Chapter 3

Klein was appalled when he heard Hugh’s remark. He asked, “You mean the woman on stage is Iris? How is that possible?” Hugh did not answer. His eyes were still fixed on the figure on the stage. The beads from his bracelet had fallen all over the floor! An intense wave of anger consumed him. Iris had sunk as low as to seducing men in a nightclub, he should be celebrating! Why was he so angry? Was this the remaining family love he had for her? Affection? No. His biological parents died because of Iris’ father. Iris was so vicious that she nearly burned his girlfriend Olenna Snow to death. He owed Olenna so much. Olenna had once saved his life. She had made countless sacrifices for him, even going as far as to give him part of her liver to save him. Such a wonderful girl ended up in a vegetative state, forsaken from life with no signs of waking up anytime soon. This was all the work of the wretched Iris. How could such a person be worthy of his affection? Meanwhile, the star of the show grabbed a white rucksack that she had prepared in the corner of the stage before the show began. With countless pairs of eyes on her, Iris got on her knees and scrambled across the floor to pick up every dollar bill she could find. The men began to make indecent jokes on her. When they saw her behind facing them while she doubled over, they began to throw their dollar bills at her arched back. Iris ignored all of their nasty remarks and was solely focused on the money. The money could save Tracy’s life! At that moment, a young man rushed onto the stage. He lowered himself over Iris and gently propped her chin up to face him. He then uttered enthusiastically, “My angel, give me your phone number. I’ve been here for your shows for a week straight. I want to get to know you.” Before Iris could react, the man grabbed her mask and threw it away. Her face riddled with hideous scars was immediately in full view of the man! The man was so frightened that he took a few steps back. He then cried out in horror, “How... How are you so ugly?! How can someone as ugly as you even work in Royal Palace…” At the same time, all of her so-called “fans” below the stage had turned on her as well. They threw everything at her—cakes, fruits, their drinks—while hurling insults at her. “How can someone this ugly trick us into thinking that she is a beauty?” “What a scam!” “Scram, Frankenstein, get out of here!” Bananas, oranges, lychees, and all sorts of fruits were thrown at her. However, Iris continued calmly picking up the money… There was not a single trace of emotional fluctuation on her face. During her five years in prison, she was beaten by others every day. She had to sleep on a bed soaked with freezing water in winter, while in summer, she was put in solitary confinement in a stuffy toilet. When they cut off her kidney, they hardly bothered to give her anesthesia. These cheap insults were nothing compared to what she had gone through. More importantly, today marked her first month at Royal Palace. After wrapping up her shift, she would be paid one hundred and ninety thousand. Furthermore, she had accumulated a total of two hundred and fifty thousand including tips so far. There had to be tens of thousands combined on stage right now. After this, she should have enough to cover Tracy’s medical expenses. Then, she could retire from Royal Palace. All she needed to do now was to pick up every dollar bill in sight—not sparing even a single one! At the VIP section, Hugh looked at Iris with his darkened face. It was her as expected. As Iris grew up by his side, he could immediately recognize her even if her face was disfigured. How did she end up like this? She was not supposed to be like this. She was Iris, whose youthfulness and beauty had astounded everyone around her. Klein had to stare at Iris intently for a while before he could be convinced that the ugly and shameless woman on stage was truly the Iris he once knew; the same Iris who was always by Hugh’s side since her childhood. How could this be Iris?! What exactly had she gone through in prison to end up in such a reduced state? Hugh did not answer Klein. He stood up coldly and turned to his assistant, Clifford, ordering sternly, “Bring her up here!” With that, he walked toward the elevator. Iris was still halfway through collecting the bills on stage when Clifford marched across the stage, stepping through countless fruits that had turned to mush while covering his face. He stopped next to Iris and said, “I’m Clifford. Boss wants to see you.” Iris nodded briefly upon hearing this. She had heard countless whispers about the boss of Royal Palace. Everybody said that he was vicious. She could not help wondering why he wanted to see her? Perhaps he had witnessed everything she did on stage and wanted to fire her in person? Did the boss not have anything better to do with his time? Soon, the elevator stopped on the ninety-ninth floor. Clifford came to a halt at a door and knocked on it. There was no response from the inside. He then directly pushed the door open… Iris stole a look inside the room and saw a man at a desk facing the other side. The black leather armchair had shielded the mysterious man’s silhouette, leaving only his thick and jet-black hair visible. Even though she could not see his face, she could sense the distinct and powerful aura emanating from the man. After Iris entered the room, Clifford excused himself and shut the door behind him. Iris approached the desk and said cautiously, “Boss, are you looking for me?” Right after that, the man sitting in the chair spun around without haste. His handsome face came into her sight. After five years, he looked more handsome and dazzling than before. The once outgoing boy exuded a cold aura. Against the ceiling lights, his defined features seemed almost too perfect to believe. It was Hugh! How could it be him?!