As the conversation between the two flowed, time seemed to slip by unnoticed. Ethan learned the reason Harper had come to work as a massage therapist at the sauna center—it was simple: money. Harper's family was not well off. Both her parents were laid-off workers, and she had a younger brother in his last year of high school. Her parents did odd jobs and ran a small business to make ends meet while supporting the two siblings' education.
On the surface, going to university seemed like a glamorous thing, but the tuition fees each year weighed heavily on the family. With her younger brother about to graduate high school, Harper made the bold decision to secretly start working at the sauna center. After all, her studies weren't too intense, and she could still attend classes while working a few shifts each day.
Now, with school on break, Harper had decided to work full time. With some luck, she could earn a good commission—up to several hundred a day. If things went well, she could easily make 10 to 15 thousand in a month. Today was one of those lucky days when she had landed a five-hour shift at the VIP pool, which meant a commission of over a thousand.
To Harper, Ethan seemed like the son of a wealthy family, but there was an authenticity about him that was impossible to fake. After chatting for a while, they found the conversation flowing comfortably.
Harper had seen plenty of men's bodies before, and the number of times she'd encountered certain... parts was almost a forest of its own. She'd even seen some embarrassingly small ones, but Ethan's was definitely on the larger side—a rarity. Right now, a group of little fish was nipping at his bulging swim trunks, making him look like a giant, unraveled yarn ball. Harper couldn't help but feel her face flush.
Just as they were talking, the door suddenly slammed open with a kick, and three men barged in. Leading the charge was a young man in his twenties, with a face oiled and powdered, golden hair flowing past his shoulders. He wore a flashy plaid shirt with the top buttons undone, revealing a small gold chain around his neck. Behind him were two muscular young men in black vests and jeans, their faces emanating a dangerous aura—they were clearly not friendly types.
The golden-haired man stormed up to the poolside, grabbed Harper's arm without hesitation, and began swearing: "Suck, you chick, acting all high and mighty, still want me to ask you? Five hours? Forget that, I'll book you for ten—no, a whole year if I have to!"
Harper recoiled in disgust, shaking off his grip. She lost her balance and lurched forward, about to fall into the pool. Just then, a pair of strong hands reached out and grabbed her waist, lifting her off the ground and gently setting her into the pool.
Ethan, too, was frustrated. He hadn't expected to deal with such a nuisance while trying to relax in the sauna. His hand was pressing against two soft, high places, and without thinking, he gave them a quick squeeze—hm, nice elasticity.
Harper, who had expected a bit of gratitude, felt a rush of irritation as the man's hands lingered on her chest. Her gratitude evaporated, and with her face flushed, she brushed his hands off and backed away a couple of steps, glaring at the golden-haired man with resentment.
The golden-haired man eyed Ethan in the pool with disdain, then pointed at him and shouted, "What the hell, who's the idiot who loosened his belt like that? If you have the guts, come up here and let me help you loosen your muscles."
Ethan gritted his teeth, his fists tightening. If it had been before, the old crazy Ethan would have charged right in and punched this guy out. But after going through numerous trials and hardships, he'd learned to control himself. The wild side had been tamed over the years.
Seeing that Ethan wasn't reacting, the golden-haired man grew bolder. He bent down and splashed some water into Ethan's face with a smug laugh. "What, are you looking at me? Don't like it? Come on, challenge me one-on-one!"
Just as Ethan was about to snap, the door opened again, and three women in blue uniforms rushed in. Two of them were in their twenties and quite attractive, while the leader was a stunning woman in her thirties. They hurried over to the poolside. The woman glanced at the standoff between the two men, then turned to the golden-haired man with a smile.
"Mr. Blaise, the number nine room will be ready in two hours. Why don't you head to the lounge for some tea? I'll have her brought over when it's time."
"No way. I want her now," the golden-haired man, Mr. Blaise, interrupted rudely, pointing at Harper. "Five times the price, you hear me? Get her over here now."
Harper, noticing Ethan's silence, assumed he didn't intend to stand up for her. With a snort, she turned her head defiantly. "Hmph, even if you offer me a hundred times the price, I'm not serving you. I'll leave. I can't stand pompous assholes like you."
Her words instantly set Mr. Blaise off. His face turned crimson with anger as he shouted, "You little b*tch! Pretending to be innocent while selling your body. Today, you're serving me, whether you like it or not." He turned to the woman with a sneer. "Serena, I'll buy ten times the time for this idiot, and I'll take his booking too. Tell him to leave, or he can pay up and get out."
Serena's brow furrowed slightly. She knew Mr. Blaise's background—his father, Edward Wellington, was one of the largest second-hand car dealers in River City. The father and son were regulars at this place, and Mr. Blaise was a stubborn one. Fifteen times the price for a VIP pool session was at least half a million, a huge sum. Such deals were rare, and the commission from this could be very tempting.
Seeing an opportunity, Serena put on a professional smile and crouched down next to Ethan, speaking softly. "Sir, how about this? You come with me to the VIP room next door. I'll send over two top-notch therapists, and your session will be free. I'll make it up to you, okay?"
Serena knew the art of persuasion. Normally, most people would back down under such smooth talk, but Ethan was clearly not one to give in easily.
"Serena, right? Please, take this barking mad dog outside. I can't stand these dyed street dogs, and I especially can't stand golden-haired ones," Ethan said, slapping the water, sending a flurry of fish darting away from his waist. His slap landed squarely on Mr. Blaise's face, making the golden-haired man's expression twist with rage.
Serena's heart sank. She realized that Ethan wasn't the type to give in easily. She needed to call security quickly—if things turned physical, this young man might be in for a tough time. As she thought this, she subtly signaled to the two other therapists at the door.