###Chapter 6: Finding a New Job
Once a beast tastes blood, it won’t stop until it’s had its fill.
Afterward, Nina Wainwright was so worn out by Zachary Hawthorne that she could barely lift a finger.
The man, however, rose from the bed completely sated. He took a shower, and by the ti he returned, he was once again impeccably dressed in a suit and tie.
He stood at the foot of the bed, looking down at her. He reached out, picked up his phone, and tapped the screen twice with his well-defined fingers. His deep voice was cold. "You called last night because you wanted money? I’ve transferred you twenty thousand. Use it for now. If it’s not enough, we can talk."
Nina, who had been so exhausted she could barely keep her eyes open, imdiately looked up at him. "Zachary, what do you take for?"
The man’s brow furrowed.
The look on his face sobered Nina instantly. ’He has no idea how humiliating his actions are to ,’ she thought. ’I’m supposed to be his wife, but in reality, I’m just a canary in a cage he keeps.’
When he was unhappy, he’d withhold her money. When he was pleased, he’d toss so her way as a handout.
Hah!
Nina had thought last night was the height of despair. She’d felt almost nothing when she saw him with Luna Sterling. But now she realized true despair was yet to co.
Clutching the blanket to her chest, Nina sat up. "I don’t need your twenty thousand."
Zachary’s brows knitted together.
Nina looked at him and smiled slowly. "It’s true that I pleased you just now. But it’s not like I didn’t get any enjoynt out of it either. If we’re being honest, you did most of the work. If anyone’s paying, it should be paying you."
Nina picked up her phone, opened her paynt app, and returned the twenty thousand Zachary had just sent. Then, she transferred one hundred to him.
"To be honest, though, your technique is a little lacking. And I told you to stop, but you just kept going. So one hundred is the most I can give you for your services. You should really practice your skills, Mr. Hawthorne. And maybe learn how to please a woman in bed!"
"Nina!"
Nina’s words made the color drain from Zachary’s face, his expression turning thunderous.
Nina ignored him. She got up, brushed past him into the bathroom. Zachary’s face was as dark as a thundercloud. He started to follow her, but a ssage notification lit up his phone. He glanced toward the bathroom, then ultimately turned and left.
When Nina erged from her shower, she found the man gone. She went back to packing her suitcase.
She didn’t take much with her, leaving behind everything Zachary had ever had bought for her.
As she left the house she had shared with Zachary for three years, suitcase in hand, Nina felt only a fleeting mont of reluctance before getting into a taxi without a second glance.
Sitting in the taxi, she took out her phone again and silently blocked Zachary on every platform.
She had a gentle, submissive nature, especially around Zachary. But the events of the past two days had made her give up all hope. She refused to endure it any longer.
Zachary wasn’t short on cash. To him, twenty thousand was less than pocket change. But for Nina, who ca from a humble background, it was a difficult sum to earn—just as it would be for any other ordinary, pretty young woman.
He knew the gap between them. That’s why he’d used that specific amount to humiliate her.
Nina returned to her family ho.
Her mother, who was at the hospital taking care of her father, wasn’t there, and the house was a ss.
She put her suitcase in her old bedroom and took out her phone to contact her forr ntor.
When the call connected, she felt a wave of apprehension. "Ms. Walsh? It’s , Nina Wainwright. How have you been?"
Her teacher, Sandra Walsh, recognized her voice but didn’t reply at once. After a mont, she asked, "What’s the occasion for you to call ?"
"Ms. Walsh..."
Nina bit her lip, hesitant to go on. Years ago, the opportunity with the international dance troupe hadn’t just fallen into her lap. Her teacher had fought to get it for her, but she had let her down.
And now, here she was, crawling back to ask for a job. She was mortified.
But thinking of her family’s situation, she mustered her courage. "Ms. Walsh, I wanted to ask... are there any dance troupes in the country looking for people? I... I want to find a job. Do I... still have a chance?"
There was a pause on the other end. Nina thought it was a lost cause. Just as she was about to hang up so as not to bother her any further, the voice on the line suddenly spoke.
"When are you free? If you have ti, there’s a troupe hiring right now. It’s not on the sa level as the Valorian company, but it’s very well-known. They’re preparing for a year-long world tour and need more young dancers. If you’re interested, I can take you to et the person in charge."
"Ms. Walsh, I’m free this afternoon!"
"Alright. Then co find this afternoon."
"Okay, Ms. Walsh!"
Nina hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly and quickly agreed.
After hanging up, she tidied the ssy house, then got herself ready and headed out imdiately.
「The Crestview Hotel.」
Nina entered the private room with Sandra Walsh, who had a full head of silver hair and wore a pair of gold-rimd reading glasses. Nina couldn’t help but feel a little nervous.
Inside the room sat a woman in a cheongsam. Her hair was styled in glamorous waves, giving her the distinct aura of a 1990s Miss Hong Kong pageant queen.
Her eyes lit up when she saw Nina. After looking her up and down, she smiled in satisfaction. "Her foundation is excellent. A perfect figure for a dance troupe, and a good height too. Ms. Walsh, you had soone this good on hand and didn’t tell sooner?"
"Well, I had to wait for her to be free, didn’t I?" Sandra Walsh pulled Nina down to sit, making the introduction. "This is Ms. Ruby Hughes of the Greensleeves Dance Troupe. You know of the Jade Lady Dance, don’t you? The one that won the Capital Lily Award."
The Jade Lady Dance was already quite famous within the dance world.
It had been touring continuously for the past few years, and Nina had always wanted to see it. Unfortunately, she never had the chance after getting married.
They started talking about dance, and hours flew by in conversation.
Zachary returned ho after finishing his work.
He loosened his tie, changed his shoes, and walked into the living room. He was just about to call for Nina when he realized how quiet the house was.
The unusual silence made him suddenly rember her words... ’Divorce...’
Zachary went upstairs to the master bedroom. He saw that in the closet, the clothes that were her own were gone.
Only a few pieces of clothing had vanished from the enormous closet, so few that their absence was barely noticeable. Yet Zachary saw the empty space at a single glance.
A sense of loss rose within him, and without a second thought, he dialed Nina’s number.
After a single BEEP, a ssage inford him that the number he had dialed was turned off. Zachary’s face instantly darkened.
’She actually dared to block !’
He sent a ssage to Silas Sinclair, telling him to find out where Nina was. After sending it, he turned, went downstairs, and drove away from the house.
*
After settling the details with Sandra Walsh and Ruby Hughes about reporting to the dance troupe tomorrow, Nina finally felt a weight lift off her shoulders.
Now that she had a job, she had a path forward. She could also pay back Catherine Grant’s money soon.
"It’s getting late. Let’s treat our young guest to dinner," Ruby Hughes said with a smile, picking up a nu. Her eyes were full of satisfaction as she looked at Nina.
She had a gentle, graceful beauty, like a lotus blossom fresh from the water. The kind of beauty that grew on you the longer you looked.
And that was exactly the kind of elegant, captivating dancer the troupe was looking for.
Nina felt a little shy under her gaze. She picked up a nu as well and was about to order when the door to the private room was suddenly pushed open.
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