Chapter Three

Emily

The lights are bright and hot on my skin as I stand there, exposed and vulnerable. I feel like I’m suffocating in this stupid dress, and the heels are killing my feet. I try to shift my weight, but it’s no use. The pain is a constant reminder of how trapped I am. My heart races in my chest as the auction begins.

The crowd is restless, their voices loud as the bidding starts. Numbers are called out, one after another, each one higher than the last. The sound of cards being raised fills the room, each person trying to outdo the one before them. It’s like they don’t even see me as a person, just something to be won. I bite down on the inside of my cheek, trying so hard not to cry. The lump in my throat grows bigger as the numbers rise, and I force myself to keep standing tall.

This can’t be happening.

I scan the room, trying to focus on anything but the voices calling out my price. The faces blur together, all of them strangers, all of them looking at me like I’m some kind of object. I want to disappear. I want to run, but my legs feel like they’re made of lead, and there’s nowhere to go.

That’s when I see him.

He’s at the far end of the room, standing apart from the rest of the crowd, watching me. For a second, everything around me fades, and it’s just him and me. He’s tall, broad-shouldered, with dark hair that looks messy in the perfect way. His jawline is sharp, and his dark eyes are intense, almost piercing as they can see right through me. There’s something dangerous about him, but in a way that makes my breath catch in my throat.

I can’t look away.

I know I should, but I can’t help it. There’s something about him, something that pulls me in, though I have no idea who he is. He doesn’t look like the rest of the men in this room. He’s not desperate or sleazy. He’s calm, and confident, like he already knows what’s going to happen. His eyes meet mine for the briefest second, and my heart skips a beat. There’s a flicker of something in his gaze that I don’t understand. I look away quickly, my cheeks burning, feeling more exposed than ever.

The bidding keeps going, and I’m on the verge of breaking. I can’t take this anymore. The room spins, and I feel like I’m drowning in the noise, the heat, the attention. The numbers are higher than I ever imagined, and I’m terrified of who will end up winning me.

Just when I think I’m going to fall apart, I hear it.

A voice, deep and commanding, cut through the chaos.

It’s him.

The man at the far end of the room—the one who made my pulse quicken—has just placed the highest bid. I freeze, my eyes snapping back to him. He’s still watching me, his face unreadable, but there’s a certainty in the way he raised his hand like he knew all along he was going to win.

A wave of relief crashes over me, and for a moment, I feel like I can breathe again. It’s over. He won. But as the relief settles in, so does the confusion. Why did he choose me? What does he want?

I can’t wrap my head around it. All I know is that the look in his eyes, the way he’s standing there so sure of himself, makes me feel like maybe—just maybe—I’m going to be okay. Even if I don’t understand why, I feel safer knowing it’s him.

I’m led off the stage, my legs shaky beneath me. The guards grip my arms as if I’m going to bolt at any moment,

I don’t know where they’re taking me, but I know it’s to meet him—the man who bought me. The man with the intense dark eyes. My stomach churns at the thought, my mind racing with a million possibilities of what could happen next.

We stop in front of a door, and one of the guards opens it, shoving me inside. The door slams shut behind me, and I’m alone in a private room. The space is huge—way bigger than I expected. There’s a massive bed in the center with soft-looking white sheets, dark wood furniture that gleams under the soft lighting, and a plush rug that stretches out across the floor. But none of that comforts me. I’m too aware of the fact that I’m here, waiting for a man I don’t know. My mind spins in circles. How long do I have before he comes in? I glance around, looking for anything that might help me, anything I can use to protect myself if it comes to that. There’s nothing. Just a room designed to make someone feel comfortable like they’re staying in some five-star hotel. Except I’m not a guest. I’m... property.

The minutes drag on, each second making the knot in my stomach tighter. I try to steady my breathing, but the fear is too real. I’m shaking, my hands clammy as I wring them together. The door creaks open, and my heart skips a beat.

It’s him.

The man who won me steps into the room, his presence filling the space immediately. He’s tall—taller than I realized—and his dark eyes are locked on me, watching every move I make. My pulse quickens, and I instinctively shift back, my feet carrying me toward the wall as if I could somehow melt into it and disappear. But there’s nowhere to go. I’m trapped.

He walks closer, each step slow and deliberate, his eyes never leaving mine. I can’t breathe. My throat tightens, and I feel heat flooding my body, full of fear and something else—something I don’t want to admit. His gaze is intense, almost like he’s trying to figure me out, and the closer he gets, the more I feel like I’m going to combust. There’s an undeniable pull between us, like gravity, and it terrifies me. I press my back against the wall, my heart slamming in my chest, but I can’t stop looking at him.

He’s close now. Too close. His presence is overwhelming, and I can feel the warmth radiating from his body. He stops right in front of me, his tall frame towering over mine, and for a moment, neither of us says a word. I can’t stop staring into his eyes—dark, mysterious, with an intensity that sends shivers down my spine.

“You’re safe,” he says, his voice low, laced with an Italian accent that I didn’t notice when he was bidding on me. It’s smooth, like velvet, but there’s an edge to it—something dangerous. “I won’t hurt you.”

My breath catches in my throat. His words don’t make sense. I should be terrified, and I am, but there’s something else creeping in—a strange kind of relief. He’s not like the other men in that room. He’s not looking at me like I’m some object he just bought. There’s something more in his eyes. He moves closer, and my body reacts before I can stop it. Heat blooms across my skin, and I feel dizzy like I can’t think straight. His hand reaches up and lightly grazes my arm, and I suck in a sharp breath. It’s like my body is on fire, every nerve lit up, and I can’t control it. His touch is gentle but firm, and I feel trapped, not by fear, but by something else entirely.

“You don’t need to be afraid of me,” he murmurs, his voice even softer now like he’s trying to calm me down. His eyes hold mine, and I can’t look away. “I want you to be mine, I bought you to protect you.”

I blink, confused. Protect me? What does that even mean? My mind spins, trying to make sense of his words, but I’m struggling to think straight with him so close. My heart races, but for the first time, it’s not just fear that’s making it pound. I feel my panties get moist just from him looking at me. I’m confused; I’ve never felt like this for anyone before.

He leans in just slightly, his breath warm against my skin. I can’t stop staring at him, can’t stop feeling the pull between us. His lips are so close to mine, and for a second, I forget to be scared. All I can think about is him—how his body feels so close to mine, how his voice sounds when he speaks, how his eyes seem to see right through me.

Everything in me screams that this is wrong, that I should be scared, that I should run. But I can’t. My legs won’t move. All I can do is stand there, pressed against the wall, my body betraying me as my heart races, my skin flushed, and my breath coming in shallow gasps. For the first time since this nightmare began, I feel something that’s been missing all night: hope.