WANTED: Stripper

"Max! Run!" Lottie shouted, using every ounce of energy she had. She had to get Maxine out of there. There was no telling what that old creep would do to her—no telling what their mom would do to her. That's what's scary. 

As soon as she heard Lottie's voice, Maxine bolted, running as fast as her legs could carry her. Looking back, she saw two of George Lucas' guys were still hot on her heels.

She spotted an open door and didn't hesitate to dive inside. She sat in a corner, leaning against the wall and hugging her knees.

After a few more minutes, the hallway was quiet. Maxine slowly got up and walked to the door, careful not to make a sound.

She peeked outside cautiously to see if the coast was clear. When she was sure the bad guys were gone, she fixed her clothes and tried to slip out.

Before she could, someone yanked her back inside. The room was dark, but she was pretty sure it was a man.

She landed in his lap, her hands coming to rest on his chest. Maxine could feel how muscular he was, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't see his face.

Surprisingly, the stranger flipped her over on the bed and climbed onto her. "Save me," he whispered, his voice raspy. "Save me, and I'll marry you."

Maxine Winther wanted to say no. She tried to push him off, but his weak voice made her feel weak too. He didn’t stop until he was satisfied.

That night, Maxine Winther lost something important to her. The worst part? She lost it to some guy she didn’t even know. It wasn’t someone she loved. But she didn’t get mad at him. His plea for help felt like something she could relate to.

When Maxine thought it was all over, she tried to get up, even though her legs were shaking. She quickly pulled the blanket over herself to cover up.

Before Maxine could even get her feet on the floor, he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back. Just like that, he started all over again.

The mysterious guy didn’t stop until it was almost morning. Maxine was completely worn out. But when she saw he was asleep, she tried to sneak away. 

Maxine didn’t even care who the guy was. He was facing the other way, and she was scared to check because she didn’t want to wake him up.

All she wanted, was to run from the terrible situation and find her sister. She needed to know what had happened to Lottie after she had helped her escape that old guy.

Maxine left the room, ran down the stairs, and headed towards the hotel exit. When she stepped outside, the bright sun made her eyes hurt. She felt even weaker and more sore from the night before.

She wanted to go home as fast as possible, so she called a taxi and told the driver where she lived. On the way, Maxine fell asleep. She only woke up when the driver tapped her knee and said they had arrived at Bailey’s.

Lottie paced around the small apartment, her heart pounding in her chest. It was already morning, and she hadn't heard a word from her sister, Maxine, since the night before. Worry gnawed at her, and she knew their adoptive mother, Stella, would go crazy if she found out Maxine hadn't come home. Stella was sick and had been bedridden since they moved to Bailey’s.  

"Lottie, where's Maxine?" Stella asked, her voice weak. It was already past 7 AM and she still hadn't heard her daughter's voice.

Lottie's heart raced. She approached her mother and started massaging her legs. "She's coming home soon, Mom. They just had to do some cleaning at the club last night, and they just finished," she lied. 

While trying to calm Stella down, Lottie called her sister again. But Maxine's phone still went unanswered.

"Lottie! Lottie!"

Hearing that voice, Stella pushed herself up. "Maxine? Is that Maxine?" she asked. She had come, and Lottie let out a sigh of relief. 

“B*tch, where’d you go?” Lottie asked with a sneer, glancing over her shoulder, ensuring their mom didn’t hear.

“Long story, sis. Just glad I’m back,” Maxine said, walking past her and sitting on Stella’s bed. Maxine hugged her. “How are you feeling, Mom? Are you okay?” 

“I was worried about you. I didn’t hear you all night,” Stella said. Maxine apologized and kissed her. After explaining, she went to her room, grabbed a towel, and took a shower.

When she came out, before Lottie could even say anything, she went to her bed and lay down. “You owe me an explanation,” Lottie said, crossing her arms. 

Maxine sat up and hugged her sister. “We’ll talk tonight, but let me sleep now. I’m exhausted.”

Lottie let go when she saw the dark circles under Maxine’s eyes and the marks on her neck. ‘She looked really tired,’ Lottie thought before leaving the room. 

Several hours later, Maxine woke up to her alarm clock. It was time to get ready for work. While getting ready, she started telling Lottie what had happened that night. She knew Lottie wouldn’t stop until she heard the story.

Several hours later, Maxine woke up to her alarm clock. It was already 7 PM, and it was time to prepare for work.

While getting ready, she spilled the beans to Lottie about what had happened that night. She knew Lottie wouldn't let her off the hook until she heard the whole story.

However, she kept mum about spending the night with a stranger. She didn't think it was cool to tell Lottie about that.

Yes, she lied to her sister.

She told Lottie she had fallen asleep in the room where she hid. She also told her the marks on her neck were from George Lucas before she could escape him.

When their neighbor, Gloria, arrived, Maxine and Lottie said goodbye to their mom, reminding her, as always, not to forget her medication.

After a half-hour ride, the sisters entered Purple Spade and spotted the owner. Randy, leaning against the bar, immediately stubbed out his cigarette once he saw them.

"Where’d you run off to last night?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Maxine strode up to him, one hand on her hip. "Why don’t you ask your favorite manager?" she snapped, glaring at Doug.

Randy glanced over at Doug, who was visibly uncomfortable. He motioned for him to come over. "What’s going on?" he demanded.

"S-Sir, last night—" Doug stammered, his fingers fidgeting nervously as he tried to explain.

The room was tense, and patience was wearing thin, especially for Lottie, who stepped forward to spill the truth.

"Doug took money from George Lucas and let that old creep take Max out. He even spiked her drink and carried her out the back," she announced smugly, locking eyes with Doug.

Randy lost it. He lunged at Doug, grabbing him by the collar, his eyes practically bulging with fury. "Why the hell did you do that?" he shouted.

Doug trembled and tried to defend himself. But before he could get a word out, Randy punched him square in the face. Doug hit the floor, crashing into bottles and glasses.

"Get out! You’re fired!" Randy roared.

Doug struggled to his feet, wiping the blood from his eye. As he stumbled toward the door, he shot a venomous look at Maxine.

Before leaving, he pointed a finger at her in a threatening gesture. But Maxine wasn’t fazed—and never would be.

One month since the whole thing with George Lucas and Maxine hadn’t seen Doug since he got kicked out of Purple Spade. She was relieved he hadn’t followed through on his threats.

Standing by the road outside Purple Spade, Maxine lit a cigarette, something she’d gotten into ever since she started working as a stripper.

Just as she was about to flick the butt away, a silver Chrysler Pacifica pulled up beside her. Before she could react, a big, burly guy jumped out, grabbed her arm, and clamped a hand over her mouth.

Maxine tried to fight, but he was too strong. She blacked out as he dragged her into the car and sped off.

Meanwhile, back in Bailey’s, Lottie got a call from Randy. He was looking for Maxine.

Panicked, Lottie tried calling her sister, but the phone went straight to voicemail. She kept trying all night, but Maxine’s phone stayed off.

Little did she know, Maxine was unconscious, slumped on a cold floor, her back against an equally freezing wall.

"Open it," commanded Sean Hartmann, the most powerful man in Virginia. As the billionaire CEO of the Hartmann Group, one of the largest corporations in the world, Sean had earned a reputation as one of the youngest and most eligible bachelors globally. He’d taken over the company after returning from his studies in London.

The aide quickly followed his order, unlocking the cell door. Sean stepped inside, his eyes narrowing at the woman in front of him—the one accused of murdering his brother.

Still groggy, the woman lifted her head, rubbing her eyes to adjust to the light. Sean, arms crossed, sat on the bed, scrutinizing her.

He couldn’t understand how this woman could’ve killed his brother. ‘How could she be a murderer?’

"Who are you?" she asked, shielding her eyes to get a better look at him.

"I'm your long-lost husband," he replied, smirking.

She scoffed. "Hah, in your dreams!"

Sean nodded at the guard, who yanked the woma