I've Been There Before (Grace and Caden)
Chapter 45: Punishment

No one would expect that Franklin would ask such a question.

Even the air seemed to be frozen at that moment. Ruby felt like getting goose pumps all over.

"Grace, do you agree with her?"

Perhaps only a few words could bail her out.

Grace clearly noticed the fear conveyed by Ruby's eyes when she looked through.

Then Grace raised her head with a gentle smile, "Of course."

Ruby felt like her body drenched with sweat. She might be trapped in a phobia of such kind of feeling from now on.

She took a look at Grace with mixed feelings in her heart, who seemed to keep on putting both endless pressure and humiliation on her.

Perhaps even Ruby herself failed to notice that the more she disdained Grace, the more distorted she would become.

She was bail out by Grace, whom she disdained the most.

It made Ruby felt like being saved by an idiot, while she deemed herself as a genius paralleled to Albert Einstein.

"Mr. Cordon, I need to get down to my own business if there is nothing else you need from me." Grace did not want to acquaint such a playboy. It weren't because of Ruby, but Grace herself now got nothing left but her bare body.

Grace turned around and left. Franklin stared at her till her figure faded away from his sight, and then he shifted his sight on Ruby, with a sneer hidden in his eyes. Obviously, he would never believe even a single words coming out from Ruby's mouth.

Perhaps in the eyes of Ruby, she still deemed Franklin nobody but a squanderer spoiled by his rich family.

"Are you busy with your work later?"

Ruby was a bit flattered when hearing that. Was he caring about her?

"No, no that busy today." Ruby tried to show that she was free to be dated today.

Clenching her own fist out of nervousness, Ruby was expecting something...

However, Franklin just replied casually, "Well, I am glad to hear that." Then he put his hands in the pockets and left leisurely, only leaving Ruby behind with confusion written all over her face.

'What did he mean by simply saying so? Just ask me if I am busy and leave like that?'

Ruby felt like itching to know the reason why he just simply left. Unfortunately, she had no choice but held back her desire and got back to work. But she was seemingly quite absent-minded.

"Ruby, get to the Room 603 on the sixth floor."

The forewoman said to Ruby, while handling her a plate of fruit, "Time to work."

"What? It should be Annie who serves the guests in Room 603, right?"

The forewoman squinted at Ruby, "One of the guest make you serve them. Hurry up."

"Alright..."

In Room 603.

Franklin proposed a toast to those middle-aged men sitting on the sofa, "Mr. Du, just enjoy yourself here. I will pay the bill."

Then he drained the wine in the glass. Putting down the glass, he said, "Sorry, gentlemen, I have something else to deal with and my father is still waiting for me at home."

Then Franklin continued, "Mr. Du, did you see that door over there."

While speaking, Franklin pointed at the door of the box, "There will be a young beauty coming in. Let me tell you, that girl is quite hot and interesting. You know me. I never keep the treasure only for my own." Then he revealed an ambiguous smile to Mr. Du and nudged him a bit.

"Mr. Du, you know what I mean, right?"

"Of course, I got it" Mr. Du looked quite decent with a pair of glasses on his face, who seemed like a refined gentleman in most people's view. But he also revealed a lustful smile when hearing Franklin's words.

"No wonder it is said that Mr. Cordon is known as a generous and excellent gentleman." Mr. Du replied delightedly.

Franklin then hinted, "Mr. Du, just rest assure. You can simply indulge yourself here. I will then have someone bring you some nice stuff to play with. And I specially select a wonderful girl for you. Please don't let me down, Mr. Du?"

"I got it, Mr. Cordon."

Then Franklin turned around and left the private box. He headed to a corner in the shadow. Leaning against the wall, he lit up a cigarette. Through the smoke, he could see that beauty he just mentioned walked into the Room 603. Exactly speaking, perhaps it should be a hell from her point of view.

Ruby put down the fruit plate, and she was about to leave. Unlike those barmaids who would even be willing to trade their bodies for money, Ruby only served as a normal waitress here. But she did not notice that there was no barmaid in this box.

Ruby was then stopped by Mr. Du, "Hey girl, what is your name?"

Ruby was a bit flustered when hearing that, "My name is Ruby Carter."

"Ruby Carter, what a nice name!"

"Come on, sit beside me." Mr. Du beckoned.

Feeling humiliated, Ruby stressed, "Sir, I am just a waitress."

She had specifically emphasized her identity as "waitress" so as to notice the guest that she never worked as a barmaid.

However, all those men in the box had been informed by Franklin that they could have fun with this girl. So they had kept in mind that this girl could be rather 'interesting and special' beforehand.

Mr. Du did not even take her reluctance seriously, and he still deemed her reaction as a kind of carnal appetite. He still kept a smiling face, "Sit down. I don't care whether you only work as a waitress or not. When you choose to work for the Royal Club, you need to obey the rules even if you only work as a cleaner."

Mr. Du said in a flat tone, nor did he humiliate or shout at Ruby. She had no choice but to suppress her disgust, "Sorry sir, I do only work as a waitress and I never serve guests as a barmaid."

However, her words amused Mr. Du, including other men sitting on the sofa. From her point of view, their smile seemed rather creepy.

"You don't need to drink with us as a barmaid. We could serve ourselves." Another bald middle-aged man cut in and talk to Mr. Du and then that bald man turned to talk to his companies for a while. And then, Mr. Du started to communicate with them in foreign language. Finally, he turned to his bodyguard and discuss with him in Cantonese.

Then Ruby suddenly realized that this seemingly decent middle-aged man wearing a pair of glasses was a Hong Kong businessman, while the others were Japanese.

A Hong Kong business man came to the Royal Club with other three Japanese businessmen for fun?

At the thought of that, Ruby seemed to realize what was going to happen next. She was determined to leave as soon as possible. However, Mr. Du smiled evilly, "Miss Carter, someone just recommended you to serve us and he told us you were quite interesting."

Then he voice turned harsh, "Beal, take good care of Miss Carter."