When I Was Running The Lovers’ Guesthouse

I was a guesthouse owner in Verano, a popular and beautiful town. Every year, around the end of the year, a particularly large number of beautiful women would come to my place. Outsiders did not know why my business was booming, but I knew the reason very well. Once they came in, they all had to leave their most precious things behind before they could go. That went on until a pair of twin college girls knocked on my guesthouse door. One was pure and innocent; the other was cute and naive. They cautiously asked, “Sir, are you guys still hiring for the summer?” I looked them over. The security camera shifted. I saw the text message on my phone and smiled knowingly. “Yes, we are. Five thousand dollars each.” They were overjoyed, but they had no idea the ending had already been sealed the moment they walked in. Chapter 1 I crossed my legs and sized them up, then pulled out two contracts. “Sign here, and you’re hired for the whole summer. “No quitting halfway for any reason. At the end of the summer, you’ll each get fifteen thousand dollars. “Perform well, and I’ll throw in five thousand dollars each as a bonus.” I raised an eyebrow as I watched the two girls eagerly sign their names. They really had let their guard down. I looked at the two beautiful, neatly written names and read them out softly, “Shannon and Jadine.” Shannon Gullocks leaned over the front desk and smiled brightly. “I’m the older sister, sir. I’ll do my best!” I looked closely at her. Her facial features were already striking, and her skin looked soft. With a little makeup, she would be even more stunning. Jadine Gullocks mustered up her courage and tried to look confident. She was more delicate, with glistening doe eyes. My guests would definitely like them. I got interested and asked, “Why do you trust me so much? Aren’t you afraid I’ll scam you?” Shannon and Jadine said in near unison, “That’s because you remind us of the guy who used to pay for our schooling. So, we figure anyone who looks that much like him can’t be a bad guy.” Was that so? I laughed at myself. I never thought the only good deed I had ever done in my life would actually pay off unexpectedly well. Then, I nodded and picked out two dresses from the cabinet. Shannon received a black, backless gown that perfectly showcased her curves and long legs. Jadine got a schoolgirl dress with a short skirt that barely covered her rear. I told her to wear her hair in pigtails. With her innocent doe eyes, she looked like a terrified rabbit that had wandered into a wolf’s den. She was completely at my mercy and trembling in my grasp. After they changed, both of them were fidgeting. Their faces were flushed with embarrassment. I stroked my chin and absentmindedly picked at my stubble. “Not bad. You’re ready to start. “Remember, whatever the guests here need, you make it happen.” I led them out and pushed open a door that led to a jacuzzi area. A crowd of attractive, curvy women in swimsuits was already waiting in there. I lit a cigarette and put it in my mouth. “Head on down.” Jadine hesitated a little. “Sir, what is this?” I smiled and pinched her smooth cheek. “A jacuzzi. Consider it a perk.” Jadine immediately broke into a smile, and Shannon hurriedly thanked me as well. They then entered the jacuzzi. Someone tossed a watch down from the second floor, and it landed right in Jadine’s hand. She looked around, confused. Jadine had no idea why every girl was staring at her with a mix of scorn and envy. Meanwhile, I shut the door and quietly smoked while playing on my phone. A second later, Jadine’s piercing scream came from inside. Chapter 2 I held the door shut and let them keep pounding on it from inside. The sound of splashing water, terrified voices, and some suggestive noises filled the room. The person knocking gradually grew weaker. I tossed away my cigarette butt and opened the door. Shannon crashed into my arms. Her eyes welled up with tears as she sobbed and pleaded, “Sir, some guests are pinning my sister down on the pool terrace! Please, you have to save her!” I casually wrapped my arm around Shannon, and my fingers slid across her chest. Her whole body trembled. For a moment, she forgot what she was going to say. However, I did not let my hand move any lower. Instead, I took out a green gemstone necklace and put it on her. Then, I said gently, “Don’t be scared. This necklace looks great on you.” She was at a loss as she stared at the expensive necklace. I gently adjusted the necklace so its pinhole camera could see underneath her clothes. Then, I pulled her along and rushed over to Jadine, who was pinned down on the terrace by several people. Her clothes were torn to pieces, and her pigtails were being yanked. A fat man was about to force himself on her. The scene stunned me for a moment, but I quickly snapped back to my senses. I grabbed a vase and smashed it over the fat man’s head. Then, I went berserk and beat the other two until they could not get up. After that, I called the police. “Hello, police? I’d like to report an assault. Three men are attacking a girl!” After saying that, I wrapped the weeping Jadine with a towel and carried her back to my room. Her voice was choked with emotion. “Sir, thank you. Thank you so much.” After I had beaten the three men to the floor, Shannon also looked at me with admiration and gratitude as she stuck close to my side. They treated me like their savior. Little did they know that I only stepped in to test these two foolish women before deciding how to use them. After I got them settled in the room, I looked at my empty call log and smiled. I certainly had not called the police. Guests came looking for a fling, and I supplied the women. It was just simple supply and demand. These two prime catches were not something a twenty-thousand-dollar watch could buy. I smoked a cigarette outside, then pushed the door open. The two sisters were still jumpy, but they breathed a sigh of relief when they saw it was me. I slumped down on the floor and asked, “Why did you catch that watch? The second you caught it, that watch was yours, and you belonged to them. “Now I’ve upset that fatso, and I’m afraid that this guesthouse will be trashed. It’s not making money, and I don’t have the cash to keep renovating it.” Jadine collapsed onto the floor. She grabbed my hand, and her face was full of guilt. “Sir, I didn’t know. I’m sorry. I really wasn’t trying to take that watch!” Shannon also knelt in front of me. She tilted her head back, and tears streamed down her delicate face. “Sir, I’m sorry that Jadine didn’t know any better. “I’ll take responsibility for this. Let’s just call the police, okay? We won’t run. We won’t leave you here alone!” I looked into their eyes, and for a moment, my mind drifted back several years, to when I had casually sponsored two little girls’ schooling. Those two pairs of innocent, glistening eyes had not changed at all. For a brief instant, a thought flickered through my mind—I considered letting them go. Just then, I felt an electric current run through my wrist. The sharp pain jolted every nerve in my body and snapped me back to reality. I was a shameless man pretending to be some kind of saint. So, I raised my head and looked at them with a pale face. “Have you ever heard of Golden Flowers?” Chapter 3 They shook their heads. I gritted my teeth against the pain and pushed myself up to sit on the bed. “It’s simple. You two just need to be Golden Flowers, and you can bring in investors for me. “That fatso wouldn’t dare cross the local big shot.” Shannon bit her lower lip. “All we have to do is become Golden Flowers?” As the older sister, she was clearly the sharper one. I patted her head, looked her in the eye, and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “Trust me.” She blushed and got shy until she could not look me in the eye anymore. Meanwhile, Jadine agreed to do her part right away out of guilt. At midnight, I brought them to the venue. All they had to do was sit up on the round platform. The more Golden Flowers people threw at them, the higher their value climbed. I hid in a dark corner, and Shannon instinctively looked around for me. The moment she found me, she broke into a smile. However, my eyes stung. They kept receiving more and more Golden Flowers. With no idea what it meant, they just laughed happily. After it was over, I gathered up all the Golden Flowers and made them into bouquets for the two of them. “This is all real gold. Keep it somewhere safe.” The girls panicked a little, and Jadine kept shaking her head. “Th-This is way too much!” I smiled and said, “Rich people don’t care about pocket change like this.” I looked at Shannon, who still had not moved, and joked, “What? Do you want me to get down on one knee or something?” Only then did she take the flowers. Her ears turned bright red, and her eyes were full of shy affection. My heart pounded as I looked at her. Then, Jadine threw her arms around me and sobbed uncontrollably, breaking my train of thought. “Shannon and I thought we weren’t going to make the cut. Sir, is that enough gold flowers?” I nodded and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. “That’s enough.” Then, I brought over two cocktails, with something to help them sleep mixed in. It was there to make things easy for certain big shots, and it doubled as the leash that would keep them tied to me from then on. As I mixed the drinks, I said casually, “You helped me out this time, so I’ll give you ten thousand dollars each. “So, what are you going to do with the money?” Shannon said gently, “I’m going to use it to fix up the guesthouse for you. Last time I stood up for Jadine, the terrace and the door got wrecked.” My hand trembled, and I could barely keep the glass steady. Jadine chimed in without hesitation, saying, “Then, I’ll figure out a way to help you get the word out about this place! “Oh, it’s New Year’s. Let’s have a New Year’s Eve dinner together tonight.” Shannon smiled. “I’ll do the cooking. What do you feel like eating?” My throat tightened a little. I paused for a few seconds before saying, “I could really go for some pot roast. My mom hasn’t made it for me in ages.” She looked at me gently. “Okay, let’s have a drink first, then. Call it a little celebration for getting through today in one piece.” I slipped the necklace off her. “That color doesn’t suit you. Let me get you a new one.” She blushed, lowered her head, and murmured in assent. I watched them walk off, discussing which groceries to buy. The electric current in my wrist grew stronger. I slammed the watch onto the floor. It landed with a sharp crack. I knew I had made a terrible mistake. Chapter 4 When the door closed automatically, a voice came through the camera. “Jordan Brook, have you lost your mind? How long have you been in this business? Now you pull this nonsense on me? If those two don’t go up to the VIP room tonight, you’re not leaving this place.” I kept quiet. I wanted to fight it, but my body just would not cooperate. That pain came back, like something drilling straight into every bone. I could not think straight. All I could do was curl up and suffer. Contemptuous laughter erupted from the camera. “Jordan, if you want to stay alive, keep doing what I tell you. Send them up like we planned, and don’t pull any more nonsense.” My face was deathly pale, and I was drenched in sweat. My body had already gone numb. “Fine. I’ll do it.” They kept at it for another ten minutes, until I was practically ready to gnaw off my own flesh. When they finally let me go, I bolted into the room, locked the door behind me, and fumbled open the small box for my medication. It took over half an hour for the pain to slowly ease. I looked at myself in the mirror and laughed. “Trash is trash. Why did I ever think I could be a saint? Even a debt of the heart needs to be settled by a living person.” By the time I went out, I could already smell the food. It was already evening, and the agreed-upon time was drawing closer and closer. Shannon ran over to me the moment she saw me, holding a steaming plate of pot roast. “Here, try it. Tell me if it’s good.” She was sweaty and scruffy, covered in cooking oil and kitchen grime. Yet somehow, she looked even more beautiful to me. I took a bite, and the food tasted a lot like what my mother used to make. I waited a long while before speaking. “It’s really good. I love it.” Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief. As we were about to eat, I pulled out two bottles of mineral water. “Here, drink up. You two must be exhausted.” They drank it without a second thought. Jadine started stumbling over her words. “This water is so good.” After Shannon drank hers, she looked a little dizzy and turned to look at me. Then, as if summoning all her courage, she gently kissed me on the cheek. It was barely a brush of the lips, yet it shook me to my core. Chapter 5 I carried them into the VIP room numbly. The room was huge, and the elite clients were all lounging on the couches. In the middle were women who were barely conscious, letting themselves be manhandled. I set Shannon and Jadine down and was about to leave when someone called out to stop me. “Hold on. Wake them up, then stand right there and watch.” I clenched my fists. This was George Leland, my boss’ son, the man really running things behind the scenes. I could not afford to cross him. Everyone was staring at me like a pack of wolves. I swallowed my pride and did as I was told. Then, I put on a smile. “Whatever you say, Mr. Leland. I’m on it. No questions asked.” He laughed and turned to the others. “See? He’s practically a lapdog.” This kind of verbal abuse was nothing new to me. After all, I was just a coward. As I was about to pull Shannon’s pants down, she mumbled, barely coherently, “You idiot. We only came because we knew it was you, Jordan. I’ve... had a crush on you for ten years...” My heart clenched, and my whole body felt like it had been struck by lightning. I was shaking all over and could not bring myself to do it anymore. George was already losing patience. “Useless! You can’t even get her undressed without dragging your feet. Boys, you’re up!” His lackeys shoved me out of the way and started ripping at their clothes. George grabbed them by the hair and forced them to look at me. “Get a good look. He’s the one who handed you over to me. Do you know how much I’ve dropped on Golden Flowers? Do you know how much he’s made off me? “Two hundred thousand dollars! That’s enough to buy both your lives!” Shannon sobbed. She said in disbelief, “No, that’s not true. My Jordan would never do that!” Jadine frantically told me to run. “Jordan, run! Don’t worry about us!” Me, run? I smiled bitterly. Where exactly was I supposed to run to? George could no longer hold himself back. He undid his belt and had Shannon and Jadine pinned down. They had no strength to struggle at all. His laugh was revolting. “Now these two are top shelf. Better than any of the ones before!” I turned my head away, wanting to leave. However, even after Shannon had seen the ugly side of me, she still said, “Jordan, just go. I don’t blame you.” Her words broke me. Her calm was worse than any accusation. It shattered my last bit of self-control, and I blurted out a secret I had been hiding for eight years.