It still stung.

Rihav asked them another question, but I didn't pay attention, using my hair to hide. I gathered my fallen uniforms. Once I had all my uniform pieces, I took a step to leave.

"Stop, these three haven't apologized yet." He held my arm.

I felt his cold hand on my warm arm. My long hair still covered my face. I didn't face him, maintaining my posture. I took my hand back and spoke.

"I-I don't need it, Sir..." I was nervous, afraid that he might recognize my voice.

He held my hand again, "You three, leave. If I catch you hurting your fellow employees again, you'll lose your jobs! The three of you are becoming intolerable!" he shouted.

I heard quick footsteps leaving our vicinity. I saw Rihav's expensive shoes facing me. I took my hand from him and quickly walked away. Before I reached ten steps, he grabbed my arm again.

"You sound familiar..." he said, causing my heart to race.

I tried to pull my hand away again, but this time, I failed. He held me firmly, but I didn't feel the pain like when Dana's friends held me earlier.

He swiftly moved my hair, taking a sharp breath.

"F-Fayre," he pronounced my name as if surprised.

"Pretend we didn't meet, Rihav." I took my hand and ran away from the lockers area.

I returned to my room, my system eating me up with anxiety because of that encounter with Rihav. Every step I took caused aches and pain because of that. I didn't know whether to thank him for saving me from Ella's hands or be angry with him for what he did and said to me back then.

My hands were trembling as I slowly sat on my bed. I hugged my knees and began to think about what would happen next. I couldn't bear to lose my twins, especially since I didn't want them to get hurt.

I picked up my cell phone from the table and called Amer. The flamboyant guy wasn't quick to answer my calls; it took several rings before he finally picked up.

"Mamsh, you called?" he greeted me.

"Are the two there?" I asked.

"Mamsh, you just called a while ago, then you called again. They're okay here. Don't think about them too much; they're under the care of Super Ninang. Focus on your work there. Remember, Fay, don't get involved with those guys. A simple flirt might result in having three kids instead of one." And he laughed.

"Nonsense, Amer, just take care of them. Never involve them in your activities." I reminded him.

"Okay, mamsh, copy." That's the last thing I heard before he ended the call.

I diverted my thoughts on how to avoid Rihav later, especially now that he knows I'm here in the club. I knew we would meet later. Rihav is already married, and he might stop bothering me. He has nothing more to get from me; I've given him everything I could.

By evening, I prepared myself. The red marks Ella left on me earlier were still visible. Parts of my left cheek were so red that, due to my fair skin, even a slight pinch would leave a red mark.

I wore my uniform before fixing my long hair. I left it untied for now, as I didn't have time for a haircut. But maybe I'll have it cut next time.

I adjusted myself in front of the mirror when I heard a knock on my door. I quickly moved my loose hair behind my ear. I went to the door and slowly opened it. I sighed in relief when I saw Farah knocking on my door. She was already dressed differently than yesterday or the day before. Her wide smile greeted me as she held a box.

"You look surprised, Fay," she said playfully and entered my room without further ado.

"Where were you earlier? I didn't see you," I asked.

I didn't see her earlier, and I didn't have anyone to accompany me in getting my uniform because she wasn't there. Farah is the only one I trust among the girls in this club.

"Top-secret. I actually bought you new shoes. It looks like your current ones have been around for a while," she revealed, holding out the box.

I gave her a meaningful look, "Are you kidding me? Why did you waste money on me? You should have sent that to your family." I refused the box she was holding.

Yes, these shoes have been with me for a long time, about five years. My dad bought them for me back then. I didn't want to replace them because I didn't have anything else, and there's sentimental value to me as they came from my loving father.

"I mean, I'm not really the one who bought it... but Fay, you shouldn't refuse a blessing, as they say. So, change your shoes." She insisted, poking the box into my chest. I was about to take it when she moved it away. She placed it on the table beside us and stared intensely at my face.

"W-what?" I pushed her away.

She brushed the hair that had fallen from my ear, "Damn, did someone slap you? Or punch you?" She asked sternly.

I turned my face away from her, approached the box on the table, and opened the shoes that Farah brought. Tears welled up in my eyes when I saw the shoes. These were the shoes I wanted since my college days, but they were too expensive for me to afford.

"Damn, Farah, this is expensive."

"Don't change the topic, Fay. Who did this to your cheek?" I looked at her, and she glared at me in anger, emphasizing her black eyeshadow and eyeliner.

"I—it's nothing; I just accidentally bumped into something in the restroom earlier." I made an excuse, even smiling at her to make her believe.

"Don't try to lie to me, Fay. I'm just protecting you. I know I'm the reason your cheek is red. Ella is not afraid anymore; she torments anyone who gets close to me to make me lose friends." She sighed.

"I can handle it, Farah. It's not that painful... just a little bit." I grinned and made a gesture with my fingers to indicate a small amount.

"You i***t! It's red, and it's not painful?" she said with attitude, pulling a chair beside me and sitting down.

"It's just a little bit," I pouted.

"Next time, if those three idiots do something to you again, tell me or Sir Sean. You probably didn't fight back, did you? Ella's slap hurts. I've experienced it several times. So, don't downplay it." She scolded.

I wonder what Farah went through at the hands of Ella. Why can't Ella be expelled from this club? She has violated and done so many wrong things to Farah, yet she's still here, seemingly having a high regard for herself. Did she contribute something valuable to the club? She's just an employee like the rest of us.

"By the way, let's quickly chat about it later. But is this really mine? No joke?"

"It's yours. Don't be persistent; the night is getting deeper. We might get scolded by Ma'am Tessa with fire."

I followed her advice. I put on the shoes without second thoughts. Maybe Ma'am Tessa would scold us if she caught us both. After fully wearing them, I was surprised to find that the shoes fit perfectly. I didn't dwell on that and immediately hooked my arm with Farah's.

We left my room together, chatting about her earlier actions. We reached the area where all the employees were gathered. I immediately noticed Ella's sharp gaze on me. I avoided her gaze and listened to Ma'am Tessa.

Next was work time. Even though it wasn't Sunday, there were plenty of customers here. They might be drinking here because of the excellent facilities in this club or simply because they can afford the expensive drinks. Customers kept coming one after another, and some even tipped me. At first, I thought it wasn't allowed, but seeing others accepting it, I did too. It was an added bonus to my salary.

After taking the customer's order, I went back to the bartender to get the next tray. I had just placed the tray when I saw Rihav sitting on a high chair.

Our eyes met, and I quickly looked away, grabbing the tray. I didn't pay attention to him and searched for the table number instead. I found it with just a quick glance and went there, carefully placing their drinks.

I smiled at them after everything was properly set. The older man, judging by his white hair, gave me a sly look, and my smile faded when he touched my waist while I was sitting on his thigh.

"50K for a night?" I heard him whisper in my ear.

I had to repeatedly prove to the people here that I was not a paid woman. I was doing everything for my child and not to satisfy their desires.

I pushed his hand away from my waist. Although I was standing now, he tried to pull me again. This time, he didn't succeed in making me sit on his thigh because someone took my hand and pulled me away from the old man.

"Mr. Madreal, that's my girl," said a handsome older man.

"She's not yours, Mr. Gumba. You forced her, I saw you," Rihav said firmly.

"No, Mr. Madreal, she gave herself to me."

I felt disgusted with what he said. He was so old and still a p*****t. Don't they know how to respect? I would never give in to you, jerk!

"She's only for me, Mr. Gumba. You should not touch my girl," he said, pulling me away from there.

I tried to retrieve my hand, but he tightened his grip. He took the tray I was holding and led me to the back, similar to where Sean brought me before.

"Let go of me, Rihav!" I shouted, struggling.

He stopped walking, took off his black coat, and wrapped it around me. I tried to take it off, but he tightly wrapped it again.

"Don't try me, Fayre Aphrodite!"