Chapter 11

Samantha hadn't even made up her mind when her phone buzzed again. Layla's profile picture popped up to the top of her messages. A few new texts had appeared in their chat. Layla: "It's fine if you scam him for money, but don't let him scam you for your feelings. I seriously suspect he's not good in bed. He's been back here once, and he didn't even enter my room before leaving. Layla: "You absolutely cannot go for a guy like him. What's the point of being handsome if he's not good in bed?" Samantha was at a loss for words. She had been racking her brain, trying to figure out how to explain the situation. But after seeing Layla's messages, she realized there was no need to explain anything at all. In fact, Layla was worried for her. Wait—no, she still needed to clarify. Samantha: "I just happened to run into him after work. I didn't meet up with him on purpose. Plus, I barely know him." Layla: "Tsk. That doesn't sound like someone you 'barely know.' Mr. Garrett is way too aloof to show up at a place like that for no reason. He was obviously there for you. It's so obvious that he's interested in you, and he wants to woo you." Samantha still felt a little uneasy as she stared at the message. Samantha: "Layla, you're not mad, are you?" Layla: "Why would I be mad? Mr. Garrett doesn't like me, let alone have any plans to marry me. To the Garretts, I'm nothing more than a little pet they keep around. He can do whatever he wants, as long as he keeps paying for my lifestyle. Once I've saved enough money, I'll find a decent guy and get married." Somewhere out there, an innocent "decent guy" just got blindsided. Layla: "Anyway, back to the point. He's loaded, so find a way to milk him for all he's worth. Just don't fall for him. A man who keeps women at home like that is never a good man. You're too naive, and you can't let him fool you!" Samantha: "Got it!" She took Layla's words to heart. Under no circumstances could she fall for Leonardo! Layla was like a wise and clever mentor to her. Samantha believed that everything Layla said was the absolute truth, and it would keep her from straying down the wrong path. Xenia had been looking forward to a good show, but when she saw Samantha show up to work as usual the next day, she was baffled. Hadn't she already sent the photos to Layla? Why wasn't there any reaction at all? Seeing Samantha completely unscathed annoyed her to no end. Why did this newcomer get all the luck? … The next day, as Samantha was on her back from delivering drinks to the backstage area, she happened to run into Wesley and Leonardo. These two always made an entrance. Their bodyguards trailed behind them, serious and over-the-top as ever, while Juliet personally escorted them in with the utmost respect. Wesley, as usual, was chattering away. "I called you so many times before, and every time I had to like beg you to show up. But now, one call and you're here?" Leonardo ignored him. Wesley's eyes gleamed mischievously and he teased, "Mr. Garrett, don't you think you've been coming here a little too often lately?" Only when Leonardo shot him a warning look did Wesley finally shut up. Still, he looked quite satisfied with himself. He was a complete masochist. Samantha spotted them from a distance and immediately took a sharp turn down another hallway, making sure to stay as far away as possible. Leonardo wasn't someone she could afford to mess with. Their previous encounters had all been coincidences. Keeping her distance was the safest option. That way, no one would find out about that night. It was good for Layla and her too. With Juliet leading the way, Leonardo and Wesley finally arrived at the entrance to the private room. Wesley said, "That waitress who poured drinks for my buddy last time wasn't bad. Let's call her over again." He knew Leonardo so well. Leonardo wouldn't have shown up tonight if not for that waitress. Honestly, Wesley was curious. What was so special about her that even someone like Leonardo couldn't resist? Juliet replied eagerly, "Of course! I'll bring her over right away!" … In the break room, most of the waitstaff were still busy working. Those with a bit of downtime were resting here since it was close to the bar area, making it easy for Juleit to find someone when needed. She stepped into the room and shouted, "Where's Samantha? Is she here?" With all the waitstaff wearing masks, it was hard to tell who was who, so calling out was the only option. No one responded. After a long moment, a waitstaff replied, "She probably went to deliver drinks." "When will she be back?" Juliet asked. "No idea." "When she gets back, tell her to go to Room One." "Got it!" With that, Juliet left to handle other tasks. The moment the door swung shut, the waitstaff couldn't hold back their gossip. "What's so special about Samantha? Why do they always send her to Room One?" "Probably because she's young and good at playing the innocent act, haha." "Did you guys know that she got thousands in tips when she worked in that room last time?" "Well, she's serving Mr. Garrett. Of course, he's generous." One of the waitresses scoffed. "I don't get it. I was in that room too, delivering drinks. She barely did anything—just poured a few drinks, and still walked away with a fat tip. Meanwhile, I work myself to the bone every night, put up with those bald old men groping me, and barely make a few hundred." The others were green with envy, but since the client had already requested Samantha, there was nothing they could do about it. Xenia had been there the whole time. She heard both Juliet's instructions and the other waitstaff's discussion. After hesitating for a moment, she said, "Enough talking. I'll go to Room One." "Huh?" The waitress who had been given the task looked worried. "But Juliet specifically asked for Samantha. I don't think this is a good idea…" "What does it matter? Everyone's wearing masks anyway," Xenia replied smoothly. "Guys like them have seen so many women. Do you really think they remember every single one? In this line of work, fortune favors the bold. I have the guts to go, do you?" Silence filled the room. Indeed, none of them dared to take the risk. If they slipped up, the consequences wouldn't be something they could afford. Seeing no objections, Xenia said, "It's settled, then. Keep your mouths shut, and when I get back, I'll share some of the tips with you guys." Since they would get a cut of the money without any risk, no one had a reason to refuse. The waitstaff quickly fell silent, dropping the subject altogether. With a confident smile, Xenia turned and walked out of the break room, heading straight for Room One. … Samantha had spent nearly two hours delivering drinks. Finally finding a moment to catch her breath, she went to the break room to sneak in a little rest. As soon as she removed her mask and sat down, she noticed several waitstaff staring at her. Their stares made her uneasy. Unable to ignore it, she finally asked, "Why are you all looking at me like that? Did something happen?" Realizing they had been too obvious, they quickly averted their gazes, shaking their heads and pretending to be busy. "Nope, nothing at all." "Yeah, nothing." Samantha was speechless. Something felt off. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she was sure something had happened.