Forget it, he was just too soft-hearted. He treated Sophia Diaz too well, which made her so fearless. A little lesson wouldn't hurt her.
At least, let it wait for three more days.
The night at the Royal Club was indeed the most enchanting and splendid. The calmness and silence of the daytime were stripped away as night fell, revealing a completely different charm inside and out.
Sophia held a piece of bread in her hand. The crispy crust had become hard after sitting for too long, and its aroma had long disappeared.
She took a bite and washed it down with some mineral water. It tasted bland, like chewing wax, with no distinct flavor.
This was a pastry baked in the Royal's kitchen. Since it was leftover from the previous day, it couldn't be served to the customers anymore, so it became her late-night pasta substitute.
She knew very well that if she didn't eat, no one would force her. But over the next long hours, there might be no food she could manage to get down. She had no desire to experience the dizziness from hunger again.
"Why haven't you changed your clothes? You haven't even done your makeup. Are you waiting for me to help you?" Penny suddenly barged in. There were three other girls in the room, all of them startled like frightened birds. They hastily stuffed the food in their hands into their mouths, fearing that Penny would make things difficult for them.
Sophia smiled bitterly, knowing that Penny's real target was only her. The other girls had just signed contracts and started working here. They hadn't met any clients, let alone gone on any outings, and they were all under Penny's management. Naturally, they feared her. During the day, they were learning etiquette, makeup, and those face-reddening skills for serving clients. Penny was the one teaching all of it, and ever since Sophia arrived, she had been constantly picked on and verbally humiliated by her. Fortunately, Sophia was smart and, having grown up living like a pampered young lady, she could handle these things as long as she was willing to tough it out.
At night, Penny was very busy, but she wouldn't let the girls sit idly either, taking them to greet regular clients and toast them.
The regulars always gave Penny face, knowing the rules and limits. They wouldn't go too far or make unreasonable demands on these inexperienced girls. At most, they would ask the prettier ones to drink a few more glasses for fun.
Penny, with her silver tongue, would skillfully shield them from most of the drinking, ensuring they wouldn't drink so much that they lost their composure. But when it came to Sophia, there was no such protection. With her natural beauty, even without heavy makeup or appropriate clothing, her appearance and temperament shone like the bright moon, making everything else around her seem dull in comparison.
Naturally, the clients wouldn't let her off easily, forcing her to drink. Some even secretly inquired about her price with Penny out of jealousy. Penny just sneered and half-coaxed, half-threatened Sophia into drinking.
As a result, Sophia threw up twice, drunk out of her senses. When she woke up in the morning, she found herself wearing only a bathrobe and panicked, thinking she had been taken advantage of while drunk. It wasn't until Zoey walked in with hangover medicine that she learned she was in Zoey's personal lounge. Zoey had taken her there after finding her passed out in a corner the night before.
Zoey was different from Penny, but she knew she couldn't defy Capone's orders either.
The only person she could rely on was herself.
"Wait a moment, don't rush to change your clothes!" Penny suddenly spoke. A waiter had whispered something in her ear earlier, and she glanced around slowly before saying, "Tonight's guests have very high standards, so I need to check if all of your bodies meet the requirements!"
Sophia was startled. She thought tonight would be just like the previous one, with only drinking involved, but she hadn't expected that they were really being sent out to meet guests!
No, she didn't want this! They had no right to treat her like this!
The other three girls, who had been hiding behind screens and curtains while changing their clothes, had no choice but to remove their dresses and walk over when Penny gave the order. Even with the central air conditioning, their bare bodies still trembled in the cold of this late autumn evening.
Penny examined their bodies as if inspecting goods, checking for scars, and even called in a nurse to verify if they were virgins.
Some of the girls closed their eyes in shame, their faces flushed red with embarrassment.
They still retained their pure sense of shame, but now they were being treated as commodities. Sophia was both humiliated and enraged, refusing to take off her clothes.
"What are you still hesitating for?" Penny glared at her impatiently.
"I don't want any body inspection! I didn't sell myself to you, my body belongs to me!"
Penny snorted coldly, "Once you're here, it's all the same. Do you really think you're any better than the rest of them? If you don't undress, I'll use scissors to cut them off, and you won't have clothes to wear tomorrow!"
Sophia wanted to cry, but she wouldn't allow herself to be so weak in front of this woman. She was no longer untouched, and her body bore whip marks and bruises, but that wasn't her fault. She shouldn't feel ashamed of it.
Sure enough, after removing her clothes, her perfectly shaped figure and skin as smooth as fine porcelain drew admiration, but the harsh whip mark on her back elicited gasps of shock.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, what a pity. Such a long scar—now you can't even wear a backless dress. Such a shame for that figure! See? Not listening only brings you suffering!" Penny taunted with venom, saying cruelly, "Lie down and let's see if your little membrane is still intact!"
Sophia's hands clenched into fists at her sides, her body trembling slightly, her skin flushed red with anger.
Penny was deliberately humiliating her. She knew exactly what Capone had done to her!
The cold instrument pierced between her legs, causing Sophia to groan in pain. She bit down hard, enduring it, while silent tears slid down her face into her hairline.
Capone, are you satisfied? Is seeing me humiliated like this what you wanted?
"So, you've already been used, huh?" Penny clapped her hands and said loudly on purpose, "I thought you were so high and mighty, so special, but what's the difference between you and the rest of us? Since you've become a mistress, why not do your job properly? No wonder the man couldn't stand you anymore and got tired of you so quickly, dumping you here!"
The tear stains on Sophia's face hadn't yet dried, but her big, bright eyes shone with clarity. She said each word clearly: "At least it's better than you, who slept in someone's bed and couldn't even become a mistress! One day, I'll walk out of here, but you'll spend the rest of your life stuck here, selling drinks and laughter!"
"You!"
Penny, furious, slapped her across the face. This time, Sophia reacted quickly and didn't hold back, slapping her right back.
The consequences of hitting back were severe.
Penny's face turned pale with rage. If it weren't for the fact that so many people were around, she would have rushed over, grabbed Sophia's hair, and given her another couple of slaps to teach her what the rules were.
But she didn't want to make a big scene, nor did she want to get Zoey involved. ROYAL was a place with strict hierarchies. Zoey held the highest position and the most authority here, essentially acting as a VP. When Capone wasn't around, her word was law. Zoey still showed some care and protection towards Sophia, so getting her involved would mean offending her.
Penny gritted her teeth—there were plenty of opportunities to destroy Sophia Diaz. A slap didn't necessarily have to land on her face.
She separated Sophia from the other three girls. The first clients for the virgins were usually gentle and wouldn't be too difficult to handle, but Penny didn't intend to make it easy for Sophia. She took her to the 8th floor.
ROYAL was one of the top high-end clubs. The deepest expression of its luxury lay in its uniqueness. While maintaining a consistent overall style, it offered different sections and décor to cater to the various needs of its clientele.
The number 8, considered the luckiest, was reserved for the highest-end clients—mostly young, brash second-generation heirs and children of powerful officials. They played recklessly, had many demands, and, being young and social, were quick to spread stories. Having someone like Sophia, a wealthy heiress, serve them drinks was bound to become the talk of the town.
"Get in!" Penny pushed Sophia into a room. To call it a "room" might not be accurate—"a large glass box" would be more fitting. Inside were many women, heavily made up and dressed in luxurious clothes. They were all attractive with good figures. When they glanced at Sophia, their eyes showed indifference, as if she didn't matter.
"What is this place?" Sophia was panicking, staring at the glass that prevented her from seeing outside. She had a vague sense of what was going on.
Penny curled her lips into a smirk. "What kind of place? A place for fun, of course! You better perform well. Only if the clients outside pick you will you get to leave!"
"No, you can't do this! I don't want to be here, let me out!" Sophia panicked, struggling to leave, but Penny only sneered and shut the door.
The women around her were unfazed, as if this was nothing new to them, and no one bothered to respond to her.
Sophia was desperate. She grabbed the door and tried pulling it with all her strength, but it was like an iron wall, unmoving, and there were no significant gaps between the door and the surrounding walls. She had no way out, and nowhere to hide. She could see the women lining up, striking seductive poses, clearly preparing to be chosen by the clients outside.
This was a type of game, a world Sophia could never have imagined. She had never thought that one day she would be standing here, exposed to lecherous eyes, scrutinized like merchandise. She was lost and helpless, like a fawn that had wandered off course. Even the desire to cry had been drained from her.