Scene 5

ANGELA

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

I hadn’t expected this day to come. How did I end up like this? In just one day and one night, I was sold off to my sister’s boyfriend.

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

She focused on her job, avoiding any mistakes, as though 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, carving Richard Henshaw’s name into it.

Once Agnes finished, she smiled and stepped away from me.

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

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

“Do you love it? Do you wish to add anything to it?” Agnes asked, 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, as no other woman in Top Hills City has boldly worn her master’s name like this. You should consider yourself lucky,” Agnes said as she cleaned her tool and packed up her bag to leave the room.

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

I had never had a tattoo on my body before, but now I had to wear a brand right on my chest, at the top of my middle chest, just above my cleavage.

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

He wore a white top and black trousers, having taken off his black coat.

“I’m done, Master Richard,” Agnes said with a smile.

Richard glanced at me with his cold expression to confirm that Agnes had branded me properly with his name.

Taking a step closer to me, Richard replied, “You did a good job, Agnes. It’s good to see that you branded her well. Meet Derek. He will settle you and escort you back safely.”

“All right, Master Richard. Thank you.” Agnes bowed to Richard and hastily left the room.

I lowered my face as I hadn’t expected to end up in such a deep mess.

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

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

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

He was the son of the mafia boss. How dare I disobey him, knowing that he didn’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 Richard as I looked at his handsome, dark face.

Richard laughed coldly and peered at me.

“What kind of job do you want to work to pay me back? Do you plan to sell this beautiful body of yours to some man to raise the money?” he asked as he trailed his right finger along my left arm.

The coldness of his touch made 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.

“I should call my parents?” I asked Richard in disbelief.

He smiled, leaned against the dressing table, and replied, “Yes. Let me see how they can 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 immediately 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.

“Angela, what’s wrong? What happened to you? Your mother has been trying to reach you 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 you’re using to contact me? Who bought you?” Dad demanded.

Richard came forward and took his phone away from my left ear.

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

“Hello, Mr. Moraga,” Richard said in his icy voice.

“Yes. Who is this?” my father asked.

“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 Dark Realm Auction.

“You know the rules. I already bought your second daughter, and I don’t need a refund. If I hadn’t purchased her tonight, another mafia lord could have, and you wouldn’t be asking to negotiate right now. You should blame your first daughter, Isabella,” Richard said.

I sat on the chair, looking at him in disbelief.

*Did Richard know that Isabella was taking me to the Dark Realm to be sold?*

*Did he plan with my sister to kidnap me and take me to the Dark Realm Auction to be sold to him?* I pondered.

“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 though Richard was the one holding his phone.

Richard laughed and said, “Haha. Mr. Moraga, I would appreciate it if you called the police. But you know the rules. Even the Dark Realm has government backing. I will only return your second daughter to you when I am tired of having her around and when I am done with her.”

“No, Master Richard. Please… Angela is innocent. She is not like Isabella. Let us have an exchange. Isabella loves you, and I am aware of that. 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 was the number-one mafia boss in the 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 only wanted to use her to chase other young women away from me and prevent my father from arranging a marriage for me. So, I will stick with my relationship with Angela until I find a wife.”

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