Chloe POV

Lying in bed and soaking up the plush comfort of my mattress, I began to reflect on my life. From the outside, many might think that I led a very boring existence. Until this last week, with Justin and Hoseok now considered friends, I had just three people I could truly call friends. And if I exclude my relationship with Tae, I only have two ride-or-die besties.

Back in Australia, I had plenty of friends from dance class and school, but moving to Boston changed everything. Being the girl with the odd accent and the born-again Christian mother who told kids they would go to hell for doing anything she didn't agree with, it was very difficult to make real friends.

That's why I cherished my friendships with Louisa and Seokjin so deeply. They were my lifelines in a world that often felt isolating.

I loved Taehyung, but aside from the shared experience of losing a parent, it often felt like we didn't have much in common outside of our relationship. After the way he acted on our date yesterday, I found myself quietly re-evaluating whether he was someone I could truly see a future with. Over the past few months, it felt like he was hiding something from me. I tried to convince myself that everyone has things they keep to themselves, but his growing secrecy—especially with how often he volunteered during the day and was suddenly unavailable on nights he wasn't working—was becoming harder to ignore.

I tried to tell myself that he could have things he kept to himself, it was becoming harder to ignore how he was being called in at his volunteering job more. I'd tried not to be that suspicious girlfriend, but I'd looked into when the support group was held, and it was once a week at midday on Mondays. But what really cemented things for me was how he was becoming unavailable on some of the nights he was rostered off.

His increasing secrecy was just one of the many reasons I didn't want to have children—with him or anyone else. On top of that, he was becoming more insistent about having me fit into his life. After talking with Hoseok last night, it became even clearer—Taehyung wasn't looking for us to build something together. He wanted me to adapt to his wants and needs, all the while not willing to compromise.

I glanced at the clock and sighed. Part of me was relieved that Seokjin and I had both been too exhausted for breakfast after our shifts. Although, now I was irritated that I had to get out of bed earlier than I wanted to meet him for a late lunch.

His message had woken me up, saying he was craving pizza and would pick me up at 5 p.m. so we could grab 'lunch' before our next shifts. The only silver lining to being up earlier than planned was that he insisted on paying—and when Jin was in the mood for pizza, it always meant LaTurna Pizzeria, the best spot in Harlem.

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After the waiter brought our shared Tagliere starter, Seokjin shot me his signature "spill now" look. I sighed, knowing there was no avoiding it, and started talking about yesterday's date with Taehyung.

"I don't know what the fuck is going on with him lately," I groaned. "Ever since we hit the 11-month mark, it feels like something changed. Like he's stopped listening to me or even considering what I want."

"Like asking about kids?" Jin asked, nibbling on a piece of focaccia he'd stacked with mortadella and cheese. He knew I was a sucker for cured meat, cheese, and bread, so we always shared a Tagliere plate between us.

As I assembled my perfect bite, I shook my head and said, "Not just that. He's also pushing for me to move in with him." Seokjin let out an exaggerated gasp, and I couldn't help but giggle. "Relax, I'm not leaving Harlem. I love my apartment too much." I quickly added, "And living close to you," when I saw his playful glare.

I savoured the way the richness of the mortadella melted into the creamy cheese, perfectly complemented by the fresh garlic focaccia. This place had the best Italian food, and if I moved away, I'd miss it almost as much as I'd miss Jin.

"Maybe he just needs a reminder," Seokjin said between bites. "You know how clueless us men can be sometimes. Maybe Taehyung's forgotten, or he's built up some elaborate fantasy in his head about how your lives should be, and now he can't see the reality of where things actually are."

"Yeah, maybe. But it's more than just apartments and kids. It's Taehyung not hearing me when I tell him what I need." When Jin gave me a confused look, I raised my wrist, showing off the bracelet like it was evidence. "It's stuff like this—I hate being on top because it reminds me too much of the lap dances I give at work. But he still asks for it all the time, and he sulks when I suggest a different position. He's all about fulfilling his fantasies and kinks in bed, never mine. Did you know, he's never gone down on me once, yet I do all the time for him?"

I took a long, frustrated swig of my soda, hoping it would cool the rising tension in my chest. With a heavy sigh, I continued, holding up my wrist that bore the weight of the gift I'd been given. "And then there's this bracelet... I haven't told him everything about my mom, but he knows gifts make me uncomfortable because of her. I don't want him turning into my stepfather, Vinnie, who's constantly throwing money around just because my mom expects it. I can't stand that dynamic and I don't want that for myself."

Seokjin shivered, an involuntary reaction that always happened when the topic of my mother came up. He'd had the unfortunate experience of meeting her not long after I started working at Copacabana. How I didn't get fired after her rant about Jin being a pimp and a degenerate profiting off innocent girls 'selling their bodies' was beyond me.

"Doll, I only met your mother once—and it was the longest, most painful 25 minutes of my life—but trust me, you're nothing like her." His hand was comforting as it squeezed mine. "I knew you were different from the moment we sat down for your interview. When you told me you needed the money to pay off your grandpa and dad's debts, I could see you had one of the most selfless hearts I'd ever met."

Hearing Jin's words, my eyes began to sting with unshed tears. The day I'd walked into the club for that interview had been the lowest point of my life. It was overwhelming to hear that what I'd always seen as my biggest weakness was actually one of my greatest strengths.

"I swear, Chloe," Jin added, his tone both serious and teasing, "if you ever begin heading down that path and start acting like your mother, I'll fire you on the spot. No hesitation."

I couldn't tell if I was laughing more at the straight-faced way Jin said that or his high-pitched, squeaky laugh that followed. Either way, we attracted a few curious glances from nearby tables, clearly wondering if we were okay.

"Thank you," I said, a bit breathless, as the waiter set our pizza down in front of us before walking away. "And I'm definitely going to hold you to that, Boss."

As Jin grabbed a slice and folded it in half, he asked, "So, now that we've cleared that up, what did you say when Tae brought up kids and marriage?"

"Are you asking if I shared my reasons for not wanting kids with Taehyung? All 30 of them?"

Seokjin coughed, nearly choking on the pizza as shock registered on his face. "You have 30 reasons for not wanting children?" I nodded, taken aback by his surprise at my meticulously compiled list. "Like what?" he pressed, leaning in with genuine curiosity.

I pulled out my phone and opened the list I'd been diligently adding to whenever a new reason surfaced for why I didn't want—or see—children in my future.

"Aww, you've got me listed as a reason!" he gushed, clearly touched that I didn't want to lose him as a friend if I had kids. "I get that many of these reasons stem from your experience of having shitty parents and the fucked up things that happened in your life. But not everyone is out to get you, Doll. There are good people out there, and I worry that if things don't work out with Taehyung, you'll shut yourself off from the possibility of meeting someone new."

This was the thing most people couldn't grasp. I understood that not everyone was a bad parent, but in my entire life, I had never witnessed a good one. My dad worked tirelessly and spent most of his time with his 'real family', the term I heard so much from my stepmother.

Elizabeth had loathed my existence the moment she learned about the one-night stand and even more when my mother began collecting child support after moving to Australia. My father chose the selfish way out instead of fighting and rebuilding what he'd lost. My mother... well the box of all the shit she put me through was locked up too tight to unpack right now. And while I loved Grandpa Red, he was the one who crushed my dreams of becoming a dermatologist—he believed that a woman's place was in the home.

In my nearly 33 years on this earth, I have yet to see a healthy family built on love, support, and happiness. If I didn't even know what a good parent looked like, how would I be able to be one for an innocent little human?

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Taehyung POV

"Oh, fuck! Yes, just like that!"

Vante moaned as Roxy's lips enveloped his cock, drawing it into her mouth. His fingers clawed against the marble countertop of the staff bathroom, trying to find purchase from the pleasure she was giving. As my alter-ego, I'd learned that she loved tasting herself on me. So much so, each time Vante and Roxy fucked, she finished him off in her mouth.

"So good, Roxy," Vante groaned, head thrown back in ecstasy. "Fuck, your mouth is so good. You're going to make me cum, Baby."

She mumbles incoherently, her mouth otherwise occupied. Knowing Roxy, it was probably something about Vante tasting good, about the rush of us doing this at work or how I was so big. That last one always boosted my ego. I wasn't an idiot; I knew from my time in high school that I was lacking in the size department.

Vante moaned as she started rolling his balls in her hand. I'd always loved it when Chloe did that to me, especially when her tongue lapped at the base of my cock when she deep-throated me. I tried to push the image of my girlfriend out of my mind, trying to separate myself from Vante so I could feel less guilt about cheating.

But in a cruel twist of fate, the bathroom door swung open to reveal the woman who held my heart alongside her own. A look of shock flickered across Chloe's face as she processed the scene before her. Roxy, unaware that we had company, was sucking me with everything she had. My girlfriend's features morphed into anger as she watched me pull out, white ropes of cum spurting across the kneeling woman's face.

"Taehyung-fucking-Kim, we're done!" Chloe declared, her voice a raw blend of hurt, anger, and disappointment.

I tried to rush towards her, forgetting that my pants were around my ankles. I stumbled, somehow righting myself but as I did, I knocked a half-naked Roxy down.

"Don't!" my girlfriend screamed, her hand raised to keep me at bay. "Don't follow me. Don't talk to me. Don't even try to say you're sorry for Roxy falling and landing on your dick. Whatever excuse you have, I don't want to hear it."

My heart shattered as I watched Chloe bolt out the door, tears streaming down her face. It felt like my worst nightmare unfolding—well, part of it, at least. The one saving grace was that she didn't know I was a gangster. A part of me hoped that if she'd just let me explain everything, she'd see that I wasn't unfaithful.

"You know the silver lining in all this?" Roxy purred, looking up at me from where she lay sprawled on the floor. "We don't have to hide anymore."

I growled, rage boiling inside me at her words. "Shut the fuck up, you bitch. This is all your fault. You knew my rules about not fucking while at work." I yanked up my boxers and pants, scowling deeply as I refastened my belt. "And for God's sake, put some clothes on. You look like a fucking whore."

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Always the professional, Chloe slipped effortlessly into her role as Lola, even after witnessing me in such a compromising position. Whether it was karma, coincidence, or Seokjin's influence, tonight seemed to be one of those nights where Lola was in high demand for lap dances. Watching her perform without so much as a glance in my direction shattered my heart further. The shift had already dragged on for what felt like an eternity, and I still had three long hours ahead of me.

As I waited for the next drink order, my gaze instinctively shifted toward my love. Lola looked stunning, even in the revealing lingerie as she grinded against one of the guys from the buck's party. Ever since that group had walked into Copacabana, an unsettling feeling had been creeping over me. There was something about them that set off alarm bells in my mind, and I couldn't shake the sense that trouble was lurking just beneath the surface.

After working here five nights a week for over 18 months, I knew all the regulars by heart. But none of the faces in this large group were familiar, and while that alone wasn't enough to raise red flags, the way several showgirls had slapped away roaming hands was troubling.

"You okay, man?" Justin asked, sliding up to the bar with a concerned look. "You're looking more stressed than usual."

As much as I liked Justin, I didn't want to bring up what had happened earlier with Chloe. He was seeing Louisa, and I didn't want to risk spilling anything that might cause more trouble for her... especially if Chloe hadn't said anything yet. I'd spent the whole shift trying to think of a way to get my girlfriend to hear me out so we could return to how we used to be.

"Just trying to keep an eye on them," I replied, nodding toward the group. They were hooting and hollering as one of the guys made some inappropriate gestures toward Lola. From what I could see, they hadn't crossed any lines that would warrant their immediate removal.

Justin turned to study the table, and I could see his back muscles tense, mirroring my concern.

"I just got on shift, but Mark mentioned something about a rowdy group causing a ruckus. I take it that's them?"

Just as I opened my mouth to respond, we both caught sight of a lanky blonde guy sitting next to the one receiving a lap dance from Lola. He slid his hands onto her thighs and moved them to cop a feel of her groin.

"Oh, shit!" I exclaimed, my eyes widening.

Justin's jaw tightened as he muttered, "Not on my watch, bucko."

The bouncer raced toward the table, relaying information to his colleagues. Copacabana's security, clad in sharp suits, descended onto the floor from various angles, converging like a well-oiled machine. Seokjin also appeared, and within a minute, the table was encircled by a wall of muscle. I watched as Justin swiftly pulled Lola away from the men, his and Seokjin's imposing figures shielding her from the hands that reached out, desperate to draw her back into the chaos.

From my vantage point behind the bar, I had a clear view of the voluptuous showgirl. Lola projected a calm façade, but I could see the faintest tremor in her hands, betraying the fear coursing through her body. Every instinct urged me to rush in, wrap my girlfriend in my arms, and shield her from all the darkness.

But deep down, I knew I was one of the people who had caused her pain tonight.

Since he hadn't treated me differently during this shift, I knew Chloe hadn't told Seokjin about Roxy and me. When the time came for Jin, Louisa, and Justin to learn about my infidelity, I imagined it would play out much like the chaotic scene unfolding before me. Instead of protecting her from rowdy groups of guys, they would be keeping her away from me. It was a thought that brought both relief and dread.

"Taehyung, there are no more lap dance requests for Lola tonight," Seokjin announced as he approached the bar. The bouncers were in the process of escorting the unruly group off the premises, but when I glanced around for Lola, I realised she was nowhere in sight.

"Is she okay?" I asked, feeling like I didn't have the right to, but needing to know nonetheless.

Seokjin nodded, his smile tinged with sadness. "She's shaken but okay. I've sent her home for the night."

I felt a mix of relief and sorrow wash over me. After the evening she'd had, Chloe definitely deserved a break from work. But the thought of her going home without me was tough to bear. I silently prayed for the chance to talk to her soon.

"Thanks for looking after her, Boss. She's lucky to have you as a friend."