Chapitre 12: Chapter 12

He wants an answer.

Why else would he want to meet with her after her shift? But she had not decided on anything yet. How could she say no when it meant seeing him again?

It means a chance for her baby to have a father.

But how could she also say yes when it meant she would end up as his mistress? What else would she call his proposal?

His dirty little secret.

After a few more minutes of staring at the empty alley at the back of the hotel, she finally returned to her post. She guessed she had no choice but to talk to the father of her child.

"Damn! Where have you been?" Giana immediately came by her side as soon as she entered the ballroom.

She could already imagine that Giana had seen the Prince. But where was he? She could presume he was probably together with the Princess, talking to the other guests.

"I took a break, remember?" She told her friend, acting like nothing was out of the ordinary.

She did not want this night to be any crazier than it already was.

Oh! Jeez! Her friend could sometimes be overly dramatic.

But she did not need to add more drama to it.

"Have you seen the Prince? Did you know that he is already engaged to the Princess?" Giana furiously asked. Her friend's voice raised an octave higher. But it was still not loud enough to cause a commotion.

"Yeah! He wants us to talk later," she told her friend. "After my shift," she continued for clarification. "Do you think I should go?"

She knew she could not think straight when she was with him. She could not trust herself around him.

"I hate him for putting you in this position," her friend admitted. "I wish I could tell you what to do. But you alone could decide what is best for you and your baby."

"But whatever decision you make, remember, I will always be here for you." Gian firmly grabbed her hand, assuring her she would never leave her side.

"Yeah, I guess I would have to decide soon." She could not keep putting it off.

"Hey! I am not paying you to chitchat." The Dragon Lady's voice echoed in her ears, snapping her back on her feet.

"Gotta go! Talk to you later." She soundlessly mouthed to her friend as she grabbed a tray full of champagne and started circulating the room.

She tried to be invisible, minimizing her interaction or eye contact with the guests. The less they noticed her, the better.

"Hey!" Someone called to her. "Wine Girl!" He repeated when she did not turn around.

This time, she stopped and checked who was calling her attention. Of course, she could not ignore the guests. She was there to serve them.

"What is your name?" The man asked when she stopped before him and offered him a glass of sparkling wine. "Oh! Charlie." He must read it in her name tag when she did not answer him.

She was ready to leave when he grabbed her arm, stopping her. Then, he moved closer until he was on her face.

"Hey, Charlie, we are not yet done talking." He continued, visibly appearing drunk. "That is a nice name." Then, his hand tightened its grip. "I have a room upstairs. Would you like to earn some extra bucks?"

That was it.

She quickly snatched her hand out of his grasp and slapped him hard. She might not be as rich as these creeps, but she would not let any of them disrespect her.

She did not care anymore if she made a scene. She could lose her job but not her dignity. She had done a lot of jobs, but they had always been decent ones.

"Charlie, what happened?" Giana quickly rushed to her side, stopping the man from physically retaliating.

"Fuck it! How dare you slap me, you slut." The man shouted out of anger and embarrassment.

"How dare you touch me?" She retorted, hating that the man thought he had a right because of his status. No! She would not let this man humiliate her in front of all these people.

"I am sorry, Sir, but what seems to be the problem." Their supervisor quickly joined the commotion and calmly tried to defuse the situation.

However, the Dragon Lady ensured she got the message that she had her eyes on her. Retribution would soon follow. It meant she could kiss her job goodbye.

"This bitch slapped me with no apparent reason." The man lied to his teeth to save his ass.

"I was just..." She tried to defend herself, but her supervisor stopped her.

"Don't worry, Sir. I will make sure that Ms. Maxwell would be dealt with accordingly." The Dragon Lady appeased the guest while sending daggers in her direction.

That was it.

Her boss would fire her now.

"Ms. Maxwell, you need to apologize to Mr. Rollins."

"But it is not my fault. I was just..."

"If you do not apologize, Ms. Maxwell, you can pack up your things and leave."

She wished to fight for her job, dignity, and rights, but she could tell it would be useless. These people only see dollar signs, not the truth.

"Is this how you treat your people? Judging and punishing without due process?" Someone in the small crowd suddenly spoke.

Of course, everyone was shocked when they saw the man step up and defend her.

What was he doing?

"Are you alright?" He quickly turned to her, displaying his sincere concern as he placed his hands on both sides of her shoulders and stared at her.

"Yeah! I am ok, Your Highness." She hastily responded. Then, she stepped back, releasing herself from his hold.

She was not used to someone taking her side. Typically, nobody cared.

"But, you don't understand, Your Highness..." The Dragon Lady tried to explain herself. But the Prince interrupted her.

"I think Mr. Rollins is the one that needs to apologize to Ms. Maxwell." Prince Elijah stared down at the other man. He was at least two inches taller than the other man and much bulkier in body size.

Did the Prince just come to her rescue?

But she was never a damsel in distress. She had never needed a Knight in shining armor to save her. Still, she could not help but feel giddy inside, thinking he defended her honor.

"No, that is not necessary because I quit anyway." Nevertheless, she did not need this drama. "I just want my payment." She did not need the extra attention.

She loved to act but not make a scene. There was a difference. Besides, she already slapped the man. She did not need his phony apologies.

"But thank you, Sir. I appreciate the help." She slightly bowed to the Prince before turning to leave.

Suddenly, this entire scene reminded her of the difference in their status. People like them would always look down on people like her.

Was the Prince any different?