The gap between their lips narrowed to a mere finger's width. Close enough to feel each other's breath.

Melissa's fragrance caused Jarrod to furrow his brow. The scent was strange and vulgar, unlike Nicole's.

Jarrod promptly pushed Melissa away and turned toward the sofa, massaging his temples with slender fingers.

Melissa was taken aback but refused to let this precious opportunity slip through her fingers. If Jarrod were to engage in intimacy with her, she could escape from the company of those odorous, portly elderly men. Perhaps he would even whisk her away.

Summoning her courage, Melissa began to unbutton her shirt, revealing her tender skin. She gradually sank to her knees before Jarrod.

The moment her slender fingers extended, Jarrod's voice turned frigid.

"Get lost!"

Melissa was left dumbfounded. The sound of shattering glass resonated in her ears.

A shard of glass whizzed past Melissa's face, crashing into the LCD screen behind her, fragmenting into pieces.

Jarrod wiped his blurred eyes, his voice akin to that of an ice-cold ogre. “Get out!"

The expression on his face was so horrifying that it sent shivers down Melissa's spine, rendering her legs weak.

Without even a chance to don her clothes, Melissa hastily scrambled out.

As soon as Melissa managed to escape, Jemma delivered a swift kick to her. "You fool, do you honestly believe that man would whisk you away just because he glanced at you?"

Kneeling on the floor, Melissa trembled and replied, "Jemma, I never entertain that idea."

“Humph! You've tried and now you give up!" Jemma extracted a bundle of bills and flung them onto Melissa's face. "If you can't cover tonight's losses, I won't let you off the hook!"

Confronted with the staggering amount, Melissa was so terrified that tears streamed down her face. She kept bowing in supplication. "Jemma, I realize my mistake! Please, show some mercy!"

Melissa knew she couldn't possibly afford such a sum.

"You brought this upon yourself! Don't overestimate your worth. We only require you to entertain the guests with drinks. Yet you dare to reach for the stars!" Jemma scoffed. "Can someone like you really expect a meteoric rise?"

If Melissa hadn't made such a colossal blunder and aspired to reach great heights, how could she have incurred such a substantial loss?

In their line of work, they couldn't afford to cross the high rollers. Even if Jarrod conducted himself in such a manner, they had to maintain a facade of obsequiousness.