Madam Fransisca stormed into the lounge, her heels clicking sharply on the polished floor. Her commanding presence froze everyone in place. The lights shimmered against the satin of her dark red robe, and her gaze landed squarely on the guards manhandling Harper.
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Release her."
The guards hesitated, confused.
"But Madam—"
"I said you should let go of her!" Her voice cracked like a whip.
The guards obeyed instantly, stepping back. Harper stumbled forward, quickly buttoning her shirt with trembling fingers, her head down, shame burning into her skin. She moved to one side of the room, her breath shaky.
From the center, Angel's voice sliced through the silence like a knife. "Madam Fransisca, Harper lied to the courtesan house. She pretended to be a boy and made all the courtesans look stupid."
Gasps echoed softly around the room.
"She has been living like a boy before coming to the courtesan house."
"Since she was sold to the courtesan house, she is supposed to work as a courtesan. But she pretends to be a boy to escape being a courtesan. She thinks we are dirty, right?" Angel spat, her eyes burning with hatred.
"Angel!" Madam's voice was strained.
"Madam Fransisca, I'm not gonna stand being lied to!"
Fransisca turned to Angel, her eyes cold. "So you mean since the last two years that Harper has been serving you here, you don't know that she is a girl?"
Angel stiffened. "Of course I don't! How would I know?" she snapped, crossing her arms.
"How could you be a girl, Harper? You make me feel so stupid. I look so stupid!" Daisy's voice cracked, and she looked crushed, her face pale.
"It's okay, Daisy. She did not harm anyone."
"She harmed me! I love him! And she is a girl?" Daisy's voice trembled with heartbreak, and she turned her face away, tears threatening.
Another courtesan scoffed. "Almost everyone here likes Harper. They even gift her every now and then. If you visit her room, she gets a bunch of gifts from the courtesans every time. Why didn't she reject them if she is not a scammer and liar?"
Fransisca's sharp eyes flicked to Harper. "Is that true, Harper?"
Harper lifted her chin slightly, voice soft. "Madam, it's true I do receive gifts from the courtesans. But I never used any of them. I kept everything aside."
"See that? She is a thief!" Angel sneered.
"I'm not!" Harper's voice cracked with pain.
"Shut your trap! You will pay for this, Harper." Angel spat.
"What should we do now? I can't send her out of the courtesan house. She belongs here." Madam's voice lowered in thought.
"You should punish her then!" someone chimed in harshly.
"She can go back to cleaning then."
"No! She will not do something as simple as that. She didn't apply for a cleaning job. She belongs to the courtesan house. She does what the courtesan does too!"
A beat of silence passed.
"What is she supposed to do then? You are not planning to make her a courtesan, are you?"
Angel turned toward the minister with a devilish grin. "Of course not! She doesn't have to be a courtesan to do what a courtesan does, right? Minister, you like her, don't you?"
The minister chuckled deeply. "Sure I do, my beautiful Angel."
Angel smirked. "You can have her."
Gasps scattered across the lounge.
Harper's voice rose in panic. "What? Angel, what the hell are you doing?!"
"I'm making you serve one of our prestigious customers. Are you not happy?"
"You can't do this to me, Angel!" Her voice trembled with disbelief.
"Of course I will! Olivia, you are not against it, are you?"
Olivia scoffed, bitterness written all over her face. "Definitely! I would like it too. I hate someone taking me for a fool! To think that I was fantasizing about her, not knowing she is some damn bitch pretending to be a boy."
"Angel, you are being too extreme."
Angel turned to Madam Fransisca. "Oh, Madam, am I? The courtesans are not against my decisions, right? Daisy, are you against it?"
Daisy folded her arms and turned her face away. "Just leave me alone!"
Angel's eyes scanned the room. "Y'all support what I said, right? She thinks the courtesans are dirty, so she should serve too."
"Of course she should do that! Lying bitch! Do what Angel says!" someone else yelled from the side.
Madam Fransisca looked around, her shoulders sagging under pressure. The weight of the room, the stares, the accusations — all fell on her.
Her eyes met Harper's.
Tears streamed silently down Harper's cheeks. Her hands were clenched at her sides, nails digging into skin. She stood there — stripped of dignity, of safety, of voice.
"Madam!" Her voice cracked, desperate. "You can't do this to me!"
Fransisca's voice was a whisper. "I have no power against the courtesans, Harper. I have to do their bidding."
"You can't force me to serve a man! I don't wanna do it!" Her voice echoed, shattering.
"You belong to the courtesan house. The courtesans decide your fate."
"No! I'm not gonna do that! I don't want this!"
Madam Fransisca turned, her face unreadable. "Prepare her for the night. Take her to the courtesan halls." She exited, the heavy doors closing behind her.
"Madam! Madam!" Harper called out, stumbling forward — but the door didn't open again. She dropped to her knees, sobbing.
Angel leaned down, her breath chilling against Harper's ear. "You should've been obedient, Harper. You don't go against me and go scot-free. I told you to do something but you refused to? Don't worry, I have a little more gift prepared for you, Harper. You will do my bidding whether you like it or not. What I did just now is just the beginning of the show!"
She stepped back, smiling cruelly, then sauntered away without another glance.
"Harper, you bastard!" Daisy hissed and stormed out, her voice full of anguish.
"Minister, we should go to my room and wait for your precious gift tonight!" Olivia purred, linking arms with the man.
"Sure we should do that, my baby girl!" He laughed, letting her lead him out.
"Since you have always been a boy, you should still be intact, right? Enjoy your first night with the minister of finance, girly. He has tons of cash to give out!" Violet said, grinning wickedly.
Laughter erupted behind her.
Harper turned, trying to flee — but the guards were already in motion. One struck her across the back with a blunt baton.
She gasped, eyes wide with pain — and collapsed to the floor.
Darkness swallowed her.
They lifted her unconscious body and carried her out of the lounge.
[Courtesan Lounge – Private Area]
The room was dimly lit, golden drapes hanging heavily, muffling the chatter outside. Quincy sat at a lone table, swirling a glass of wine, his expression unreadable.
A pair of clicking heels echoed across the room.
"Hey Quincy!" a familiar voice called out, and he turned slightly. Angel strutted in confidently, her crimson corset hugging her frame, her lips curled in a smug smile as she sat across from him.
"Angel, right?" His tone was cool, uninterested.
"Sure," she replied, leaning in with faux charm.
"What do you want?"
"You really have a long life and prosperity, don't you?" she said, her smile widening into something sharper.
Quincy smirked. "I surely do."
Angel's gaze narrowed. "Just because Harper didn't do the job I sent her to do doesn't mean I've given up."
Quincy sighed, pushing his glass away. "You're hell-bent on killing me, Angel. I'm not your enemy."
She leaned back, crossing her legs. "Logan's enemy is my enemy. We signed a deal—as companions, we're a team."
Quincy's jaw flexed. "You're doing more than him already."
"It's because I hate your arrogance. You're just a little boy," she hissed.
He chuckled dryly. "Aren't you just a year or two older?"
Angel's eyes darkened. "So?"
"Are you in love with me?" Quincy asked mockingly.
"Courtesans don't love."
"No," he said with a knowing look, "but obsession? That's your specialty. I'm sure Logan wouldn't like that."
Angel's lips twitched. "Really? You think everyone likes you because you have a pretty face? Did you seduce Harper too? Is that why she didn't poison you?"
Quincy leaned forward, cold and steady. "Why would I seduce Harper? He's my guard."
"Your guard?" Angel echoed. Her eyes gleamed. "So y'all knew each other before."
"Definitely."
Angel scoffed. "I knew she was just a pretentious bitch."
Quincy blinked. "She? A bitch?"
Angel's laughter was low and mocking. "Yeah! I guess you don't know her after all. You don't even know Harper's a girl?"
Silence fell like a stone. Quincy froze.
"A girl?" he whispered. His heart kicked violently. "How come?"
"You got deceived too?" Angel laughed. "Bunch of idiots. I could tell at a glance that she was a girl. But y'all? You didn't know?"
Quincy stood up, his chair scraping against the floor. His voice was sharp. "Where is she?"
Angel stretched lazily. "Well! Since she lied to the courtesan house, she's getting punished."
"What punishment?" he demanded.
"She'll serve the minister. For three nights."
Quincy's nostrils flared. "What? Which minister?! They all have courtesans, don't they?"
"They do. But Olivia offered her companion. He likes her."
"That's bullshit!" he growled.
Angel raised a brow. "You wanna save her, don't you? She's in the courtesan halls now, awaiting her fate."
"Which room?" he snapped.
"Last one in the hallway," she said smoothly as he turned to leave. She caught his sleeve.
"Don't think I did you a favor by telling you where Harper is. I'm just trying to win my battles."
"What do you mean?"
"You might need to get there before the minister," she whispered. "Tick tock."
Quincy shoved her hand off. "I'm gonna deal with you, Angel."
He turned to his guard. "Take me to the courtesan hall. Now!"
"Yes, boss!"
Quincy sprinted through the lavish corridors, his footsteps echoing with desperation. His mind was racing, a hurricane of relief, anger, and fear.
"Harper is a girl?" he thought, barely able to process it. He feels happy a little but he is angry at the fact that she is gonna suffer a lot in the courtesan house for being a girl
At the end of the hallway, he spotted Olivia and her companion, Minister Noah, smirking at the door.
"Do not go in there!" he bellowed, voice echoing.
They turned, startled.
"Who's that?" Olivia squinted until her face paled. "Quincy?"
He skidded to a stop in front of the door, panting, then straightened. His eyes burned with fury.
"Don't try to go in there."
"Why are you here, Quincy?" Olivia asked coolly. "This is no place for you."
"Really?" he said with a sneer. "But it's a place for you?"
Minister Noah frowned. "The courtesans gave me a gift."
Quincy stepped closer, voice deadly. "Dear minister, don't try to go in there."
Noah puffed his chest. "Are you telling me what to do?"
"Of course I am!" Quincy barked. "Harper belongs to me. And you don't touch what's mine."
Olivia gasped. "She belongs to you?"
"She was given to me—"
"Don't mess with me, Noah!" Quincy roared. "You don't want to be on the Dylan family's bad side."
Noah paled immediately. "I—I'm sorry, Quincy."
"Then leave."
Noah turned quickly. "Let's go, Olivia."
As they walked off—
**"Why did you leave? Scared of Quincy?" Olivia hissed.
"He's the Dylan leader now. Don't mess with him, Olivia." Noah's voice was tight. "He's probably trying to save that little girl."
Olivia scoffed. "Save her? He probably wants to sleep with her. Look at his eyes—he looks like he swallowed aphrodisiacs. Probably just met with Angel. That's her trick."
Noah sighed. "It's none of our business. It'll be her luck if Quincy chooses her."
"True! Let's go. I'll serve you instead." She winked.
"That's my baby girl," he muttered, and they disappeared down the hall.
Quincy stood silently outside the ornate door, chest heaving. His hands curled into fists, knuckles white. Behind the door… was her.
His Harper. Not just a guard. Not just a companion.
A girl who suffered to survive.
And now, he was finally here.