Heidi’s face was a river of tears, the blood mixing with the water, making her look utterly broken.
She knelt on the floor, her forehead hitting the ground over and over in desperation. "Mr. Sterling, I’ll lick your shoes, I’ll do anything, just please let her give me back my necklace. It’s a gift from my sister. It means more to me than my own life."
Emma chuckled, crossing her legs with a sneer. As Heidi crawled toward her, she suddenly stepped on her face, her disdain dripping with every word. "I’ve never liked your face, coming to a place like this and still pretending to be pure. Who do you think you are?"
Anger surged through me, making my hands shake. I couldn’t hold back anymore. Without a second thought, I pushed Emma aside. "Touch her again," I spat.
I stood between Heidi and the crowd, my eyes burning with rage.
The room, filled with at least ten people, shifted instantly, the chaotic noise fading into an eerie silence as they all turned to focus on me.
Heidi’s face drained of color. She grabbed my arm, her initial worry quickly morphing into disgust. "What are you doing here in a place like this? Leave. I don’t want to see you."
I froze, my heart sinking as I stared at her in disbelief. How could she say this?
"Heidi, please. Tell me the truth, have you gotten yourself into some kind of trouble? You don’t have to face this alone. I’ll help you."
The hostility in the room was palpable now, each pair of eyes glaring at me with ill intent.
Heidi shoved me away with force. "I have a problem and the problem is you. You’re standing in the way of my chance to make big money. If you really want to help, just leave now."
I stumbled back, taken aback by the harshness in her words. The urgency in her tone cut through me and I finally understood, she was pushing me away to protect me.
How could she, the one who had always been there for me, just sever the ties between us so easily?
I reached for her hand, my heart pounding. I was about to tell her that this club was my brother’s, that he was on his way and that if she spoke up, I could have everyone tormenting her swept out of Springfield in an instant.
But before I could speak, a slow, mocking voice cut through the tension. "Heidi, this is your sister, isn’t it? Since she’s here, we can’t let her leave without sharing a drink, can we?"
Heidi swayed slightly, her face drained of color as if life itself had been drained from her.
"Mr. Sterling, she’s just a wild girl, rash, with a terrible personality. Let me drink with you, please. I’ll drink as much as you want."
Tyler raised an eyebrow, his silence speaking volumes. The meaning was clear.
Without hesitation, Heidi grabbed the wine bottle from the table, her hand shaking as she tilted it back, taking a drink that seemed to weigh down her very soul.
She only had one kidney and alcohol was taboo for her; drinking this much could very well kill her.
I reached out, desperate to pull her away, but she shoved me back with coldness. "You think you can enjoy this fine wine? Not a chance. I won’t let you touch a drop."
Despite the harsh words, she positioned herself in front of me, blocking Tyler’s eyes from falling on me.
My heart clenched as though it were being ripped apart. I couldn’t stand seeing her destroy herself.
Without thinking, I snatched the bottle from her hands and hurled it to the ground. "Stop drinking. Your body can’t handle this, Heidi. Please, just tell me what’s going on. Let me help you."
"What can you do? You're nothing but a poor fool trying to play the big shot in front of me. Only someone like Tyler, with money, can save me."
"You really don’t get it, do you? When I say leave, I mean it. You’re like an unrelenting pest, always crawling back, refusing to take a hint."
Bitterness churned in my chest. A wave of regret washed over me; why hadn’t I told her about my background sooner? If I had, she wouldn’t be pushing me away, trying to protect me from her mess.
Then, Emma’s voice slithered through the tension, dripping with contempt. "Sister, you probably don’t know, but your dear sister sold herself to the club for a million. She claimed it was for her sister’s treatment. For the past three years, we’ve had her act like an animal. Not even licking shoes could compare to the things we’ve made her do. She’d eat the damn shoes if we told her to."
