A week passes by. A whole week with me being in the hands of mafia thugs so that my father can pay up his debt. It wasn't all that bad though. The men never touched me or harassed me in any way and although I spent my days in a room that had only a bed for me to sleep on, I was fed and cared for. There were bars on the windows to prevent me from escaping but it didn't matter. I was put in a room on the third floor. There was no way that I was even going to make it down if I somehow managed to get past the bars. My life had been monotonous with me mostly thinking of what my father was doing to get the money he owed and why he was taking so long. Well, my thoughts would no longer run wild, because my door opens up and the scarred man from earlier, Alfonso, walks in. He eyes me as I sit on top of my bed and closes the distance between us.

"Is he here? Can I go now?" I ask, relief washing over me as I get up from my bed and smile.

Alfonso's stoic expression turns grave as he shakes his head and puts his hands on his waist.

"Sorry love but your father isn't here for you."

My heart sinks. Where was he? What was he still waiting for? Regardless of all the questions I have in my mind, I focus on only the positive. It was the last day. My father would surely come up with the money to get me back, right?

"Maybe he's on his way. It's still early." I say out loud more to convince myself than to convince him. I turn away from Alfonso and crawl back into my bed, my eyes subconsciously glancing at the window, wishing for freedom.

"It seems like you don't understand what I'm saying. Your father isn't coming for you."

I scoff and face him.

"That's not true. He'll be here." I argue, not allowing my intrusive thoughts to win.

"He won't be. Your father is gone. Well, more like he packed up everything he had and ran away with the rest of your family. He left you to pay off his debt." He pronounces; his lips drawn in a straight line when he finishes.

I get up from my bed and straighten my shoulders. I understand that my father owes these people a lot of money, but he would pay back if I was in danger. He wouldn't just leave me.

"My father wouldn't do that. He'll be here."

Alfonso shrugs and puts one of his hands in his pockets, acting like he'd rather be anywhere else than dealing with me.

"Suit yourself. Either way, you're ours now and the boss has plans for you. So, behave and come with me."

I take three steps back to get as far away from him as possible and sneer at him.

"I am not going anywhere with you." I spit out, venom laced in my voice.

Alfonso just eyes me and sighs before raising his free hand up in the air.

"Fine by me."

He snaps his fingers, and two other men walk into the room. Their eyes settle on me, their target and in the blink of an eye, they surround me. I scream and try to maneuver my way around them, but it doesn't work. One of them grabs me by my hair, keeping me in place while the other, pins my hands down. Together they carry me to the bed, with the first one letting go of my hair and pinning my thrashing feet down. I struggle in their grip but then my eyes land on Alfonso who now has a syringe filled with a colorless liquid in his hands and is a step closer to the bed. I thrash around again, tears welling in my eyes.

"No. Please, no."

"I did tell you to behave." He says under his breath before I feel a sharp pain in my neck and my vision goes blurry. My hands and feet feel like lead and soon enough, I am not able to move them anymore. I open my mouth to plead one last time, the words on the tip of my tongue but they never come out. As the words die away, my vision darkens and all I can think about before I fade away is why would my father do this to me?

•••••

I float in nothingness and my body is light. My eyes are open, but I can't see a thing. Where am I? What happened? I hear voices ring into my ears and pull me from the darkness. Light shines on my eyes causing me to move my eyeballs with my eyelids.

The blinding light wakes me up from the dark domain and I struggle to open my eyes. Slowly but surely, I do and what I see floors me. I lay on one of the many podiums gagged, bound and tagged. As in there is a literal price tag tied to my neck. My eyes widen and I look around the room to get a feel for where I am.

The room is dimly lit, the air thick with tension. My head throbs, and my limbs feel like lead. The last thing I remember is Alfonso and then darkness.

As my mind races, I remember how I got here or how I may have gotten here. Alfonso and his men had held me down and injected me with something to knock me out. I still didn't know what here really was, but I began to hyperventilate. Tags, girls, excessively rich people that littered the floor. I knew what this was. I knew what the hell was going on. No. I cannot go out like this, I think to myself. I've seen the documentaries. I will not be sold like mere cattle. I need to escape.

I blink, trying to make sense of my surroundings. The cold metal of the podium presses against my bare feet. Below, on another platform, girls stand in a row. Their eyes are wide, their expressions a mix of fear and resignation. They wear elegant dresses, their hair styled flawlessly. But their eyes tell a different story—a story that I can't pinpoint.

I see people mingling on the floor below us, seemingly oblivious to the women who were being held down in front of them. The crowd beyond the velvet ropes is a sea of opulence. Men in tailored suits and women dripping with jewels. They sip champagne, their laughter echoing off the marble walls. They've come for the clandestine event where human lives are traded like commodities. An auction.

The host steps forward, his voice amplified by hidden speakers. His face is obscured by a mask, but his eyes gleam with malevolence.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Midnight Auction. Tonight, you have the privilege of owning the rarest of treasures—the untamed souls of these young women." He announces without any remorse in his voice. He must have done this a thousand times to be able to watch us all be sold.

"In the past auctions, we have just called out the price for each of the girls and allowed you to bud amongst yourselves. Tonight, will be different. The house will allow you to look at every girl and ascertain if she is to your taste. The prices are set but if you would like to bid higher than you would put your name and price on the paper kept in front of each of the girls. There will be thirty minutes to do that and then after it's all settled, the fun can really begin."

My heart races and I glance at the other girls. Some tremble; others stare defiantly ahead. I on the other hand was freaking out. The host speaks again.

"The thirty minutes start now. Please do enjoy yourselves and remember, play nice with the merchandise."

The guests of this perverted affair begin to split up into factions with one group heading to different podiums with girls on it. Most of the girls look like they have accepted their fate, and some are crying their hearts out. I am not as strong as some of them to keep a straight face, but I decide to play a dangerous game. If I'm going down, I'll go down fighting. I didn't want to be sold to some person as a slave or personal pet.

As the crowd disperses, inspecting the girls, I slump against the podium. I fiddle with my binds behind me and try to see if I can escape them. Their strong and tight, nothing a girl of my size would get out of unless they had a knife with them. Just like I watched on television, I grit my teeth and am about to try and break my wrist so that I can escape, when a short pot-bellied man approaches my podium and smiles at me.

I set my eyes on him with evident disgust on my face, trying to ward him off. He steps closer and grabs my chin roughly.

"Hmm, this one looks a little bit older than what I like. She got some flesh on her meaning that she'd last longer. I'd say we give this one a try."

I stare at him. Older than what he liked? I was only 22 for God's sake. What kind of fetish did this bastard have? The man brings his face closer and smells my neck and, in the process, drops my gag, which is when I bit him on his cheek to get him away from me. He muffles his scream with his teeth but doesn't hesitate to give me a slap across the face. I feel the sting and I'm sure that by now, my cheek would be blistering red. I hiss and spit in his face. He raises his hand to hit me again but is then stopped by someone who I can only assume is a bodyguard for us girls.

"No manhandling the girls, Mr. Cree."

"But she..." He tries to explain, but the look on the guard's face is absolute. Try that nonsense and I will throw you out.

Cree sighs and steps away from me. I think he's done, that he will walk off and never look in my direction again, but I am wrong. His eyes glance at the paper in front of me and he takes a look at it. He scoffs.

"A measly three million dollars for this one. I'll bid. It'll be fun breaking her."

He writes down a number I can't see and walks away with a maniacal laugh. I frown but at the back of my mind, I pray that I wouldn't be sold to anyone. It was a pipe dream yes, as he had already bid so now, my prayer was to be sold to someone else. Anyone other than that maniac.

People come and go, touching and accessing me and although I make myself seem undesirable, men and women alike keep on placing bids for me. I groan, feeling defeated until my gaze lands on someone. A stranger who for some reason purposefully strides over to my podium and eyes me, his eyes cold and discerning. His hair falls in long tresses down to his shoulders and his smile is electric. He wears an expensive suit which to his credit shows off his toned body effortlessly. The man is hot, but I shake my head, removing the thoughts from my mind. Regardless of how hot he was, if he was here then he was as bad as the rest of them.

"Hello." He says to me, his voice like dripping honey.

"Go away." Is all I can say to him. He steps closer and his fingers brush my cheek. I flinch.

"What's your name?" He asks.

I turn away not willing to give him the satisfaction of knowing who I was. He grips my chin and turns my face to his. A brow on his face raises, commanding me to answer. I did.

"Emilia."

"Emilia," he murmurs, and the sound of my name on his lips sends shivers down my spine.

"How did you get here?" He asks more like a rhetorical question than a real one.

I glare at him as he still holds my chin, my defiance bubbling up.

"What do you want?"

His lips curve into a dangerous smile.

"I didn't want anything at first but now I do. You."

I scoff.

"Do whatever you want. I will never be submissive."

He raises an eyebrow, accepting my dare.

"I don't expect you to."

He lets go of me and doesn't say another word as he writes down a number I still can't see. He raises his head from the paper, smirks at me and then walks away like nothing happened. My stomach turns. I have a bad feeling about this.

The thirty minutes are up, and the revelation of the bidding begins. The guests go back to their seats and once they settle in, the first girl is brought out. She sells for a hundred thousand. They pull her away with her screams echoing off the walls of the room. It goes that way for about an hour before men walk up to me and pull me off the floor. I struggle and try to break free, hoping that I can escape now that I am on my feet. Again, it didn't work. My eyes land on mystery man. He watches me with an intensity that unnerves me.

The men place me in the center of the stage and the host starts.

"Wow. It seems that a lot of you want this little catch for yourself. Let's see. The offer began at three million dollars, and it's gone way up. Holy hell. The last bid was seven million dollars. That's a lot of cash."

I stare at the man in shock. Mystery man was the last one to write a number. Could he be the highest bidder?

"Well, in the form of sportsmanship would anyone like to beat that?"

Cree's hand goes up and I can tell that he is upset with the way his nose flares.

"I bid eight million."

"Nine million." Mystery man says without even looking at the host. People begin to murmur in the crowd, and it seems that his bidding has caught some people's attention.

"Ten million." Cree shouts out.

"Eleven."

"This is getting interesting folks. Can I get twelve million? Twelve for the brown haired broad."

Cree prepares to call it, but the mystery man beats him to it.

"Twenty million for her."

Everyone gasps and turns to him, confused as to why he would pay such a sum for me. Even I am shocked. Cree screams his head off like a child and exits the room, but no one cares.

The bidding continues. The gavel goes down and my fate is sealed.

"Twenty million to the mafia don, Luca Hernandez. Congratulations on your bid sir."

The room erupts in an applause while I sit there and gape at the man, the realization setting in. A mafia don just bought me. Luca waves at me slowly with a devilish smirk on his face and I feel my world crash and burn. What would a mafia don want with me?

As the gavel falls, he steps forward, putting my gag back on and claiming me. I am in so much shock that I don't react. His grip is firm as he leads me away from the stage. The crowd watches, their envy palpable. I'm no longer Emilia, first daughter and heir to the Collin fortune. I'm a possession, a pawn to a deadly man.

We exit the grand hall, and he guides me to a waiting car. The driver doesn't ask questions. He knows better or is he used to this. As soon as we get in the car jerks forward and zooms off in the direction of what I only assume will be my new torture chamber for the rest of my life. Despite my will to fight and try to open the door to my freedom, my body refuses to move, like I'm stuck in glue. I look out the tinted-out window and resign to my fate.

About fifteen minutes go by and a mansion loom ahead. Actually, it was more like a fortress as the car drew nearer. The car comes to a stop at the massive metal gates that stood before us. It's obsidian bars shining in the sunlight and the initials LH boldly sitting in the middle of it. I was rich, yes, but I couldn't help but marvel at the sheer size of the gate and even the building that sat grandiosely behind it.

A security check was done; one that I paid no attention to, before the gates opened mechanically and the car passed through and into the grounds of the mansion. The car comes to a halt and the doors open allowing Luca and I to get down from the car. I look around the grounds and notice the fountain in the middle of the grounds. A mermaid posed in all her beauty with water running out of her hands like she was offering it up to the mortals beneath her. Rare flowers peppered the gardens drawing my attention towards them. I don't stay out long to gawk at them because my arm is taking, and I am dragged into the mansion. The staff that stands in the lobby of the mansion bows to the mafia don beside me. I turn to him just in time to see him give them a nod and walk off with me in tow.

The staff don't pay me any mind and disperse to go about their day while I am taken up the stairs and towards a room with large oak doors. Luca places his hand on the door while I plant my feet into the ground to prevent him from taking me in there. He pushes open the door and pulls me along. I stand my ground glaring at him. If he was pulling me into a room, that meant that he planned to have his way with me. I was not going to allow that. I’d rather be tortured.

Luca turns to me and raises an eyebrow.

"Really?" He asks before he sweeps me off my feet, literally and carries me into the room on his shoulder. I squirm but he doesn't give. Before I know it, he drops me on the plush bed in the middle of the room and sits me up. He leans in close, causing me to shut my eyes and wait for what happens next but to my surprise, the gag in my mouth is pulled down. I open my eyes to see Luca sitting on the edge of the bed, watching me intently. I scoot back on my butt and eye him cautiously.

"Why?" I demand, my voice raw.

His dark gray eyes meet mine, and he smiles.

"Because I want you." He deadpans as if it is the most obvious answer to my question.

"It's not that simple." I whisper under my breath, sure that my torture would begin soon.

He chuckles and stands up from the bed, the sun dancing off his figure.

"Oh, I assure you it is. Now that you belong to me, there are rules..."

"I don't belong to anyone." I argue.

"I paid twenty million dollars for you. I'm pretty sure that you do."

I stare at him, nothing leaving my mouth when I realize that he was right. I glance at the bed and turn my face away from him.

"Like I was saying, there are only three rules for you to follow while you stay here. One. If you want something, then you need to earn it. Two. You can't leave the mansion without my permission. Three. If you don't do what I ask, then you get punished."

My head flies up in shock and I gape at him for a moment before recovering my voice.

"Punished? Earn what I want? What are these rules supposed to mean?" I question, my voice quivering.

"Call me master." He says with a playing look.

"What? No. Never." I reply, looking at him incredulously.

"Call me master or you get punished." He says again, getting closer to me. I glare at him and strengthen my resolve.

"Never."

"Good choice." Is all he says before he grabs me by my legs and pulls me towards the edge of the bed. My hands are still bound, and I can't fight back but I try to wiggle my way out of his strong hands. He pins my feet under one of his hands and pulls out a switchblade from his back pocket. He flips it open and places the cold metal on my skin.

"Stay still." He speaks; his voice now more menacing than it was before. With my eyes trained on the blade, I still, not wanting to risk my safety in the heat of the moment. My hands above my head balls up into fist, preparing for the worst. He grins at my obedience. Luca lets go of my leg and slips his hand under my gown. I whimper and turn my head away from him knowing that I don't have any underwear on. He's going to rape me, wasn't he? I think to myself. This is it. The worst thing that I know could happen to me. I squeeze my eyes shut and take a deep breath preparing myself for the pain.

To my surprise, strong hands move down my leg and grip my thighs, raising my body and arching my back. Something wet and soft touches my vagina and I squeal. I open my eyes wondering what is going on when I feel his tongue run up my vulva and hit my clitoris. I arch my back and scream out as my spine shudders in ecstasy. My body, betraying what my mind knows is wrong. I glance at him again through hooded eyes but all I can see is the top of his head as he goes down on me.

He focuses on my g-spot and begins to suck on it, flickering his tongue every opportunity he gets to make me squirm in pleasure. Although my hands are bound, I want nothing more than to grab him by his hair and push his face deeper into me. I moan loudly; all reasoning I had being thrown out the window when another wave of pleasure hits me like a tsunami.

"Please." I whisper barely audible as I try not to explode from the wonders he does with his tongue.

His finger goes inside, teasing me. I lose my mind, my toes curling.

"Please fuck me." I scream out, not being able to hold in my desires any longer.

Luca removes his head from under my gown, his finger still pumping inside me, and speaks in a voice that gives me shivers.

"Beg me."

"Please Luca. Please fuck me." I reply like a helpless drug induced addict.

"What's my name?" He questions me as he adds another finger, stretching me out.

I moan, wanting nothing more than to be turned over and pounded until I can't feel my legs again. I open my eyes just in time to see him staring at me with amusement as he pleases me. I lick my lips and give him what he wants.

"Master Luca." I say seductively.

"What do you want me to do Lia?" He asks again, not wasting a beat as he adds another finger inside me.

"Please master Luca. Fuck me." I reply breathless as another moan leaves my mouth, my body on the verge of bursting in pleasure. I was close. I was about to orgasm.

Luca smirks at me and pulls his fingers away from me. I look down, seeing his hands retreat and give him a pleading look.

"No. Please. Don't." I beg him, my eyes clouding with impure thoughts.

Luca takes his fingers and puts them in his mouth, sucking my juices off his hand and enjoying it. He eyes my petite frame as I shiver, the wave I felt coming dissipating and leaving me relentless.

"That's your punishment. The staff will be here to clean you up soon. Have a bath and dress up, then meet me in the dining room for dinner."

With that, Luca chuckles and walks out of the room, leaving me alone, a shattered and unsatisfied mess with a frustrated mind. I whisper to myself after I catch my breath.

"What the fuck was that?"

It takes an hour for his staff members to release me from my binds and clean me up. I blush as they run their hands over my body cleaning me from head to toe, but I am grateful for one thing. There is no man with us, especially my captor. The female staff brush my hair as I sit close to the vanity looking at my features. My eyes look puffy from all the crying of last night before the auction and my hair is a bird’s nest after all my tossing and turning in the bed when I was punished. The thought makes a red tint creep up my cheeks as I remember what I had to do when I was in that man’s presence.

I wipe the thought from my mind and frown. I couldn’t forget that I was here against my will. I was bought for Christ’s sake. A fucking property to a mafia boss. My only concern now was how I would get out of this place without being killed rather than Luca’s eyes boring holes in my soul whenever he looked at me. I groan, racking my mind for a point of escape when the women step away from me.

“All done.” One of them says, making me turn back to the mirror and look at myself.

My hair is no longer a mess. It sits on my shoulders in their signature and natural loose curls cupping my face and making me look younger than I actually am. The gown I have on is long and plain light blue gown for which I am thankful for because Luca wouldn’t think of touching me while I wore this.

“It’s time to see Mr. Luca now.” One of the women speaks, eyeing me through the mirror.

I sigh and pout. I didn’t want to do this. I wanted to go home. Home. A place that meant nothing to me now since my father and family betrayed me so blatantly, throwing me to the wolves to fend for myself. I scoff at the thought and stand up. According to Luca, all I need to do is obey and maybe I would be able to escape this place. If that’s all it takes, then I’ll abide by his rules. For now.

With one last look at me, the women led me out of the room, towards what I assume is going to be the dining hall. With slow strides, we reach the room, and the large oak doors open for me to enter. I walk into the room, marveling at how the dining room of this place is even grander than my former home.

Walls adorned with art and curtains trimmed with gold sit prettily in the massive room. The table itself, as I can tell due to my father’s old rantings, is made of pure grenadilla, African blackwood, one of the most expensive woods in the world. Just how rich is this man? I ask myself as I walk over to the table and take a seat opposite from him. Surprisingly, he didn’t sit at the head of the table like I thought he would. Still, I don’t want to be near him.

“Stand.” He commands me, his eyes not even on me as he goes through his phone.

I do as he says and stand up immediately, not wanting to incur his wrath. Luca drops his phone and watches me, making me feel self-conscious about myself even though I was dressed decently.

“The gown looks good on you.” He says shortly.

“Thank you.” I reply with my head bent towards the table.

“Come here.” He commands once again.

I freeze. I don’t want to go anywhere near him after what he did to me, but I know that if I refuse, I will get punished. I struggle with the choice when he speaks again.

“Come here unless you want to get punished. Or do you?” He asks with a raise of his eyebrow, cockily teasing me. I swallow my pride and walk around the table to his side, my eyes not leaving the floor.

“Sit.” Luca says.

I move to sit on the chair next to him when he grabs my hand, stopping me.

“Not there.” He clarifies as he gestures to his lap.

My eyes widen. He wants me to sit on his lap. Why, though? Hadn’t he already embarrassed and groped me enough? I gulp when I see him stare at me, as if daring me to disobey him. I go to sit on his lap, not saying a word. As I do, his arms tighten around my waist pulling me further into his hold and also preventing me from escaping if he tries to do anything.

“Isn’t this nice?” He sarcastically asked me.

When I don’t reply, he loosens his grip on me and brushes my hair with his hands.

“You don’t need to feel uncomfortable near me. You’re mine now after all. You should feel right at home.”

I’m not sure when a scoff leaves my mouth at the word. Home. His. Never in a million years.

“What was that?” He questions in a steady voice.

“Nothing.” I quickly answer and mentally berate myself for my outburst. I'm fighting every urge in me not to curse him out, but I know that it'll lead to me on my back, and I am not willing to let this man have his way with me again. Regardless of whether I liked it or not.

“No. Explain.”

“It’s nothing.” I reply.

I feel him tense up while I speak. With one hand, Luca grabs my arm and lifts me off his body, causing me to stand on my own two feet. I turn to look at him when he points to the seat next to him. I take it as an invitation to take a seat. One which I take over sitting on his lap and contemplating the inevitable.

“You should understand that whenever you are in my presence, you are to be submissive. No talking back unless asked to and no refusal. You have to come to the reality that you are my property and no one in the outside world will help you escape me.”

I look up at Luca, his words resounding in my head. No escape. His face was serious while he looked at me, his once playful demeanor gone, making me believe that he was not joking. Is this my reality? Being forced to be with a man I want nothing to do with? I mean I know that technically it isn’t his fault since he didn’t drag me away from my family or even sold me out to gang members like my father did, but I needed someone to blame for my misfortunes and he was right here. Who better than the man I could see sitting before me?

I frown, my blood beginning to boil and my defiance bubbling up in my throat, forcing me to speak up against him. Luca must have caught up to what I am about to do because he slams his hands on the table, causing me to flinch in shock.

“Submission Lia. That means no talking back either.” He warns.

I shut my mouth, gripping onto my gown and settling back down. Luca sighs and rubs his chin before he speaks again.

“I won’t be in the house for most of the day because of work. So, you’ll be watched by some of my men while I’m gone. You can ask for whatever you want to make your stay more comfortable, but you will under no circumstance leave the house. Do you understand?”

I nod my head as an answer to his question.

“Speak Lia.” He prompts me.

“I understand.” I say to him, my voice unwittingly cracking.

I hear Luca sigh and then get up.

“Eat up and go to bed after.” Luca orders me one last time before he walks out of the room without eating a thing. As soon as the door closes after him, I feel the atmosphere of the room change and now I can breathe better. I look around and exhale.

Most people would be concerned about how they were now trapped with this man. That was my concern, yes, but I had other things on my mind. Like how I was going to escape when he left the mansion. When I was brought here there was little to no security around the mansion and even less in the house. For a mafia don there was really no form of protection around him which was weird but I didn’t bother to question it. It would serve me well. I mean with him gone, how hard could getting my freedom be?