Avril was a child who had never known love or affection. From a young age, she learned a harsh truth: there was no such thing as unconditional love. Rather than face debts of gratitude she couldn't repay, she wanted to trade the simplest things for what she needed. After all, laying back and enjoying herself while also making money was a deal too good to pass up.
To let this opportunity slip away would mean regretting it for life. That was why she was so eager to make her presence known.
At this moment, feeling the man's intense desire, she felt a mix of anxiety and concern. She had heard so many people online say that the first time didn't always come with the expected spoils. She worried that if she didn't bleed, the man might think she wasn't worth the price.
She contemplated the idea of biting her finger to draw blood, but the thought of pain made her hesitant. How much blood did she need to produce anyway?
"Avril, you don't have to do this," the man's voice pulled her attention back.
Cautiously, she opened one eye to sneak a glance. The man wore a gentle smile, his eyes carrying a hint of tenderness. "No one's forcing you to do this. Don't put too much pressure on yourself."
For some reason, her heart fluttered for a moment. She opened both eyes and locked onto his gaze. "Uncle, don't you like me being so proactive?"
"It's not about being proactive or not; I just don't want you to compromise yourself like this."
"There's no compromise! Compared to those fat, old bald men, you're the best sugar daddy I've ever seen!"
James felt a bit flustered by the compliment. He was never good at handling such blunt honesty.
"I can be your sugar daddy, but I don't need you to repay me with your body," he insisted. "Because, more than your body, I want you to be happy."
He let her go and returned to the couch, taking a sip of water and sighing. "Just like I love the birds in the sky, but I wouldn't want to keep them locked in a cageâ I want you to be free."
"Free?" Avril repeated, laughing lightly, "I can't afford that."
"You could try to trust me; it won't cost you anything."
"Why did you choose me?"
"Because you're beautiful, and I really like cute girls like you."
Avril nodded gently. "Thank you, I like myself too."
"......"
"Uncle, I actually like you a lot too. I wouldn't mind being kept in your cage!"
Her sincere eyes and affectionate words nearly had James falling for her. If the system hadn't shown her favorability at only 55, he might have been swayed.
He knew this girl wouldn't be easily tamed. Since words had little effect, he decided not to rush things. "Then you can stay in the cage; I'll leave the door open for you to go wherever you want."
Seeing him pull back slightly left Avril feeling disappointed, with an inexplicable mix of emotions welling up inside her.
She didn't dwell on it. Once she recovered her composure, recalling the reason she had come over, she rubbed her hands together with a bright smile. "Hehe, shall we discuss my allowance?"
"How about five bucks a day? You can submit any other expenses with a receipt for reimbursement."
Avril's smile faltered, and she immediately protested.
Eventually, James agreed to give her a five-thousand-dollar wage as her allowance, and they reached a compromise.
Later that evening, the two played a game on the couch for a while.
James kept being interrupted by persistent notifications on his phone, so they didn't play for long.
Avril snuggled next to him, engrossed in her anime shows, while James responded to messages from the women in his life.
They seemed to fall back into the comfortable routine from earlier that afternoonâeach focusing on their own screens, not disturbing the other.
Monroe Anne: "Pics, pics..."
Monroe Anne: "King, are these the clothes you were talking about?"
The images showed all sorts of outfits sprawled across a bed: flight attendant uniforms, sailor costumes from anime, high-slit cheongsams, bright and eye-catching.
From her text, it was hard to gauge the mood of the restaurant owner, but just looking at the photos sent the heart racing.
James: "Uh-huh."
Monroe Anne: "Do you have time tonight? I can come model for you."
James: "Not tonight."
Monroe Anne: "When do you want to shoot, then?"
James: "I'll let you know."
Monroe's face fell slightly; she hadn't expected that this man would show disinterest in her body.
After all, she had mustered all her courage to wear those embarrassing outfits. To be dismissed casually with an "I'll let you know" felt like a slap in the face.
Monroe felt a tinge of anger, but she had no reason to complain. Maybe he just had too many women to juggle.
"King, feel free to message me whenever you're free."
"Uh-huh."
James was indeed quite busy as he was also receiving messages from Tailsa.
Tailsa: "Brother, I miss you so much!"
James: "What do you miss about me?"
Tailsa: "Everything!"
James: "Don't worry; I'll be back in a few days."
Tailsa: "Can't you come back today?"
Less than a day had gone by, and Tailsa's clinginess had returned in full force.
He patiently comforted her for a moment before switching to Amanda's messages.
During the day, Amanda had sent a flurry of caring textsâHad he eaten? Was he resting well? Was his leg really okay?
James guessed she must have seen him gone from Tailsa's villa and was now feeling worried.
James: "I'm fine; no need to worry."
Amanda didn't reply, probably busy at the bar.
Not wanting to wait for her response, he moved on to his next conversation.
Shasha, dealing with a breakup, had been holed up at home crying for the past two days.
She even claimed she wanted to go back to her hometown, saying she didn't want the apartment anymore.
No matter how much James tried to console her, nothing seemed to work.
He suggested she avoid making an emotional decision and told her if she still wanted to go back in a few days, he would take her himself.
A few kind words gained him ten points in favorability with the girl.
Being a "sea king" was tiring, with seven or eight girls needing his attention.
After wrapping things up with Shasha, Shirley Taylor chimed in next.
James felt overwhelmed trying to juggle multiple conversations.
He couldn't fathom how those time management gurus managed to date ten different women simultaneously.
He planned to learn from them when he got the chance.
Shirley: "Hey, brother, did Bella come to see you in New York the other day?"
James: "Yeah, she stopped by for a moment."
"I don't know why, but Bella has been a bit out of it lately. She hardly talks to me. What should I do?"
"Just ignore her."
"Is it because of me?"
"Don't flatter yourself; she's just having a moment. Why bother?"
"Bella's a really nice person; I don't want her to be sad."
Since Bella Kennedy returned, Shirley had noticed that Bella seemed distracted, often staring at her phone as if waiting for someone's message.
After hearing James say he liked Bella on the phone a while ago, Shirley feared losing both of them.
"Just take her out to have fun. Didn't I hire you a companion? You three can go anywhere."
Shirley paused for a second before typing, "Can Bella and I come to find you in New York tomorrow?"
James contemplated and made up an excuse. "I'll be on a business trip for the next couple of days. If you want to see me, you can come to Yang City."
New York was a small place, and if that innocent girl found out he had other women, it could lead to trouble.
"Will it disturb you?"
"No, don't worry."
"Okay, I'll ask Bella if she wants to go."
While James was busy chatting, he didn't realize the girl leaning against him was watching cartoons while secretly glancing at his phone.
NOTE: Writer:""If you like this book, please help by clicking 'voted.' Thank you!""
Thanks a lot for reader stupidslayer's voted.