Love Against All Odds.

After my confession failed, I went to a bar to drink away my disappointment, but before I could even get a drink, I saw the very person who had rejected me.

Noctis Foster was sitting on the club sofa, his expression somewhat playful. The buttons of his usually prim and proper shirt were undone down to his collarbone, revealing a small patch of his fair chest, silently alluring.

I rubbed my eyes several times. Nope, I wasn't blind.

Just a moment ago, this stick-in-the-mud had rejected me with some excuse about principal and dignity. But now?

I couldn't even bother with my drink. I stormed over, ready to confront him.

Unexpectedly, before I could get there, a woman older than my mom rushed past me, throwing a wad of cash in Noctis's face. She disdainfully grabbed his collar. "You're just a prostitute, how dare you say no to me? You got balls now? Your price isn't even that high. This money is enough over the years to keep you for a month. Know your place!"

What?

I was dumbfounded.

What the hell just happened?

Could someone please tell me if this was not a dream?

My secret crush that I had longed for years was a gigolo? O my lord, please save me from this mess.

Noctis lightly brushed the woman's hand away, his movements seemingly gentle yet forcefully freeing his collar,. He calmly tidied himself up, smiling as he spoke, "Katrina, even prostitute have standards these days. No matter how much you pay, I'm not interested."

Just before Katrina could explode in anger, I rushed over to Noctis, shielding him behind me like a lioness protecting her cub, defiantly saying, "What do you want? He's mine! Try touching him!"

The moment Noctis saw me, his nonchalant expression changed. He looked at me seriously, "What are you doing here?"

I glared at him, "If you can be here, why can't I?"

Noctis was momentarily speechless.

"Oh, so that's why you turn your back to me. Turns out you've found someone else," Katrina said, hands on her hips, her face turning livid. She was about to scratch my face, "You little minx, dare to steal my man? You will pay for this!"

I was already fuming. Did this old lady think she could get the man I couldn't with just some money? What a joke!

If money could buy Noctis, I would have already made him mine and cherish him like Barbie! No way I'd let this woman bully me. I took the initiative, grabbing Katrina's wild hair and dragging her out, "You're the minx!

You old fat mouse! Aren't you ashamed of your act? If I see you harassing my man again, I'll kick your ass every time!"

I glared fiercely, forcefully yanking the club door handle with my bare hands in front of Katrina.

Rolling up my sleeves, I showed off my muscles, staring at Katrina menacingly, "I've been training in self-defense for years. Are you sure you want to test how fragile your bones are?"

Katrina looked like she had swallowed a fly, leaving without a backward glance, muttering, "That pretty boy is crazy. Even money can't win him over. You think you can get him? No way!" I huffed, immediately checking my phone balance.

I had to try, right? Hmm... the card I brought only had seventy thousand dollars left... seems a bit inadequate.

There was a 24-hour ATM right outside the club. I withdrew seventy thousand.

Returning, I asked the security guard who the boss was, and he pointed to the person next to Noctis.

I jogged over, handing all my money to him, nervously asking, "Is seventy thousand enough to book Noctis?"

The boss laughed, quite unreservedly, and Noctis seemed taken aback by me again.

He was about to speak, but I cut him off, "Keep your mouth shut!"

The boss laughed even harder, "Seventy thousand is too much, seventy dollars will be fine! Noctis is yours then!"

The boss took seven hundred from my hand, whispering in my ear, "Sweetie, let me tell you, Noctis is really short on cash. He's been coming here for a while! Seventy is too high for him; he usually starts at thirty." I almost fainted from anger.

Who would have thought, after chasing him for five years without success, I ended up booking him for seven hundred at a club.

"Noctis, care to explain?" I pressed him onto the sofa, furious, feeling like I could spit blood.

I had been pining after him for years, and he didn't come to me when he needed money!!!

Did he dislike me? I had no idea at all.

He actually came to a place like this to sell himself!

Just thinking about Noctis's slender waist being ogled by others made my head explode with anger.

Noctis glanced at me coldly, taking a sip of fruit wine, lazily asking, "Explain what?"

I was so choked by his response I couldn't speak.

Was he trying to drive me crazy?

I jumped up from the sofa, bending over with my hands on my hips, puffing my cheeks to question him. Somehow I felt myself looking like a blowfish.

"If you needed money, why didn't you come to me! You're making me feel like I'm nothing to you!"

I was so mad!

Noctis paused, unable to hold back a laugh. His usually reserved eyes curving into crescents, made my heart itch.

He held his plain wine glass, leaning back on the sofa, one hand lazily draped over the armrest, the other casually rubbing the rim of the glass, a faint smile playing on his lips, yet he ignored me.

I absolutely loved this aloof attitude of his towards me.

Jake used to scold me for being foolish, saying the more Noctis ignored me, the more I acted like I was drunk, and this drunkenness lasted five years.

I could only hang my head and listen to the scolding, never changing my ways.

I didn't want to be so obsessed, but I couldn't resist his smile at me.

I gazed at his handsome face, which made my heart flutter, and impulsively said, "Seventy dollars, let me kiss you."