Chapter 5 - His Brand

(Angela Moraga)

I sat tensely in the chair as Agnes brought her tattoo equipment to brand my chest with Richard’s name.

I hadn’t thought of this day to come.

How did I end up like this?

In just one day, one night, and I was sold off to my sister’s boyfriend.

Tears welled up in my eyes, but Agnes didn’t say a word to me.

She was focused on her job, to avoid making any mistake, as if she would be killed if she did it wrongly.

“You don’t have to cry. Master Richard has never allowed anyone to wear his brand before,” Agnes said, as she kept her gaze focused on my chest.

I winced as the cold drawing tools pierced my skin, drawing “Richard Henshaw” on my beautiful fair skin.

Once Agnes was done, she smiled and stepped away from me.

“Take a look at it,” she said, as the room had bright white light.

As I gazed at my reflection in the mirror, I was stunned to see Richard’s name written in an italic font on my chest.

“Do you love it? Do you wish to add anything to it?” Agnes asked me, grinning from cheek to cheek.

“No, I am fine,” I replied coldly, though my voice was filled with pain.

“You don’t have to pretend. Master Richard wants you. No woman in this Top Hills City has bared their master’s name boldly like this. You should consider yourself lucky,” Agnes said, as she cleaned her tools and packed up her bag to leave the room.

I didn’t reply to Agnes. I had no words to say to her, and I didn’t even feel like thanking her.

I had no tattoo on my body before; now I had to wear a brand, and on my chest—at the top of my middle chest, just above my cleavage.

A knock resonated on the door, and it unlocked while Richard came in with a cold expression on his face.

He wore a crisp white top and black trousers, as he had taken off his coat.

“I am done, Master Richard,” Agnes spoke with a smile, and Richard glanced at me with his cold expression to confirm if Agnes had branded me with his name properly.

Taking a step closer to meet me, Richard replied, “You did a good job. Good to see you have branded her well. Meet with Derek. He will settle you and escort you back safely.”

“Alright, Master Richard. Thank you.” Agnes bowed at Richard and immediately left the room.

I lowered my face, as I hadn’t expected to be in this deep mess.

“What are you thinking about?” Richard asked, as he strolled away from the door to meet me.

“Thinking about your parents?” he asked, but I didn’t bother to look at him.

“Speak when I talk to you,” he ordered, as he came and stood in front of me.

He was the son of the mafia lord. How dare I disobey him, knowing that he doesn’t love me?

“Why did you purchase me? What do you want from me? Please let me go. I promise to pay you the money once I graduate and start working,” I begged him, as I looked at his handsome dark face.

Richard laughed out coldly and peered at me. “What kind of job do you want to work to pay me back my money? Do you plan to sell this beautiful body of yours to any man to raise the money?” he asked, as he trailed his finger on my right arm.

I felt the coldness of his touch make my skin crawl.

“No. I am not saying now, but maybe in the coming years I will be able to pay you back. Or I will speak with my father. Please, let me call him,” I begged Richard, as tears welled up in my blue eyes.

“Fine. Go on and call your father. Let me see what he can do to help you,” Richard said, as he fished out his phone and gave it to me.

My hands trembled as I accepted his iPhone from his hands. “I should go on and call my parents?” I asked him with disbelief.

Richard smiled, leaned against the dressing table, and replied, “Yes. Let me see how they can be able to pay me back, since you don’t understand your duty is to serve me now.”

Richard had a bored look on his face, and I clicked on the call log to contact my father.

My hands trembled as I heard the call ringing.

“Hello, Father,” I said, as soon as my father answered his call.

“Angela, what’s wrong? What happened to you? Your mother has been trying to reach you all to no avail. Where are you now, and who asked you to leave home?” my father asked, his voice loud and filled with anger.

“Dad, Isabella took me to Richard’s party, and she sold me off tonight.”

“What? How dare Isabella do this? Are you sure? Where are you? Who owns the phone that you are using to contact me? Who bought you?” Dad demanded, and Richard came forward and took his phone away from my ear.

“Please, let me speak with my father,” I begged Richard, and he smiled.

“Hello, Mr. Moraga,” Richard’s icy voice spoke with my father.

“Yes. Who is this?” my father asked, and Richard replied, “Richard Henshaw. Your daughter belongs to me now.”

“What? No, Richard. You cannot do this. Angela is not for sale. She is innocent. She didn’t willingly offer herself to be sold to the dark realm. Please let go of my second daughter. I will pay you off. Don’t touch her,” my father pleaded.

Meanwhile, I was stunned that my father knew about the auction for women.

“You know the rules. I already bought your daughter tonight, and I don’t need a refund. If I hadn’t purchased, I guess another mafia lord could have, and you wouldn’t be asking for negotiation right now. You should blame it on your first daughter, Isabella,” Richard said, and I sat on the chair looking at him with disbelief.

Did Richard know that my sister was taking me to the Dark Realm Auction to be sold?

Did he plan with Isabella to kidnapped me and sold me to him?

“Dad, don’t listen to Richard! He planned it with Isabella! Richard was looking at me at his birthday party, and Isabella took me there against my will. Call the police, Dad. I cannot be locked up here!” I screamed, believing that my father would hear me, even when Richard was the one holding his phone.

Richard laughed and said, “Mr. Moraga, I will appreciate it if you call the police. But you know the rule. Even the Dark Realm Auction has the government support. I will only return your second daughter to you when I tire of having her around and when I am done with her.”

“No, Richard. Please… Angela is innocent. She is not like Isabella. Let us have an exchange. Isabella loves you, and that I am aware of. Isn’t she your girlfriend?” my father asked Richard nervously.

I wondered why my father was afraid of Richard. Was it because Richard’s father is the number one mafia boss in this city?

“I don’t have anything to say to you, and what I choose to do with your second daughter is my business. As for Isabella,” Richard hesitated on the call as he looked at my face.

“I never wanted her. I just wanted to use her to chase other young women from clinging to me and to prevent my father from arranging a marriage for me. So, I will still stick with my relationship with Angela until I find a wife.”

“What?” I gasped, looking at Richard's face with disbelief.