SOLD and OWNED by the BILLIONAIRE [R18]

SERA'S POV:

"KRing! KRing! KKRing!"

I quickly opened my eyes as the alarm clock repeatedly rang inside our small rented room.

It was only four in the morning.

Although my eyelids still felt heavy and my entire body ached from yesterday's exhaustion, I had no choice but to get up.

One more minute in bed.

One more minute lost from my working hours.

And for me, every second meant money, and every coin I earned meant medicine for my brother.

I took a deep breath before slowly getting up from our thin mattress.

I glanced at the small bed beside me.

My eight-year-old brother, Liam, was sleeping peacefully. Despite his thin body and pale face, he still looked as though he were smiling in his sleep.

I smiled too, even though there was a dull ache in my chest.

"Just hold on a little longer, little brother..." I whispered to myself. "Ate will take care of you."

I quietly stood up so I would not wake him.

I quickly went to our small bathroom, washed my face, and took a shower. I had to hurry. My shift at the bakery down the street started at five in the morning, and if I was even five minutes late, it would immediately be deducted from my pay.

I have no right to be late. I have no right to get sick. And most of all, I have no right to give up.

Because while my brother was fighting to stay alive, I needed to be stronger and fight for him.

But sometimes... I still find myself wondering.

How much longer can I keep going?

How much longer can I force myself to smile when, deep down, I am slowly growing tired too, and a part of me just wants to give up?

I am Seraphina Monteverde, twenty-three years old. I am just an ordinary woman who was forced to become strong because there was no one else left to carry us through.

It is just me... I am the only one my little brother has left to depend on.

When Mama and Papa were still alive, we were not rich, but we were happy.

There was always food on our table, we had a roof over our heads, and we never had to worry about where we would get the money for tomorrow's expenses.

But then, one tragedy changed everything.

Everything changed. Now, it is just Liam and me against the world. And what hurts even more... my little brother has leukemia.

Liam is only eight years old. He should be thinking about playing, making friends, and creating happy memories as a child.

But instead... the hospital has become his second home. Instead of toys, he is constantly faced with needles. And instead of candies or chocolates, medicine has become a part of his everyday life.

And as his big sister... it feels like my heart slowly dies every time I see him suffering. I cannot bear to lose him. I would never be able to handle it.

So even when I am completely exhausted...

I keep fighting.

I wake up before the sun rises.

Every morning at five, I work as a sales clerk at a bakery until ten.

From there, I head straight to a restaurant, where I work from eleven in the morning until six in the evening.

And when night falls, I work as a waitress at a club until midnight.

Three jobs in a single day.

Barely any time to rest.

But I will endure.

Because every ounce of exhaustion I endure is another bit of hope for my brother's life.

As long as I have enough to buy his medicine. As long as I have enough to pay the hospital bills.

Whether it rains... whether the sun is scorching... whether I have a fever... or whether I am so exhausted that I can barely stand...

I will still go to work.

Most of the time, I am the one who goes without eating. I would rather drink water just to keep my stomach from feeling empty.

The money that should have been used to buy food for myself...

I would rather be the one to go hungry and suffer from exhaustion, as long as my brother does not have to. As long as he never loses hope.

As long as I am still breathing, I will never stop searching for a way to keep Liam alive.

Because while he is fighting for his life, I have to fight even harder for him.

As I stepped out of the bathroom, still drying my wet hair, I was greeted by the familiar face of my best friend.

Alex.

She had just come home from her shift at a club. She looked completely exhausted, but she still smiled when she saw me.

"Is Liam awake?" she asked softly.

I immediately placed my index finger to my lips.

"Shhh... Keep your voice down. He's still sleeping."

She scratched her head before nodding.

I walked over to her and handed her the small key to our rented room.

"Please look after Liam for me, okay? He might wake up while I'm at the bakery."

I gently squeezed her hand.

"Please keep an eye on him."

She rolled her eyes and let out a small laugh.

"Geez! It's not like you don't know me."

"Do you really think I'd ever leave your brother alone? You make it sound like you don't know me at all."

I couldn't help but smile.

Alex was one of the few people who stayed by my side even when we had nothing left to be proud of in life.

She never left us.

She never grew tired of helping.

And even though she was completely exhausted from working every night, she still made time to look after Liam while I was at work.

Suddenly, she reached into the pocket of her jacket.

"Oh, by the way..."

She pulled out some folded bills from her jacket pocket and handed them to me.

"What is this?" I asked in confusion.

I did not take them right away.

"That's my tip from last night."

She smiled.

"A foreigner was really pleased with my service. He gave me a pretty generous tip," she said with a wink.

I swallowed hard as I looked at the money in her hand.

I knew she had worked hard for it.

I knew she had spent the entire night working just to earn that money.

That was why I couldn't bring myself to accept it.

"N-No... Alex. Just keep it. You need it too."

She shook her head.

"Sera..."

She noticed the tears slowly welling up in my eyes.

So she gently tapped me on the forehead.

"Hey!"

"Don't get all dramatic on me, you idiot!"

She smiled, even though it was obvious that she was only trying to make me feel better.

"That's for Liam."

"Who knows... maybe it can help pay for some of his medicine."

I could no longer hold back my tears.

I quickly wrapped my arms around Alex in a tight hug.

"Thank you..." I whispered softly, my voice trembling.

"Thank you so much."

"I won't refuse this."

"Because I know this is for Liam."

She gently patted my back.

"Don't thank me."

"When Liam gets better, just treat me to a big cake from the bakery."

I laughed through my tears.

"You're something else."

"Of course!" she replied with a laugh. "I only want something free."

But after our laughter faded...

My chest suddenly felt heavy again.

Because I knew the money I was holding was not enough.

What I earn is not enough.

And all the sacrifices I make are even more insufficient...

To fight the illness that is slowly taking the life of the person I love most, my little brother.

But as his big sister, I will never give up.

Even if the world takes away every bit of strength I have left.

I will fight.

As long as Liam is still breathing.

As long as there is still hope for him to live.

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AUTHOR'S NOTE!!!

Warning to Readers ⚠️⚠️

This story contains some sensitive scenes and serious themes that may not be suitable for all readers, especially younger audiences.

All characters, places, organizations, and events in this story are entirely fictional and are products of the author's creative imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or deceased, places, or events is purely coincidental and is not intended to cause harm, defame anyone, or spread false information.

This novel is an original work by the author. Any form of copying, reposting, reproducing, translating, or distributing this work, in whole or in part, without the author's permission is strictly prohibited and may constitute a violation of copyright and intellectual property laws.

Readers are advised to proceed only if they are comfortable with the themes explored in this story.

Thank you so much for your time and support. I hope you enjoy this story.

— Ms. Yaen