Chapter 15 The Most Famous Playboy

A skinny young woman was standing outside the Shangri-La Bar, scanning the area until she saw Freya out of a taxi. "I knew you wouldn't ditch me, my dear Freya." Madeline Luna said as she limped toward her friend. Freya asked Madeline, "How did you hurt your ankle?" after noticing the swelling on her foot. "Oh, don't bring it up. They unexpectedly added a dance routine to tonight's performance. As you know, I can only sing, not dance. My body isn't flexible enough, so I accidentally sprained my ankle while attempting a simple stretch," replied Madeline with a sense of helplessness. Madeline had been performing at the bar for years but had never been asked to dance before. At first, she wanted to decline, but they offered her a substantial sum of money that she couldn't resist. Little did she know it would result in an injury to her ankle. If Freya hadn't returned, the performance would have tanked, and she would have been liable for breach of contract. "Fine, take a break. I'll fill in for you onstage!" Freya and Madeline had been best friends since they were kids, as their two families were very close when Freya's mother was alive. As a matter of fact, Madeline's mom was even Freya's godmother. However, after Freya's mother passed away, she was sent back to the country, and the two girls lost contact for a long while. Freya and Madeline only found each other again five years ago, but by then, the Luna family had lost much of its former wealth. Madeline's father allegedly suffered business failures and paid exorbitant interest rates on his loans. He was still in deep debt to the bank after selling the business and the house to pay off the loans. He jumped off a building to end his life because he couldn't take the stress of his mounting debts any longer. Madeline's mother left the family when she realized she couldn't handle the huge debts by herself and ran off with another man, leaving Madeline alone to deal with the mess. Madeline had to come to the bar to sing to pay off her debts, as she didn't have much of a choice. Her life had been especially difficult for her since the accident. "Freya, your position has changed now. Remember to keep your stage persona a mystery at all costs!" Freya reassured her, patting her on the shoulder and saying, "Don't worry, leave everything to me." Freya had always been as talented as her mother was. Freya's voice and flexibility were remarkable since she took her mother's advice and worked hard to hone her singing and dancing skills. Madeline excelled at singing but struggled with dancing. "Okay, the clock is ticking. It's time to get ready." Madeline reminded Freya after she checked the time. Freya nodded and turned, making her way through the crowded Shangri-La Bar and toward the changing room. The city's wealthiest and most prominent citizens often frequented the city's largest nightclub, Shangri-La Bar. There were also a lot of women there hunting for rich men. Those gold diggers knew that if they could marry a handsome, successful young man, they'd be instantly accepted into the upper crust. Lola, for instance, was a regular at the Shangri-La Bar. "Lola, why the long face? Did your family's business go bankrupt?" "Shut up! I think maybe it's your family's business that went bankrupt!" Lola retorted with a sneer. She had a lot of reasons to be upset after today, and she still wasn't feeling better. "What a temper! Why are you being so aggressive today?" "Come on, let's go dance together." Lola was being pushed toward the dance floor by a group of socialites, but she was still in pain all over her body. She said to her companions, "You guys can go ahead. I just want to have a drink," and then she strode confidently around the corner. Her interest was piqued when she spotted a man smoking in the far corner. Freya had married into the Austin family, so the Lawsons looked out for her after the wedding. Lola believed that she would no longer need to appease Freya if she could also marry a member of the Austin family. The Lawson family would no longer be dependent on Freya that way, Lola reasoned, and she could then use that opportunity to teach her a lesson without anyone daring to intervene. She thought all she needed to do was just seduce Ethan. She straightened her collar and approached Ethan with poise after thinking this. "Ethan, are you alone?" When Ethan saw a woman coming toward him, he immediately took her into his arms, despite his bad mood. "Yeah. I'm all by myself. Do you have time to hang out with me?" he asked. Lola shyly agreed and sat on Ethan's lap, snuggling up to him. She wasn't as attractive as Freya, but she had an incredible figure that rendered many men defenseless in the face of her. Ethan carried Lola to a private room because he needed an outlet right away, as he was still bothered by the fact that he had got whipped. The prey had come to him willingly, and he wouldn't have let her go in vain. Ethan threw her onto the couch as soon as they entered the room and firmly pressed her down while kissing her passionately. Lola was overjoyed internally because she believed that if she slept with Ethan, she might eventually succeed as the Austin family's future hostess. ... Freya put on her makeup and covered her face with a veil in the dressing room. She was about to take the stage with less than ten minutes until her performance began. Freya walked out of the backstage area and headed toward the stage. She was startled when a stranger appeared around a corner and bumped into her. Freya stumbled back as she lost her balance, the impact causing a sharp pain in her forehead. She shot an angry glare at the man who accidentally bumped into her. The man was dressed in a fashionable dark brown suit jacket paired with matching trousers that made his legs seem slender and straight. His shoes gleamed with a flawless shine, suggesting his attention to detail when it came to his appearance. As Freya looked up, she was struck by the man's stunningly handsome and refined face. The man had the prominent features of a wealthy playboy: a perfect nose, thin but luscious lips, and sharp, charismatic eyes that were currently accompanied by a faint rogue's smirk. She couldn't help but think to herself, "This man is even more beautiful than most women I know!" Patrick Perry extended his slender hand to apologize, "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there. Are you alright?" The girl in front of him had her face partially covered by a veil, looking slightly annoyed after being knocked to the ground. Her eyes were enchantingly beautiful as a pond of limpid water with a hint of mysterious allure, leaving Patrick momentarily captivated. Freya simply ignored him and leaned against the wall while she stood up. Only five minutes remained until the start of the show, so she had to get ready quickly. Freya knew Madeline was counting on her, and she couldn't let her down with a subpar performance. Patrick smiled softly as he watched Freya walk away. This was the first time that Patrick, the club's most notorious playboy, had ever been ignored by a woman. Patrick scratched the bridge of his nose and walked back toward the elevator. Some black leather sofa chairs were arranged in front of the enormous floor-to-ceiling windows in the luxurious, fully tempered glass office on the third floor. Two men were lounging on the couch, each with a glass of enticing red wine. Patrick pushed open the door and entered the room. "Bradley still hasn't arrived?" The man sitting on the couch picked up the bottle of red and sipped from it, muttering in disappointment, "I guess he's enjoying his newlywed night right now. He's now so indulging in sex that he won't come over." "How is that possible? How boring it would be if Bradley didn't come. I'll give him a call." Just as Patrick was about to dial his cell phone, the door slammed open suddenly.