3. Escape

"One million"

The words reverberated, echoing with unwavering conviction. In an instant, silence blanketed the air, as the weight of the bid hung in the space, a bold declaration that altered the course of events. All eyes turned toward the source of the voice, anticipation tinged with surprise swirling in the space.

I heard gasps and murmurings from various corners of the crowd and even I couldn't hold back but look up at who would call such a price, and probably like everyone else I had the same thought, who would buy a slave for such an amount?

As the crowd parted like a sea, a man purposefully walked towards the stage, his gaze fixed solely upon me. His presence exuded an air of unwavering confidence, an unmistakable aura of dominance and authority. His piercing eyes, as dark as obsidian, locked onto mine, captivating my attention with their intensity. His jet-black hair mirrored the depth of his pupils, adding to the enigmatic allure that surrounded him.

Dressed entirely in black, he wore a long-sleeved shirt that clung to his powerful frame, accentuating his commanding presence. The fabric stretched over his broad shoulders. Paired with black pants that tapered down his legs, his attire completes a striking ensemble that matched the gravity of his persona.

He climbed the stairs and got to the stage, standing right in front of me and I couldn't take my eyes off him. It felt as if the world around us faded into insignificance. I was captivated by the unwavering intensity in his eyes.

"I'll take her,"

He declared, his words carried an undeniable weight, punctuating the air with a firm resolve.

"Mr. Evermund!!," the auctioneer's voice trembled.

"Mr. Darren Evermund," he repeated, his tone saturated with respect, accompanied by a slight bow, he slapped the back of my head "Look down," he commanded, and with a scrunched face I compiled. During the fleeting moment, I caught a glimpse of a subtle frown that was etched onto the man's face, a fleeting display of discontent as our eyes momentarily disconnected.

My eyes were now glued to the black leather shoes the man wore, and beside him stood another man.

"If you don't mind Mr. Darren, please take her from the back of the building" I heard the auctioneer say in a stammer. I didn't need to be told that whoever this man was he held a lot of power and respect.

"Mm," he responded curtly and walked away from there. After he left there, the next moment I was pulled into the building, with a movement marked by a palpable unease as if they feared wasting even a moment of the man's valuable time.

Upon reaching the designated area, I found Mr. Darren standing nonchalantly, his hands casually tucked into his pockets. Leaning against the wall, he exuded an air of calm authority. Beside him stood a man with caramel blonde hair, who had a suitcase in his hand.

I was brought to his front by the auctioneer himself, while two other masked men followed behind us "Here is your package, Mr. Darren" the auctioneer declared, his tone laced with subservience.

I frowned at the way I was being referred, my discontent evident. However, I remained silent. Mr. Darren's gaze remained fixed upon me, and without breaking his gaze, he posed a direct question.

"Your name?"

I was surprised at the question and for a moment it felt like I didn't know what my name was.

"Ev..." I stuttered as I tried to call my name, he had a domineering presence that could make anyone shiver at their feet, I looked up to meet his dark eyes, and I opened my mouth to talk again but my voice came out croaked.

I felt a sharp pain in my neck as the auctioneer hit me on the same spot a whip was used on me earlier "Do you think everyone has the time to waste on you?" he scolded. I gritted my teeth.

Mr. Darren or whatever his name may be, shifted his attention from me to the auctioneer, his gaze penetrating. With a voice tinged with a blend of disapproval and annoyance, he muttered "The second time"

What happened the next moment had me shiver tremendously as it was unexpected, the man brought out a gun from God knows where and he shot the host who let out a loud in agony before he collapsed to the ground with a resounding thud, everything happened so fast that by the time I glanced at my side, the peddler already lay on the floor with a bullet through his head, dead!

His life was extinguished by a single bullet.

I gasped at the sight, horror gripping my senses as fear coursed through my veins. Trembling, I turned my gaze back to the man before me "Your name?" He asked again appearing calm as if he didn't just kill a person. His composure in the face of such brutality sent a chilling message.

Instinctively, I took a step back from him, followed by another "My time is precious, dear. What's your name?" He asked with his gaze on mine and mine on his, his dark eyes suddenly seemed to momentarily emit a haunting red glow, but just as quickly as it appeared, it vanished, leaving me questioning my own perception.

"Evianna," I whispered, barely audible, as I looked down. I wanted to run away as far as my legs could take me, but where to and how? When I don't even know where this place was.

"Evianna" he repeated, his tone unchanged as he uttered my name with a captivating blend of curiosity and intrigue, each syllable rolled off effortlessly.

"Cassius" he called out and the man who stood beside him moved to my back with the suitcase, it seemed like it had money in it cause the two masked men left after receiving it. And with that, I had been bought off as a slave at a high price.

"Take her to the car and meet me at Robert's stall," the man said and walked away, leaving me with the caramel blonde-haired man whose name appeared to be Cassius.

"Let's go," he said and led me out of there, with him in my front, he didn't touch me or draw me by the rope, the way slaves were treated.

I couldn't help but take one glance at the auctioneer who lay on the floor, in cold blood, How cruel! I wonder who would auction out the rest of the slaves when this one was dead already.

I was led outside the building and this was when I finally had a clear view of the market, the place was so big with people who seemed as though they came from very far places to get something from there.

We came out of the market and after a few minutes we stopped walking as we reached a black car "Get in" the man name Cassius said, his face devoid of any emotion.

I hesitated a little before I entered the car as he opened the passenger door for me, closing it when I had seated.

I stayed in the car for long, several minutes stretched into eternity and by the time I expected the man named Cassius to have left, I removed the rope from my hand which was a loose one, to begin with.

Surveying my surroundings, I ensured that the coast was clear before gingerly opening the car door.