Mystic Night Garden is the biggest entertainment venue in all of Irving City. When night falls, the glaring lights come alive, and you can practically smell sensuality in the air spreading through the bar and onto the dance floor. All the patrons, typically older white men, usually have a woman’s waist grabbed in one palm and whiskey glass on the other hand.

That’s just how it goes. It can seem as if all the pains and troubles of the world simply have nothing to do with them. As you would expect, some patrons come to the swanky club with the desire to sow their wild oats. Others come to squander their fortunes on libations. For the majority, Mystic Night Garden offers them pure reverie– a sigh of relief, a break from everyday life, a tonic that makes succumbing to reality less painful once they get out.

“Hey, you!” The manager waved at Scarlett at the end of the corridor. Holding a tray, Scarlett looked back and answered, “Yes, ma’am.”

Scarlett wore the same uniform that every waitress at Mystic Night Garden wore– a short skirt and a halter-neck top, which perfectly revealed her slender and sexy figure. Her temperament, though, was less attractive. She seemed cold and somehow impenetrable.

Her chin did not form a delicately curved V-shape. Instead, her face appeared somewhat oval. Her big, almond-shaped eyes were dark green like the still water of the lake on fall days and complimented her dark brown eyebrows. Her rosy red lips and pearl white teeth brought out her natural beauty even more. Her dimples, though, appearing in rare moments when she broke into a smile, made her a true sight for sore eyes.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” She said and ran to the manager in small steps. The manager frowned at her, “I’ve told you so many times. Don’t fool around like that in the hallway!” After having to hear the exact same words pretty much every day, Scarlett had gotten used to it and responded to the manager with a bright smile, “Sorry, ma’am! I promise there won’t be the next time.”

The manager was frustrated– she had pointed out Scarlett’s bad behavior on innumerable occasions. But Scarlett remained ignorant and reckless as if nothing had even happened. If it were not for having known her for so long, the manager would assume that she was deliberately acting the fool and misbehaving just to piss her off.

“What’s going on in Mr. Ford’s booth? Are the girls doing their best to keep the bosses entertained?” This was more important than Scarlett’s stupidity. She temporarily forgave Scarlett for her mistake to tend to more pressing matters.

“Well, I just sent in the wine and went out right away, but it seemed like everything was going well! Things were getting steamy in there.” Scarlett said, snickering slightly.

“Good.” The manager smiled with satisfaction. Suddenly, she had an idea. She smoothed her long hair down and said, "Go to the 10th floor later. We have a big customer today!”

“Okay, yeah, I got it.” Scarlett readily agreed.

***

In a dark alley outside Mystic Night Garden, a man leaned against a wall. He was tall, with broad shoulders and long legs. He seemed to be waiting for somebody in this spot. He lowered his head and coolly lit a cigarette. The scarlet light between his fingers glittered in the darkness.

Suddenly, a sly figure slid out from the back door. The man stood up straight. He was alert now. He looked in the direction of the door to see who had arrived.

“It's only me, Sir Fond!”

Vincent Fond relaxed his body and smiled at the girl in front of him, “You get taller, Scarlett?”

She shook her head and showed him her heels, “Nah, it’s just my heels. Don’t they make me look taller?” She said brightly.

Fond glanced at Scarlett. He was as amazed and thrilled by the sight of her as he had been the very first time that they had met. Even in the dull and tacky uniform, she looked great. Her perfect body was to die for. Her long, wavy hair softly draped over her shoulders. Her eyes looked even deeper in the darkness– it seemed as if no one could escape their mysterious trap.

"Your mission has been completed successfully, and the Head said you could leave here whenever you want,” Fond reported.

This news immediately lightened Scarlett’s eyes, and her cheeks flushed with excitement. She had always been quite good at being stoic, concealing her emotions well. But this time, she failed.

She said to Fond, excited and proud, “I hope I didn’t drag it out too long... I was worried I was lagging behind. I didn’t slow down progress, did I?”

For a long time, she had been worried that she would accidentally expose herself and drag Sir Fond’s mission down. She was not a professional agent, after all.

Sir Fond laughed: "Of course you didn’t. Don’t even worry about it. You should be receiving the Admission Letter soon.”

Upon hearing this news, Scarlett was not as excited as Fond had expected her to be. She looked down and said, “Can I really go to college, though? I mean…those things I used to do were..." Scarlet trailed off.

“Scarlett, listen to me, you don't have to worry about any of that. The school will not find out about any of those things; it’s all in the past. I wanted to cut you a fair deal, and I’m going to make sure that you won’t suffer any losses.”

Fond patted her head and continued, "You are only 18 years old, right in the most beautiful time of your life. Don't get involved in those types of dangerous things again in the future; UI is a good university, just remember to enjoy your college years, and you’ll have the best time.”

Scarlett breathed a sigh of relief. The brightness had returned to her smile now, she felt at ease. "I will! If I’m able to get a scholarship, drink it!”

“You’re a smart girl; I’m not worried about you at all. I’m sure you’ll get all the scholarships you want. I’ll be here waiting for you when you’re ready to get a drink together sometime.”

Scarlett’s eyes grew watery with tears, “Thank you, Sir Fond, thank you so much! Without your help, I may never have gotten a chance to go to college. I know what I have done before was terrible. If it were not for your help, I would have been haunted by those bad memories throughout my life…

“You are very capable and alert. And you were the best candidate for this mission. Don’t thank me. Thank yourself. I was just the one who recommended you, but it was all your effort. It was all you– you made sure that the mission was completed successfully.”

“I know... but I would like to thank you anyway. Thank you…for believing in me and for recommending me for such a task.” Scarlett sincerely thanked Sir Fond.

The things she had done were not illegal per se, but they tended to dwell in that gray space of the law– between legal and outlawed, moral and immoral. If it had not been for Sir Fond’s recommendation, she would probably still be bumming around the streets, doing nothing with her life. “You’ve been out for too long. Go in now. I’ll send some of my people to take care of the follow-up work.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Alright, gotta go, see you!” Scarlett turned around and walked back into the darkness from where she had emerged.

Scarlett and Joey were chatting in the break room. She felt excited and relieved by what Sir Fond had just told her, and it showed on her face.

“So, what’s the good news?” Joey puffed at her cigarette, releasing smoke into the air. She looked at Scarlett. “Look at that face. Whatcha hiding, girl? Spit it out already.”

“Aye, stop teasing me. So, actually, here’s the thing. I’m about to quit working at Mystic Night Garden.” As she finished her sentence, Scarlett reached out her finger and deftly flicked the ash away.

Joey smiled, eyes twinkling, “Mmm nice, good for ya!”

Scarlett took a drag of her cigarette and let out a plume of smoke. She turned to Joey, “How much longer are you gonna stay here, you think?”

Joey shrugged her shoulders. Her thick make-up helped conceal her true emotions. A moment later, she said with pretend ease, “Ya know, I don’t really know what I can do in life besides this lousy job. Anyway, it’s a decent job. At least for someone like me who just wants to make a quick buck, ya know?”

After a long look at Scarlett, she continued, “The manager is right. You can have anything you want in life as long as you work really hard. But that’s just not the case for me.”

Scarlett took another puff of her cigarette before stubbing it out under her shoe. She said: “The higher you climb, the harder you fall. I’d better stay where I belong.”

Joey nodded her head in agreement. She stubbed out her cigarette, breathing deeply as she pondered over Scarlett’s words.

“What are you guys doing here?” The manager suddenly showed up and yelled at them outside the door. “Resting time is up. Mr. Clarkson’s room is now short of hands. Hurry up, girls!”

The two girls quickly stuffed peppermints into their mouths, straightened up their clothes, and headed toward the room.

Joey was sent to another room. Before they parted, she whispered to Scarlett, “Be careful, the manager…”

***

Scarlett pushed the door open and went in with one hand holding up a tray with two bottles of wine placed on it. It looked like the room had not warmed up yet. All the princesses were just sitting there on the couch; they were restrained.

As Scarlett popped up at the door, she caught the attention of the man who was seated in the center of the lounge. “Well, well, well, how could they be so foolish to ask such a beauty like you to only sell the wine? What wine are you selling, babe? Come, come here and show me.”

There was suddenly a spotlight on Scarlett, and everyone turned around to look at her.

The man then stood up, walked to her in a few steps, and stood right in front of her.

And in such distance, Scarlett noticed that his dark blue business suit was limited. From this distance, Scarlet saw that his dark blue business suit was none other than limited edition Valentino. His leather shoes were classic Salvatore Ferragamo. He had probably even had them custom-fitted. Another rich asshole, Scarlett thought to herself.

“Little pretty, how about a few drinks with your Uncle Clarkson, eh? What do you think, babe?” Without even waiting for Scarlett to consent, he grabbed her hand and placed a glass of wine in it.

Everyone else in the room remained utterly silent and quietly watched what was going on without saying a word. They saw that Mr. Clarkson grabbed the girls' hand very tightly and refused to let go; no matter how the girl struggled to free herself, she stayed trapped.

Scarlett took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down. In a second, a professional and polite smile reappeared on her face. “I’m so sorry to trouble you, sir. I didn’t mean to disturb you by barging in here like this. I owe you an apology.”

Scarlett raised the glass of wine to her lips and guzzled down the red liquid in a matter of seconds– by way of apology. She figured he would appreciate the playful gesture.

She was right. Her gesture, unfortunately, also managed to rekindle the old man’s interest and desire. His eyes became wild and his hands unscrupulous. He grabbed Scarlett’s hand again and touched it to his greasy face.

He was so disgusting that Scarlett was about to throw up. “I'm sorry, but I’ve still got work to do outside sir.” she smiled and struggled to get rid of the man’s hand.

The man didn’t give up and tried to tempt the girl with money, “Don’t resist, babe. Just listen to me. Aye, you listening to me? Just do what I say, and I promise you’ll go home tonight, rich.”

“I'm sorry, sir, but that’s not allowed. Please, sir, let me go. I don’t want to break the rules.”

The man grabbed her chin and threatened, “Are you really gonna ruin my party like this, you little bitch?” Summoning all of her strength, Scarlett managed to free herself from the man’s tight grip.

Mr. Clarkson grew even angrier. “You better fucking drink, bitch. You better fucking drink all this wine, or I won’t let you walk out of this room.”

As soon as he finished his words, the manager came in time and tried to ease the situation, “We are so sorry, Mr. Clarkson. This girl is just a newbie here and is still ignorant and reckless. It’s my fault; I should never have sent this one to you. Please, I beg you, have mercy on her. You would be very kind to forgive her– just this one time. Well, how about a 50% discount for today’s wine as an apology?”

Mr. Clarkson glanced at her, “You think I can’t afford this shit?”

The manager began sweating profusely and apologized repeatedly. She hinted at Scarlett to do something. Scarlett didn’t want to ruin her own good mood and also believed that this might be her last day at Mystic Night Garden.

She turned to Mr. Clarkson and apologized with a smile, “I’m sorry to have caused you so much trouble, Mr. Clarkson. I don’t mind drinking wine if that’s what you would like for me to do. This is the best wine out there, though– it’s a waste for a girl like me to drink it up. I’ll drink one bottle up and leave another for your later party. How ‘bout that? Does that sound good?”

Mr. Clarkson snorted to show his consent. Scarlett immediately picked the bottle up and knocked back the contents of it. Mr. Clarkson looked at her, drinking the wine. Some of it dripped onto her chest, and Mr. Clarkson smiled in satisfaction at the sight of it.

Everyone sitting in the room was amazed by her drinking capacity– only Scarlett knew this was nothing for her. It was a cakewalk, drinking all that wine in one long swig.

Within minutes, she finished the wine and showed Mr. Clarkson the empty bottle. “Enjoy your time, Mr. Clarkson. My apologies for causing you trouble earlier; I do hope you have a pleasant stay here.”

Scarlett felt a little dizzy from drinking all the wine and couldn’t stand up straight. The manager immediately grabbed onto Scarlett, seeing her grow nauseous, and said to Mr. Clarkson, “Mr. Clarkson, if you would permit me to, I think I’m going to take Scarlett to the lounge upstairs, so she can rest a bit.”

Scarlett noticed that Mr. Clarkson acquiesced to the manager’s request with a flirtatious, almost foxy kind of smirk. She sensed that something was wrong, but she couldn’t tell what it was exactly.

Her nausea got worse and worse, and she felt overwhelmed. How strange, she thought, I’m usually good at holding my liquor. “Wait… something’s wrong… that wine… there was something else in it… I’ve been drugged!” Scarlett murmured. She was too dizzy to say or do anything. She had been incapacitated.

The manager held Scarlett’s left arm and took her out of Mr. Clarkson’s room. She said to Scarlett, “Listen, you don’t have to work tonight. Why don’t you just head upstairs and get some rest?”

Scarlett leaned against the cold wall and asked, “Ma’am, can I just go back home?”

“Go back home? Right now? It’s too late, babe, and you’re drunk. I’d worry too much about you if I let you go home alone right now. Just go upstairs and rest up, yeah?” The manager said.

Scarlett pulled out her cell phone and tried to call Sir Fond up. Before she could dial all the numbers, her manager snatched her phone away and said, “Hey hey, let me call your family up for you.” Annoyed by the way Scarlett was acting out, the manager pinched her waist, venting her anger and frustration.

Scarlett was hurt, and her head was spinning. She felt sure that the wine had been spiked with some drugs. Her manager, also, was acting very strange. Her words and behavior made the situation all the more complicated. She came to realize that this must have been a conspiracy right from the start. Her manager must be in cahoots with the so-called Mr. Clarkson. They must have ganged up with each other, planned to drug her, kidnapped her, and turned her into a sex slave.

Realizing this terrible fact, Scarlett bit her tongue to keep herself sober even though it was really getting more complicated as time passed by. The manager pushed her into the elevator and took her to the 10th floor.

When the door of the elevator opened, Scarlett was pulled out by the manager and dragged toward a room. She gritted her teeth, using all her strength to struggle against the manager. Even though the manager tried hard to pull her into the room, she failed.

“Son of a bitch!” The manager cursed. She took her phone out and called her two bodyguards to come.

The manager grabbed Scarlett’s ear and said, “Mr. Clarkson is a very wealthy man, and you should feel blessed that he wants anything to do with you. Who the fuck do you think you are? Stupid bitch.”

Not long after, two huge, muscular men came, waiting for the manager’s order. “Drag her into the room. Now. Go!”

Scarlett was so scared that she grabbed onto the heavy potted plant on the floor. She held it desperately and didn’t let go. But she was a tiny girl. How could she hope to resist two strong men? They picked her up effortlessly as if she were as light as a feather.

The manager tidied her collar and looked at Scarlett. She had been doing this work for years, finding young girls for wealthy patrons looking for some fun. She had gotten used to these things. This was her job, after all. “Don't blame me for this. Serve Mr. Clarkson well, and you will have your good days too.”

Just as the manager was about to leave the room, Scarlett heard the sound of footsteps treading on the carpet that ran along the corridor. The footsteps were soft, but they were firm.

It was none other than Mr. Sandler. The manager's face turned pale. She greeted the man heading towards her with a smile, “Is everything okay, sir? May I help you with anything? Here at Mystic Night Garden, we are always at your service.”

Scarlett was still sober and heard the manager’s trembling voice.

Looking up at the person, she saw a tall and dignified figure standing there. He had an icy air about him– he meant business. Although Scarlett’s vision was blurry, and so she couldn’t see the man’s face very clearly, she could still sense that he had a dominant and magnetic presence. His aura was like that of a king– he stood as if he were perched at the top of some pyramid, looking down on his subjects.

Scarlett thought this man had scared the manager so bad that this might be the last straw.

She used whatever little strength she had to bite the wrist of one of the bodyguards. Shocked, he retracted his arm quickly. Scarlett took this moment to kick him in the groin. The bodyguard fell backward, and Scarlett was set free from his control. She rushed towards Mr. Sandler, falling right into his arms.

“Oh honey, you came here for me, right? It’s my fault, I shouldn’t have left without leaving a message. I promise there won’t be the next time, okay? Honey, please just take me home, I’m tired of working here. Those guys are so bad.” Scarlett looked into Mr. Sandler’s eyes and hoped desperately that he would understand she was in grave trouble.