Chapter 3

After a bumpy ride, Sophie was dragged out of the car with a hood over her head.

The stench of decay hung thick in the air, a sickening mixture of death and despair. The dampness seemed to seep into her skin like countless tiny, cold snakes, while a faint acrid smell of burning lingered in the background, suggesting something horrific had recently taken place.

Low moans echoed around her, mournful and distant, like the cries of tormented souls rising from the depths of hell.

Then she heard Yale's voice, dripping with flattery.

"Gentlemen, I promise you, this one's top quality. So, about the price..."

Someone yanked the hood off Sophie's head, revealing a man with a vicious-looking face. He studied her before speaking haltingly.

"Not bad-looking. Is she a virgin?"

"Yes, yes! Absolutely, sir!" Yale answered eagerly. "You have my word. I wouldn't dream of bringing you secondhand goods!"

"All right. Take her away."

No sooner had he spoken than two men seized Sophie and dragged her off. She tried to protest, but her mouth had already been gagged, leaving her able to make only muffled sounds.

They locked her in a room that reeked of blood. All around her were other young girls being held captive, their bodies covered in injuries as they huddled in the corners.

Sophie tried to approach them and ask what was happening, but a burly guard immediately banged on the bars of her cage.

He and the other guards shouted threats in a heavily accented local dialect.

"Don't even think about trying anything! Once you're in here, you're never getting out alive!"

Their harsh voices scraped against Sophie's ears like sandpaper.

The burly guard gave her a cruel, excited look. His mouth twisted into a sneer, exposing a row of yellow teeth.

"Think you can escape? I'll teach you who runs this place!"

"Let me out!" Sophie demanded, glaring at him. "If you so much as touch me, your boss will make you pay!"

She had hoped the warning would intimidate him, but it only made him furious.

He threw open the iron gate and stormed inside, his deeply sunken eyes resembling two black holes. Before Sophie could move, he grabbed a fistful of her hair and wrenched her head up.

There was no trace of pity in his eyes, only a twisted sense of pleasure.

His fleshy face quivered with excitement as he tightened his grip, throwing back his head in a wild laugh that sounded like the screech of an owl.

"Our boss? Sweetheart, what do you think this is? Some romance novel where a powerful CEO swoops in to rescue you?"

He laughed again before continuing.

"Forget about having a good life here. Do what you're told, and maybe you won't suffer quite so much."

A tall, skinny man nearby joined in.

"Otherwise, we'll beat you so badly your own parents won't recognize you!"

There wasn't a shred of compassion in their voices, only endless cruelty and greed.

A woman standing nearby suddenly let out a shrill yell, her eyes blazing with malice.

"What, you still think you're some rich little princess? You think you can threaten me with our boss? You're nothing but dirt in this place!"

Before Sophie could respond, the woman lashed her with a whip.

"We get arrogant little 'piglets' like you every single day. Want to know what we do with them?"

She hooked a finger under Sophie's chin and forced her to look up, a vicious smile spreading across her face.

"We beat them. And we keep beating them until they learn to obey."

The whip struck Sophie again and again, each blow accompanied by their laughter.

"All right, that's enough. Don't actually kill her. We've got plenty of time."

An overweight man finally stepped in to stop the woman.

"The boss personally ordered this batch. If you beat her to death, we'll have a lot of explaining to do."

"Consider yourself lucky, bitch! I wasn't even done having fun!" The woman spat in Sophie's face before storming off in a rage.

Sophie was tossed aside like a discarded rag, every inch of her body screaming in pain. Blood clouded her vision, staining everything before her eyes red.

Just before her eyes closed, she caught sight of Gavin. He was looking down at her with a displeased frown, his lips moving as though he were saying something, but she couldn't make out a word.