She had escaped one predator only to fall into the clutches of another. The man in front of her was nothing more than a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Just as sorrow began to cloud her beautiful eyes, a cold and merciless voice reached her ears.

"How long are you planning to sit there?"

Startled, Catherine snapped back to reality and immediately scrambled to her feet.

"I-I'm sorry, Jerrold, I didn't mean to..."

She didn't know who this man was, but instinctively, she took several steps back, clearly terrified of him.

Jerrold stood up, his gaze briefly sweeping over her as she hung her head, staring at her toes. Then, without another word, he turned and strode out of the private room.

Only after Jerrold left did Catherine feel the strength drain from her legs, and she sank to her knees.

Her ankle throbbed painfully, but this wasn't a place she could afford to linger. If those men returned, who knew what might happen?

The thought sent a shiver down her spine, and she immediately stood up, using the wall for support as she limped toward the door as quickly as she could.

As soon as she emerged from the private room, the manager rushed over to her.

No one knew how panicked the manager had been when he heard from a few women that Catherine had been left behind.

Especially when he saw Lin and his group switch to another room later on.

Seeing Catherine finally come out, the manager let out a sigh of relief.

"Catherine, are you alright?"

Catherine looked at the manager and shook her head slightly.

"I twisted my ankle.”

The manager glanced down at her foot and quickly led her to a quiet corner of the club where they had a first-aid kit to get her injury treated. Afterward, he said, "This was a complete misunderstanding, and I deeply apologize for what happened. You must be exhausted. Go home and rest; I promise this won't happen again."

Catherine nodded, changed her clothes, and left through the staff exit.

She hailed a taxi and returned home, utterly drained. Once inside, she headed straight for the bathroom, filled the bathtub, and sank into the warm water.

From outside the bathroom, she could hear her mother knocking on the door.

"Catherine, are you in there?"

Catherine opened her eyes and called out, "Yes, Mom, I'm back. Don't worry."

She hadn't told her family about her job at the nightclub, knowing they would disapprove. Her parents still believed she was employed at a company.