"Sir, put me down, please. My duty isn't over. They'll deduct wages," she pleaded in a high-pitched voice. She had no idea why Lucas was behaving this way. Her short skirt rode up, and she was extremely conscious of the view that the world was receiving. 

Lucas turned a deaf ear to all her pleadings. How dare she service customers for money? He could give her money, wanting nothing in return. Furious with her, he strode towards his car angrily and, opening the car door, he deposited her. After closing the door, he walked into the driver's seat and started the ignition. 

"Sir, I'm not going anywhere with you. I told you I need this job," she again repeated with frustration. 

"You won't work here, " he ordered angrily, starting the car and driving back to her home.

"Stop the car immediately. What's wrong with this work? You don't have any problem with my cleaning job at the hotel?" she asked, feeling at her wit's end.

"You don't need to service customers at the back, there. So can you explain what the hell you were up to that made your appearance this shabby?" he asked spitting fire, angry beyond words. 

Violet sat dumbstruck and looked at him with her mouth hanging open. What was he implying? That she was a whore who fu*ked customers at the back of the restaurant for money? Anger coursed through her body and she fidgeted with the door handle wanting to jump out of his car. 

"Stop this car immediately," she yelled and Lucas stopped, seeing her tremble with anger. "I don't sell myself for money if that's what you're implying. I would rather commit suicide than do such a thing. I am a server not a whore. What made you even think of such a thing about me?" she yelled at him as she tried to open the door.

"So I'm wrong now? Your friend at the cafe said that you were busy at the back with a customer and couldn't meet me. Now tell me I'm wrong?" he said with gritted teeth. 

"You're wrong, you're wrong, you're wrong. She said I was busy with a customer at the back but did she say that I was busy fu*king a male customer at the back?" she asked, trembling with anger now. How dare he jump to his own conclusions! She might be poor but she worked very hard for a living. 

"It's the same thing," said Lucas, looking at her, feeling a little confused now. Didn't it mean the same thing? 

"No, it's not. I was with a woman and her sick child at the back in the cafe's washroom. Her child was throwing up and I helped her clean him," she explained, feeling disappointed that now she would lose the cafe job after the scene Lucas created. Many customers had left the cafe and the owners weren't happy. 

Lucas stared at her blankly. Was it that simple? Why didn't he think of it before? 

Violet opened the car door and ran out and into her building. She trudged up the stairs, sighing. Now she would have to hunt for another part-time job nearby. Life couldn't get any worse. How would she manage shoes for Walter after losing a job?

Lucas felt guilty that he uselessly created a scene and made her lose her job. He remembered what she said, vividly. 

We skip lunch every day. If I leave the cafe duty we have to skip dinner too.

He saw her drinking only water today during lunchtime. He had to do something for her. He drove towards his hotel, dejectedly. It was late and Dominic would have left. He would have to talk to him tomorrow about a double pay hike for Violet. She worked very hard and deserved it. 

The whole night, he felt restless and upset. How would he apologize to her for his insensitive remarks? He never got worked up for such a trivial thing. Then why did he get so furious at the thought of another man with her? He wasn't just in love with her. He was hopelessly in love and had no control over himself around her. 

This was a new thing for Lucas. He was always in control and exuded power wherever he went. His excessive self-confidence and exceptional patience were qualities that his family was proud of. He never lost his shit. He was level-headed even in times of crisis. And now this teenage girl made him go so out of control? He couldn't believe it.  

He remembered what her brothers said about her. She really wasn't any girl. She was Violet, the impossible who made the impossible happen without even having to lift her little dainty finger. She made Lucas Parker fall head over heels in love with her.

He tossed and turned the whole night on his bed. He should have cleared the air with her before returning back. 

The next morning, he summoned Dominic early in the morning. Dominic came rushing to see what the matter was. "Yes sir," he asked, standing before Lucas with nervousness 

"Mr. Evans, I want to know the exact pay Violet Nelson receives for her services at Parker Suites," he asked. Dominic stared at Lucas with nervousness. 

"We're paying her 5$ per hour sir," he said gulping with nervousness. 

"So less? But the standard is 20$ per hour, isn't it?" he asked surprised that a reputable hotel like Parker Suites was paying so less to a dedicated worker.

"Yes, sir. She's inexperienced, so we didn't offer her as per our hotel standards," owned up Dominic, feeling ashamed of himself. 

"She might be inexperienced but she's the most hardworking. I want you to increase her salary to 25$ per hour. How much did you offer her for cleaning this penthouse every day?" he asked and Dominic looked down at his feet.

"I'm waiting for an answer, Mr. Evans," he was relentless. He needed to know why Violet had to work two jobs to meet her family's needs.

"She's doing it within her duty hours, so we weren't paying her anything, sir," he said in a small voice. 

"I don't believe this. Cleaning my apartment isn't part of her duties. I will pay her personally for this work. That would be all Mr. Evans. Send Violet up here the moment she arrives," he said and Dominic nodded his head. 

Dominic went back to his office. He realized Lucas Parker was too interested in Violet. Maybe he seemed obsessed with her. Sighing, Dominic went about doing the work he gave her. 

Lucas waited impatiently for Violet. It was already 9 o'clock in the morning, yet there was no sign of Violet. Didn't Dominic understand that he wanted her to come to his penthouse first thing in the morning? He waited for twenty more minutes and then felt frustrated at Violet for not coming to his penthouse. Was she so angry with him that she couldn't come up to meet him?

He called Sarah. "Mrs Browning, please send Violet up as soon as possible," he said over the intercom.

"Good morning, sir. But Violet hasn't reported to work today," she informed him. Violet didn't come to work? How was that possible? 

"I see. Did she call and inform?" he asked curiously. 

"No, sir," she answered.

"How many leaves did she take so far?" he asked, wanting to know if she were one of those lazy types who bunked work every alternate day.

"Sir, this is her first ever since she joined. She preferred to accept leave encashment, sir. So she never took a single leave, " she informed and Lucas thanked her and disconnected the call. 

He was concerned and decided to go and see her after the conference he had to attend.