Chapter 8
He led me through the corridor to the main area of the Skyline nightclub. I felt the jealous gazes of the other dancers, their eyes fixed on Nathan’s hand on my back. What would they do if they found out I was pregnant with his child?
The nightclub hadn’t opened yet, but all the girls were giving me unfriendly looks, envious of the attention Nathan was showing me. Normally, Olivia and Jed would protect
me from such stares, but they were off today.
“Duke!” Nathan pushed open the door to the main kitchen area, calling out.
All the staff immediately stood in line, standing at attention.
“Hey, who’s outside?” Duke called out before seeing Nathan. His expression immediately
changed.
“This is Lily,” Nathan emphasized my real name, “She’ll be helping out here temporarily. Take care of her, don’t make her wash things, and don’t give her difficult tasks. Be nice to her. If I hear any complaints from her, you’re fired.”
I noticed he used “Lily” instead of “Little Chipmunk” to address me. People here rarely called me by my real name, and I loved hearing it from his mouth.
Duke smiled and extended his hand to me. “Nice to see you again.” He turned to Nathan, “Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of her.”
“You better,” Nathan replied, placing his hands on my shoulders, “You’re not very obedient, are you? I told you to stay home.” His tone was slightly annoyed, but I sensed something else in it. Was it concern?
After Nathan left, Duke assigned me a simple task – cutting lemons and other fruits for garnish. The tips I earned from this task would definitely be less than what I made from
dancing, but at least it was a paycheck.
After a while, my arms grew tired, but I dared not complain. The kitchen was busy, with staff preparing for the night’s business, the clattering of pots and pans filling the air.
“Little Chipmunk, you can go!” Duke suddenly shouted.
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Chapter 8
I turned around, surprised, and dropped the knife on the cutting board. I still had three hours left before my shift ended.
“It’s the boss’s orders,” Duke shrugged, explaining.
I nodded awkwardly, packed up my things, and left through the back door.
A man was waiting by a car outside. “Are you Lily?” he asked.
“Yes, it’s me,” I replied cautiously.
“The boss asked me to make sure you get home safely. Shall we go?”
I got into the car, my mind racing. But why? Why was Nathan suddenly so caring? Had I misunderstood him before? If I told him about my pregnancy, would he step up and help raise our child together?
I quickly dismissed the thought. Nathan was just looking out for the welfare of the employees as per Richard’s instructions. I was nothing special. Besides, he came from a wealthy family with ties to the Mafia. Someone like me definitely didn’t fit that image, and I didn’t want to bring my child into that world.
A deeper fear gripped me. If I kept this child, would Nathan use his power to take the baby away from me? Would I stand a chance in such a legal battle?
“Are you okay, miss?” the driver asked as I felt a wave of dizziness.
I nodded, feeling exhausted not just from work, but also from the loud music and bright lights of the nightclub. One thing was clear: if I decided to keep this baby, I had to find a different job soon.
My hand subconsciously protected my belly. If I keep this baby, with or without a father, I will give it the life it deserves. If I have this baby, I will raise it on my own, in a place where no one can take it away from me…
